Being Hounded for Seeking Perfection

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Earlier we discussed the meaning of the Greek term dikaiosune, which means "being in an ideal state." Here, Christ tells us that we have to pay a price if we want to be the best that we can be. In the translation, it seems that he is saying that we will be harassed by others for trying to be "good." While this is certainly part of the meaning, there is much more here.

The Greek term that is translated as "persecuted" is dioko, which is a form of the verb, dio, which means to flee. Dioko is really closer in meaning to being chased, or hounded by others, rather than simply persecuted. It can mean to mistreat someone, but it can also mean simply to run after someone with no hostility. It could mean something as positive as being "followed."

While I don't disagree with the basic translation, Christ is saying something more here about people who try to perfect themselves. He is saying people are fortunate when people follow them in their quest for perfection. Some will merely observe what they are doing. Others will criticize it. And some others will emulate it. So seeking after perfection affects other people in a wide variety of ways. They are free to choose how they react. We shouldn't be surprised at any of these reactions.