Matthew
Chapter 5 Verse 10
Blessed
(are) those who are persecuted because of righteousness
for
theirs is the realm of the heavens.
μακάριοι
οἱ δεδιωγμένοι
ἕνεκεν δικαιοσύνης,
ὅτι
αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ
βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν.
Δεδιωγμένοι
is unusual. Rather than the future passive verb form so frequent used
in previous verses of the Beatitudes suddenly we have a Perfect
passive participle! Not Aorist or future but perfect. Perfect passive
… it is ...-ed … those who are in the past right now and the
near future.
This
perfect passive participle is of the verb Διωκω to hunt chase
pursue persecute someone as if they were prey. A verb that came to be
used not just about hunting but in a legal context.
Why
do some governments and people treat the righteous as criminals?
Ἕνεκεν
is a preposition used with the genitive. For, for the sake of, because
of
Prophets
and other people and not just Christians have been persecuted and
indeed prosecuted in courts for the sake of righteousness. A
cautionary note do not presume righteousness or a righteous cause
justifies criminal activities. This should be a last resort if a
civil law is unjust.
Remember
the previous verse about peacemaking.
Negotiation
and rational debate first please if possible?
It
is uncivil rude and mean to harass people visiting a clinic those
services may include abortions.
I
recently read of a disturbing situation where women using a health
clinic in the USA were harassed by so called Christians accusing them
of being baby killers and sl*&s. Many of those women were using
the clinic to get low cost contraceptives and medical and family
planning advice they couldn't afford or get elsewhere in that
particular state.
On
the other side those are those who claim to be liberals or
progressive who label everyone who seeks righteousness as part of
following the divine as perverts prudes delusional or the allegation
that one is trying to be superior?
Righteousness
isn't just about who is right or wrong it's a process of seeking and
supporting justice.
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