I am a Jesus pusher!!! “Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:12). Jesus places persecution in the context of eternity. This is such an important element in the Christian perspective. We must never confine ourselves to just the present moment. The long-range view must be our focus as Christians. Matthew proposes this repeatedly to his audience, the Jews. In the first four chapters of his book, almost every paragraph contains a prophecy. He points us to the plan of God; it is a plan, which moves us beyond this moment into the eternal dreams of God.
The long-range view of eternity forces us to look beyond the immediate moment. What will matter one hundred years from this moment? What will be the state of our existence at the end of these brief years on earth? For most of us, our concept of eternity formulates our view of Jesus’ statement, “your reward in heaven,” (Matthew 5:12). Our question is the same as Peter’s, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?” (Matthew 19:27). While this was an expression of Peter’s selfish heart, there is an intense desire to know what is awaiting us in eternity. How will it benefit us? What do I need to do now in order to insure good things in eternity? Let us approach this from the view of our passage. The Sermon on the Mount is not proposing additional activities to be accomplished. It is a merger between my helplessness and His Divine nature. This new creature is planned for by God’s eternal dreams. There is a plan that goes beyond the few years of this earth. With this understanding the pleasures or comforts of this earth will not determine the level of rejoicing in our hearts. Jesus is ours in eternal purpose! I am a Jesus pusher!!!
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