Two things I don’t want to do: 1. Be a slave 2. Be persecuted. Here’s what Peter says about both
The first century Christians that Peter is writing to were apparently going thru some difficult times. They had leaders they didn’t like, and who were unethical in their treatment of them. Some of them were indentured servants, and others were marriages that were dysfunctional for one reason or another. On top of that, it seems that they were suffering physically. Don’t get me wrong, I think emotional abuse is real abuse. I think that we can be “abused” financially (taken advantage of) but physical abuse seems to be another level. On top of everything else, it seems these folks were being abused.
The reason for their abuse was their belief in Jesus Christ. As you may already realize, society almost never accepts those who are different from the majority. Here’s another fact, just because the majority behaves in one way doesn’t make it right. I this case the majority worship other gods and celebrate pagan rituals. Everyone is doing it, but that doesn’t make it right. When these folks turned their lives over to Jesus, they broke from social norms, and now they were paying the penalty for being different.
In our society, things have begun to swing the other way. For many years what the Bible taught is what society believed, practiced and accepted. Alternative lifestyles, abortion, fraud and unethical behavior were considered wrong, so you could be a Christian and be part of society quite easily. As a whole, the United States accepted that there was only one God, Jesus Christ and we were content with that.
But society has changed, and is continuing to change. Now, our beliefs as a society have begun to drift from what the Bible teaches. There are several competing religions in the United States, and our mind set is more on “getting along with everyone” that it is on “doing what Jesus said”. We are entering into a time nationally when serving Jesus will be less comfortable and less accepted by the majority.
That’s hard for us, because for most of our lives our beliefs and our social norms have been the same. We could have inferred that what society believed is what was right (since they both agreed). But now that the two have drifted apart, we can see each more clearly. In fact, this is probably good for the Church.
You see, I am forced to make a decision and sacrifice right up front. Choosing to follow Jesus will cost some friendships, and some popularity. It may cost me financially, or even physically. Peter says “yes, you may be unpopular, even beaten up, but endure it…because suffering and being a Christian are two parts of the same whole.
The idea that I must endure suffering changes the way I interact with my neighbors, my boss and my spouse. And according to Peter, once I have passed through the gateway of suffering I will have an even deeper relationship with Jesus.
So: wives, do whatever you can to stay with your husbands for the sake of Jesus. If it’s time to leave, Jesus will let you know. Be kind to the boss and other workers, even when they tease and make fun and take cheap shots…you are being credited for every comment. When the other kids make fun of you for being “different” or “religious” remember this passage, and accept the teasing and occasional bullying as suffering for Jesus. You will be rewarded.
Retaliation isn’t the solution. That’s because suffering isn’t an unexpected condition as part of Christianity.
Preparing,
PR