In Matthew 5:1-12 Jesus addresses a specific kind of human suffering, the kind resulting from the conflict between the kingdom of Heaven’s culture and the kingdoms of human culture. Putting it mildly, these have never been in my “Top 10 Bible Promises to Claim”. Suffering for me has been something to avoid. But Jesus doesn’t present suffering as an option, he presents it as a joyful inevitability: “Blessed are your WHEN…”.

I think it is time to reconsider this blessing and start preparing to receive it.

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