Last week, Shaun Lewis joked that I stuck him with a hard text. Actually, it's completely relative. If you feel that government is abusive, last week's text was hard indeed. If you feel that other people are being abusive toward you, like your employer, this week will be tough. If you're in a bad marriage, next week will be tough.
The question before us today is, how do we respond to abusive, hostile, hateful people? For whatever it's worth, the principles we're going to talk about this morning apply to most any kind of hostile relationship-- whether it's with government, your employer, your spouse, your children or siblings, or some other kind of bully.
When I was a kid, we played with Weebles. Weebles were awesome! They were these little plastic people that no matter how much you abused them, they always remained standing! How many of you have ever heard the expression, "Weebles wobble, but they don't fall down?" Here's where it all began. (Note to reader: The congregation was shown a video of the Weebles commercial.)
Some of you are having flashbacks! How scary! These Weebles were virtually indestructible. One time my brothers and I accidentally dropped one down the drain of our parents' bathtub, and the Weeble lived to tell about it! While all of us got our butts spanked, it just sat there on the counter, mocking us with its happy little face.
But of course I'm trying to make a serious point. If we're truly following Christ, our lives should have a kind of supernatural resiliency, like our Lord's. He endured horrific persecution and abuse by way of the cross. But right when you thought the Romans and Jews had flushed him down the grave and he was to be no more, up he popped again and ascended into heaven! Talk about resiliency!
Now, I don't think Jesus ever wobbled. He was a super Weeble! He was unwavering in the face of hostility-- never desperate, weak, reactive, or fearful. You and me? We'll probably wobble when faced with hostility. But the question isn't whether we'll wobble. The question is whether we'll remain standing!
So let's work through Peter's teaching in 1 Peter 2:18-25. This text talks about seven bold moves we can take in the face of hostility. All of these moves cut against our natural instincts. You wouldn't come about these moves any other way than by the example Jesus Christ set on the cross. We're not talking about MMA fighting techniques here, but something entirely different.
Bold Move Number One: Always Respect People
1 Peter 2:18 (ESV), "Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust."
Some translate servants as "slaves" as in, "slaves be sutbject to your masters." Servants is the better translation. If you translate that word slave, you'll imagine the horrors of American slavery at the height of the Civil War. From what I've studied, that kind of cruel slavery wasn't practiced in the Roman empire. I didn't say it didn't exist. I just said that it wasn't the normal practice.
If you are enduring cruelty and slavery, you don't need to be concerned about the principles I'm talking about this morning. You need to be liberated! You need an order of protection! The men in this church, many who are police officers, will stand with you.
No, what Peter is referring to is the practice where a citizen would make himself or herself subject to another citizen, in order to insure the well being of his family. It's not unlike what you do when seeking an employer. You could be homeless, hungry, or destitute. Or you could accept restrictions on your freedom and offer your services or expertise to a wealthy landowner or business owner. In exchange, he would provide you with food, clothing, shelter, education, perhaps medicine, protection, or other necessities.
Some masters were good and gentle, but some were unjust. Do you realize that it can be just as hard to respect someone who is good and gentle as it is someone who is unjust? This text isn't just about respecting people who are more powerful than you. It's about respecting people who are weaker than you too. And it's not just about respecting people who are moral and good. It's also about respecting people who are evil and unfair.
Respect is a mindset. People aren't above you or below you. They are equal to you. Don't let people put you down, because you're not beneath them. But don't put people down either, because they're not beneath you. Respect is never relinquishing your equality to another human being. Both the strong and the weak are respected, one and the same.
Bold Move Number Two: Enhance God's Reputation
1 Peter 2:19-20 (ESV) says, "For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God."
One reason we get violent is when we feel we have to protect our reputation. When I was in high school I got bullied quite a bit. Mostly I would endure it. It was humiliating getting shoved, punched, and attacked. And with humiliation came rage. One time in class, a guy squared me up to punch me out, and I cut loose. I waylaid him. It felt pretty good until news spread of what I had done to the guy.
In the end, two things happened. First, I became a target to every jerk in the high school. Knowing that I could be provoked, only fueled their attacks. The beatings continued so-to-speak. But second, while protecting my reputation, I damaged God's reputation. When I threw that punch, I threw away my credibility. The only danger I was ever in was becoming someone I didn't want to become, or even need to become.
Bold Move Number Three: Always Do Good
1 Peter 2:20 (ESV) says, "But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God."
This is the active response to evil and the proper and powerful alternative to doing evil! Instead of plotting evil, we should plot good. Instead of scripting comebacks and curses, we should be scripting blessings and prayers. In Matthew 5:44-46 (ESV) Jesus says, "...Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?"
In Romans 12:17-21 (ESV) Paul says, "Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay', says the Lord. To the contrary, 'if your enemy is hungry feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
What great advice! Paul says to give thought to what is honorable. It's pretty hard to think when you're filled with an emotion such as rage. Don't let sitting in a jail cell or divorce court be the first time you ever thought about thinking. Plot good.
Bold Move Number Four: Guard Your Tongue
1 Peter 2:21-23 (ESV) says, "For to this you have been called because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten..."
James warns us that our tongues can be set on fire by hell itself. And not only that, our tongues can set the whole course of our life on fire. When has malice, slander, sarcasm, smears, defamation, insults, innuendo, threats, lying, ridicule, or nastiness ever elevated the dialogue? Yeah, you might score a few points. But in the end, everyone loses.
Bold Move Number Five: Wait on God's Justice
1 Peter 2:23 (ESV) continues, "...but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly." Earlier in Romans 12:19 (ESV) Paul instructed, "Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay', says the Lord."
When I read this, I'm reminded that God has instituted countless layers of authority, and has provided countless mechanisms to administer justice. Even though our human systems of justice are fallible, we should trust them nonetheless. And where they are corrupted, we should seek their renewal. And where we fail, we should trust that it's God's place to avenge and God's place to repay. The burden is off our shoulders to bloody the nose of our enemies.
Here is what I think about waiting on God's justice in practical terms. It means doing good, so that there is such a stark contrast between you and your enemy that it's evident to all where the fault lies. It means speaking the truth boldly. Not only will the truth set you free, but light drives out darkness. People have to know what's going on. Write about it. Photograph it. Document it. Get witnesses. Find a reporter or blogger. Tell your story. It's only a matter of time.
Bold Move Number Six: Embrace God's Sanctification
1 Peter 2:24 (ESV) continues, "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness."
When facing hostility, let it strengthen your character. If you can endure evil while doing good, you can do just about anything. Enduring hostility, while doing good, is like going to the gym. You may get exhausted, but man, look at those muscles. Let hostility fortify your character, not ruin your character.
Bold Move Number Seven: Receive God's Healing
1 Peter 2:24-25 (ESV) says, "By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls."
Now we all know that God is powerful to heal sickness and disease. Quite a few of you have testimonies about God's healing power. This quote, however, comes from Isaiah 53:4-5 which speaks about the peace that came to all men through Christ's suffering. "Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned-- every one-- to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."
If God could bring healing through your suffering, would you keep enduring? Would you keep respecting all men? Would you keep doing good? Would you keep praying? Would you keep guarding your tongue? Would you keep trusting God's justice? Would you continue dying to self and living for righteousness?