In the final few beatitudes, there is a shift in focus. Here, Jesus describes how the world responds to His disciples.

These beatitudes are not about the characteristics of disciples or the choices they make; rather they are about how disciples will be treated. As we follow Jesus, there are many things that are simply out of our control. What is the only way we could control whether we are persecuted? It would be to stop following Jesus, the very thing stirring up persecution. But, as we choose to boldly follow Jesus, we will see that persecution should be expected and should be considered a blessing.

• Why does Jesus urge us to see persecution as a blessing?

• This week, we addressed the expectations we had about following Jesus compared to the realities of following His countercultural teachings given in Scripture. What surprised you about Jesus’ teachings?