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Live as God's Servants Should
11Dear friends, you are foreigners and strangers on this earth. So I beg you not to surrender to those desires that fight against you. 12Always let others see you behaving properly, even though they may still accuse you of doing wrong. Then on the day of judgment, they will honor God by telling the good things they saw you do.
13The Lord wants you to obey all human authorities, especially the Emperor, who rules over everyone. 14You must also obey governors, because they are sent by the Emperor to punish criminals and to praise good citizens. 15God wants you to silence stupid and ignorant people by doing right. 16You are free, but still you are God's servants, and you must not use your freedom as an excuse for doing wrong. 17Respect everyone and show special love for God's people. Honor God and respect the Emperor.
The Example of
18Servants, you must obey your masters and always show respect to them. Do this, not only to those who are kind and thoughtful, but also to those who are cruel. 19God will bless you, even if others treat you unfairly for being loyal to him. 20You don't gain anything by being punished for some wrong you have done. But God will bless you, if you have to suffer for doing something good. 21After all, God chose you to suffer as you follow in the footsteps of Christ, who set an example by suffering for you.
22 Christ did not sin
or ever tell a lie.
23 Although he was abused,
he never tried to get even.
And when he suffered,
he made no threats.
Instead, he had faith in God,
who judges fairly.
24 Christ carried the burden
of our sins.
He was nailed to the cross,
so we would stop sinning
and start living right.
By his cuts and bruises
you are healed.
25You had wandered away
like sheep.
Now you have returned
to the one
who is your shepherd
and protector.
Reflect
A sense of estrangement permeates the book of 1 Peter. It addresses its readers as exiles and aliens, people who don’t fully belong in the place where they live. Ethnicity and geography were factors, no doubt. Even more significant is how communities centred on gospel grace are at odds with the culture in which they live.
It’s not easy when a person’s religion comes into conflict with social expectations. It makes them stand out, unable to pass incognito. But Christians should not give unnecessary cause for offense. “Act uprightly” is the message of this chapter. Be good citizens. Don’t break laws and cause trouble. Trouble will come, but don’t invite it by misbehaving.
Instead, let your conduct be an example of goodness. Tread lightly. Walk circumspectly. “The arc of the moral universe may be long, but it bends towards justice,” said Martin Luther King. Righteousness is its own reward. In due course the persecutors will get their comeuppance. It’s a message of hope.
Yet the writer is mightily concerned about blameless conduct, not wanting the Christian community to be justifiably accused of anti-social behaviour. In order for that to happen, he urges believers “not to surrender to those desires that fight against you” (v 11). He doesn’t itemize suspect desires, but I can well imagine that the allures of lust and liquor are among them, as well as gossip, envy, and status-seeking.
He goes so far as to encourage slaves to obey even bad masters. He connects the experience of unwarranted stigma and mob injustice to the example of Jesus, the very model of the suffering servant. It takes special eyes to see and ears to hear how subversive, and effective, that strategy can be. It’s a sign of better days ahead.
Respond
O God, It’s easy to repay evil with evil, to feel hard done by and to lash out in like manner. You counsel a better way, O God. Teach me to love the things that strengthen me; to shun those that wage war against my soul. Enable me to pass on your mercy. For Jesus’ sake, Amen.
Doug Koop
Doug Koop is a writer currently serving as a Spiritual Health Practitioner at Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg. From 1987 to 2012 he worked as an editor with ChristianWeek newspaper, covering Christian faith and life in Canada. He and his wife, Margaret, are the parents of two adult sons and two daughters-in-law. http://www.christianweek.org http://www.promisekeepers.ca/seven/ http://digital.faithtoday.ca/faithtoday/20121112#pg1