The Sermon on the Mount (Bossuet)/Day 9
Ninth Day
EIGHTH AND LAST BEATITUDE
To suffer for Justice. — Matt. v. 10.
BLESSED are they that suffer persecution for Justice’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.’ All those who suffer for having done right — for having set a good example — for having obeyed with simplicity — or for having put people who live irregularly to shame, so that the blame of causing others to be justly reproved is laid upon them, suffer persecution for Justice’ sake. Those also who daily carry their cross, and constantly persecute their own evil desires, suffer persecution for Justice’ sake.
This is the last and most perfect of all the Beatitudes, because it is the one that most vividly reproduces the character of the Son of God Himself.
Hence it is that He dwells on this one. Not content with having spoken of it like the rest, He proceeds to comment on it, saying, 'Blessed are ye when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you, untruly, for my sake; be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very great in heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets that were before you ’ [1]: — and not only the prophets, but the Messias Himself.
Thus we are brought back to the beginning and to the reward shown forth in the first Beatitude. Poverty and persecution for Justice sake equally merit the Kingdom of Heaven.
- ↑ Matt. v. 1 1, 12.