Hated for the Right Reasons

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Pressure is coming. In this week’s Black, White, and the Red Letters, Jay and Ed lean into Jesus’ “blessed under fire” promise in Matthew 5:10–12—because the Beatitudes aren’t bumper-sticker vibes, they’re a collision with the world’s values.

Jesus names the lanes: reviling (insults), persecution (exclusion and hostility), and slander (lies told “on my account”). If you live for righteousness and won’t rename Christ to fit the room, expect pushback—sometimes loud, sometimes subtle, sometimes digital.

But Jesus doesn’t call us to clap back or crawl back. He says, “Rejoice and be glad.” Not because the pain is fun, but because the reward is real. We talk about the strange honor of suffering for His name, the comfort God supplies in real time, the Spirit’s presence that steadies you, and the eternal payoff that outlasts every headline and hot take.

If you’ve ever felt the heat for standing clean, speaking true, and refusing to compromise—this one’s for you.