The disciples, the Pharisees, the gentiles, the poor, all were looked at as one people of God, all were loved by Jesus. He makes this clear in the Beatitudes.

The Beatitudes

He said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Notice that he starts His famous Sermon on the Mount by being rather generic, “Blessed are those…..,” but ends by getting more personal, “Blessed are you…..” He was making it clear to His followers that perhaps we are not all poor in spirit, mourning, meek, hungry and thirsty, pure, merciful, and maybe we aren’t even peacemakers or those who are persecuted because of our righteousness. But, as Christians, we have one thing in common—we can expect to be insulted and lied about, and maybe even persecuted in some way, because we follow Him. That doesn’t mean we will all be martyred, but we can expect to be rejected by the world at large because of our beliefs. He even compares us to the ancient prophets. This may be scary for some of us. What, me a prophet? I am no Isaiah, Elijah, or Elisha! 

But what is a prophet? Many people have an incorrect perception of what a prophet actually is. It is not a fortune teller, although sometimes they do speak of things to come. But that is not their primary purpose. A prophet has been chosen by God, to relay His messages to the people.  Simply put a prophet is one who speaks the word of God. Remember, that by our baptism, we are all called to be priests, prophets, and royal persons. By fulfilling our role as prophets, we are to speak the Truth, even when it is not comfortable for us to do so. It is not likely that we will meet the fate of many of the Old Testament prophets, and be martyred, or in Elisha’s case, be assumed into heaven. But we may be shunned, ridiculed, avoided when we speak the word of God. But let that not stop us! No, we do not have to go stand on a street corner or knock on doors to spread the word of God. We can start with our families, friends, and perhaps we can take another step. Why not get involved in the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults) team at your church where you can help those who are new to the faith discover more about the Word, attend a bible study course in person or online, or lead a book study with a group of friends. 

And don’t forget that old saying, “Actions speak louder than words.” Real Christians do not only speak the word of God, but they back up their beliefs with actions. You can volunteer to work at a community meal to feed the hungry, volunteer at a homeless shelter, work at a food pantry, volunteer in prison ministry, or peacefully protest to end the death penalty, abortion, or persecution of immigrants. And you can contribute to any or all of these causes financially. Remember that you are called to be a prophet and that there are many ways you can speak the word of God through your words and actions.  

This excerpt is from my newly released book, Three Mountains, A Road, and a Well: Encountering Jesus in Unexpected Places.