This scripture always makes me worry because it makes it so easy for Christians to claim persecutions when really maybe we’re just being jerks.

We ought not do that. That’s not how it works. It’s not faithful to the Gospel.

It’s probably a good thing to keep in mind why religious leaders wanted Jesus dead. I’ll argue they killed him because he wouldn’t shut up about how those exact people had abdicated the true faith in favor of one that favored them instead. Jesus demanded that justice be given to the poor, comfort to the afflicted, and love to everyone equally.  That’s radical. But instead, the elite really just wanted to stay in power, and so they gave charity instead of justice and platitudes instead of comfort. They didn’t love others as much as they loved themselves.

Jesus busted up that whole program. He flipped tables, organized the nobodies, and pelted leaders with names like hypocrite and snake for not seeing a new way. That’s why they killed him. 

Jesus knew some of his people would be called to do the same thing as he did someday, and when they did, they’d not be spared wrath either. “So, when people hate you, just know they hated me first,” Jesus said. “You’ll be in good company..”

 Too often we Christians demand our way, and then when we don’t get it we claim it is “persecution of our faith.” We shouldn’t. It’s not what Jesus was talking about.