“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account. Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in Heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:11-12).
There is some disagreement on whether this “great reward” is simply the gracious gift of salvation all believers will receive or if those who endure more persecution will receive greater heavenly reward than those who don’t endure it. I tend to agree with the latter and find Jonathan Edwards’ reflections helpful on this subject:
There are different degrees of happiness and glory in Heaven. … The glory of the saints above will be in some proportion to their eminency in holiness and good works here. Christ will reward all according to their works. … It will be no damp to the happiness of those who have lower degrees of happiness and glory, that there are others advanced in glory above them: for all shall be perfectly happy, every one shall be perfectly satisfied. Every vessel that is cast into this ocean of happiness is full, though there are some vessels far larger than others; and there shall be no such thing as envy in Heaven, but perfect love shall reign through the whole society. (The Works of Jonathan Edwards, vol. 2)
The Christian should not fear the incentive of reward, especially since Jesus uses it often to encourage us to obey and persevere through difficulty. It’s the world’s shortsighted “rewards” we are to shun for the better, eternally-enduring rewards Jesus has in store for us if we would only trust Him and obey Him, walking in the Spirit rather than the flesh. So, dear saint, let the promise of Jesus propel you to persevere through persecution, for “great is your reward in Heaven!”
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Mike