13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened." 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17 It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
Dig Deeper
Recently I watched a prime time news magazine show that chronicled the case of a woman who was accused of orchestrating the murder of her husband so that she could receive a large amount of insurance money. One unique thing about the case is that the trial was taking place over a decade after the murder had taken place. It wasn’t until a witness came out and said that this woman was involved in masterminding the murder that a case was brought against her. Before that she wasn’t a suspect in the case. As the show wore on, it became seemingly apparent that the woman had indeed played an integral role in the murder. It also became clear, however, that the evidence against her was almost all circumstantial. As the verdict came in, the jury found her not guilty, much to the dismay of the dead husband’s family. Things like this happen so often in our times that many people have given up on the concept of true justice in our world.
As Christians, we must never give up on our belief in justice. Yet, we also need to realize and embrace the fact that to truly believe in justice means that we must transfer our hope away from governments and the rule of law to God. This would include His actions in this present age and in the age to come. The Christian must train themselves to act according to God’s will and plan in this age, knowing that it may work out for us in this age, but whether it does or not does not determine our actions. This is to because we know that God’s reality is the only thing that will last for eternity. Even if we do not receive justice in this present age, we will do so in the age to come because God is just and will vindicate the righteous.
Peter begins this section with a question in verse 13 that will be answered very differently based on the perspective of the person answering the question. If you were to ask "who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?" the obvious answer would be that no one should, but the reality is that some people will harm someone who does good. This is the worldly perspective. Peter, however, asks the question, I believe, hoping that his readers will see it from a godly perspective. If they are truly doing good and doing the will of God, who can harm them from an eternal perspective? They may suffer from a temporal perspective at the hands of their fellow man, but in reality, they are blessed, because they do right in the eyes of the only One that matters. Suffering in the present age, no matter how horrible and unpleasant it can be, is not worth backing off from doing what is good. The fact is, there is no guarantee that righteous behavior will illicit a positive response. In fact, it often provokes anger and antagonism.
Christians very well may suffer for what is right, but says Peter quoting Isaiah 8:12-13, "Do not fear their threats, do not be frightened." This passage from Isaiah is a promise from God that He will protect and bring justice to His people despite the threat of a coming Assyrian invasion. Peter sees a parallel between that situation for the people of God and the situation that his readers were facing. They were staring down the barrel of persecution and hard-times but could take solace because God’s ultimate justice is what mattered. When they do have to endure suffering they need not respond in fear like the people of the world do; they can face it with courage and the knowledge that God is in control. Peter draws his motivation for this teaching because he knows that it will speak loudly to, and potentially help others, but also because this is what Jesus taught and lived (Matt. 5:10; 10:26-33).
Rather than being steeped in fear at the prospect of persecution, believers are to revere Christ as Lord, which will automatically set them down a different course of action. Christians need not be afraid like most non-believing counter-parts might. The question might arise why not? Peter has already answered that before he even finishes his sentence. Because Christ is Lord. Isaiah told the Israelites not to fear because God would take care of them in the end. Christians need not fear because they share in the common life of Christ, the very same God. So, rather than fear, be prepared to speak up. This might mean more persecution but it might also benefit those who are asking the questions. Christians should be able to answer why they have peace, faith in God, and the hope of resurrection in the face of constant trials and persecution.
Being prepared to answer, though, usually entails effort on the part of the believer. Christian saints must make a concerted effort to be able to defend the reason for their faith. This doesn’t mean every Christian needs an advanced degree in theology or apologetics but it does demand that we become students of the Word of God and of the truths that we claim to be the foundation of our lives. We usually don’t think of it in these terms, but being prepared through thought, discussion, and study should be done by the Christian for the benefit of others. We tend to think of Bible reading and study as something that only benefits us, but in this context we see that it can also benefit others. This is a stiff challenge for those of us for whom deeper Bible study does not come naturally. This, then, would be another area that falls under the category of acting out of the norm because of the example of Christ and for the benefit of others. And in considering that Christians are preparing to be able to answer others, it should not be done with a haughty spirit or out of frustration but with gentleness and respect, two characteristics that were not common or revered among the great pagan speakers of Peter’s day.
The Christian response with gracious words must be accompanied by authentic character or their words will shown to be a sham. They should speak with respect, giving them a clear conscience, but that will only fully come when their words about their faith are matched by their good behavior in Christ. Again, Peter matches idealism with a hearty realism. Christians should speak gently and respectfully and live lives that are above reproach, but the harsh reality is, there will still be people who speak maliciously against them. This is instructive for Christians who may not be facing difficult physical persecution but just difficult co-workers. Our behavior should be above reproach, which may well incite both honest questions as well as antagonism. We should be prepared to answer the questions about why our lives are so different (and ask ourselves some difficult and straightforward questions if they’re not) but also continue to act with good and godly behavior towards those who continue to speak or even act unjustly towards us.
It is, after all, better to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. The reason for this should be obvious. If we suffer for doing evil, then we are not acting outside of the normal run of things. We are not standing out as signposts to the new creation, the Kingdom of God. At the same time, we are not doing that either if we do good and only receive good things (though that may happen at times). There are times, according to Peter, when it is God’s will to suffer for doing good. It is only through these kind of trials that we can truly grow, becoming complete in our transformation into the life and image of Christ (James 1:2-4). In that respect, then, suffering for doing good, not only establishes the character of Christ in us, but it is yet another way that Christians can act for the benefit of others by proclaiming with our lives, the power of the Kingdom of God to bring about the new creation in the lives of believers.
Devotional Thought
Peter describes a situation where the good behavior of believers will cause some to ask questions and incite others to persecution. The question to really ask yourself is this: Does your behavior differ enough from the people around you that it routinely brings about those two responses? Does your life stand out? If not, why doesn’t it?
No comments:
Post a Comment