Blessed Are The Persecuted.

All this is for righteousness' sake, for my sake. If for righteousness' sake, then for Christ's sake, for he is nearly interested in the work of righteousness. Enemies to righteousness are enemies to Christ. This precludes those from the blessedness who suffer justly, and are evil spoken of truly for their real crimes let such be ashamed and confounded, it is part of their punishment it is not the suffering, but the cause, that makes the martyr. Those suffer for righteousness' sake, who suffer because they will not sin against their consciences, and who suffer for doing that which is good. Whatever pretence persecutors have, it is the power of godliness that they have an enmity to it is really Christ and his righteousness that are maligned, hated, and persecuted For thy sake I have borne reproach, Psalm 69:9; Romans 8:36.

The comforts of suffering saints laid down.
They are blessed for they now, in their life-time, receive their evil things (Luke 16:25), and receive them upon a good account. They are blessed for it is an honour to them (Acts 5:41) it is an opportunity of glorifying Christ, of doing good, and of experiencing special comforts and visits of grace and tokens of his presence, Dan. iii. 25 Rom. viii. 29.

They shall be recompensed Theirs is the kingdom of heaven. They have at present a sure title to it, and sweet foretastes of it and shall ere long be in possession of it. Though there be nothing in those sufferings than can, in strictness, merit of God (for the sins of the best deserve the worst), yet this is here promised as a reward. - Matthew Henry