Persecuted

You can only understand this blessing - the happiness found in being persecuted - after passing through the previous blessings in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. The Kingdom life brings such deep peace and joy that suffering for a little while pales in comparison to the glory of eternal life. The persecution we endure in this life prepares us for an eternal Kingdom inheritance. Persecution of any form from a hostile world is an indication that we are living a radically different life - a righteous life.