Blessing the Revilers - July 10 Reading: 1 Peter 2:11-4:11

Today’s Readings

Context

 "This world is not my home, I'm just a-passing though."

Those of the words of an old country gospel song - not my favorite form of music but those words teach a truth we need to hear. Too many Christians are too tied to this world - its riches, its pleasures, its ambitions and achievements - and do not understand how the Bible describes the church of Jesus in this world. Look at 1 Peter 2:11.

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.

Peter described us as "sojourners" and "exiles." We are not of this world. We were born as part of this world and its ways, but we were born again, adopted into the heavenly family. Our spiritual citizenship was changed and we are no longer first and foremost citizens of this world. Our citizenship is in heaven, Paul said (in Philippians 3). We now live in a world we are not a part of.

Peter wrote this book to teach us how to live as foreigners and exiles in a hostile world. More and more we are seeing the reality of that concept in this world.

Devotional - Blessing the Revilers

 I have always had trouble responding to criticism. Normally, I handle it pretty well when it is being given - God has often given me that grace to listen to people as the rail against my abundant inadequacies. It is afterward that the trouble sets in. Sometimes it is anger; sometimes it is paralyzing sorrow or depression. I used to call them my "fetal position" days - when all I wanted to do was curl up on my bed in a ball and block out the world. I either wanted to strike back and block out the world.

None of us particularly likes to be criticized, bashed, persecuted, blamed, railed against, or in any other way spoken ill of, do we?

IIn 2003 I began writing a little email blast called "WORD Processing" that seemed to bless quite a few people, but also drew a few critical remarks. I found myself crumbling under the lightest of disagreements or insults. As time went on I got involved in blogging and God opened doors for me to become the editor of one of the most active blogs in my denomination. With the name recognition and encouragement came harsh criticism. If you look (and you don't have to look hard) you can find blogposts calling me a variety of names!

I found as time went on those criticisms and insults tended to hurt less - I even found them amusing and entertaining at times. Instead of crumbling before criticism, I found myself hardened to it. But neither of those responses is healthy or godly. Peter, in 1 Peter 3, describes how we should handle the opposition and persecution we receive for doing the work of God.

Everything we do must flow from the purpose of God in our lives In verse 18, Peter describes the work of Christ powerfully and holds that up as our model for life.

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.

As Christ suffered for our sins to bring the unrighteous to God, we should be willing to suffer in the name of Christ to accomplish the work of Christ in this world. As Jesus said repeatedly in his teachings, it is only our suffering "for righteousness sake" that is blessed. I cannot suffer for being a jerk and expect to be rewarded by God!

Here is the hard part, the part we don't want to admit or deal with! Serving Jesus brings a life of suffering, hardship, heartache, opposition, and even persecution. 

The entire passage is worth meditating on, absorbing, ruminating on deeply, but the heart and soul of it is verses 8 and 9. 

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.

We must put unity and the needs of others ahead of our own feelings and goals. We are servants in the Body of Christ, who according to Paul are to put the needs of others even about our own (Philippians 2). We must maintain this humble, tender, sympathetic and godly spirit. That is so difficult because a humble and tender spirit will be trounced repeatedly in a world like ours. But we must strive for it anyway. 

We are to bless even those who revile us. That is not easy. Try it next time someone blasts your soul to the core - respond with a blessing! It will be the hardest thing you've ever done. But, Peter says, this is our calling from Christ, based on how he lived his life. 

The goal in all of this is verse 16. Peter tells us to live lives of such holiness and love that when people do slander us, they are the ones who are shamed for their slander. And if we do suffer, verse 17 says, suffer for doing what is right, not for doing what is wrong. 

I could live the rest of my life and never perfectly live out these verses, but it is a noble goal, a Christ-like goal. May God make the words of 1 Peter 3:8-22 a reality in my life and in yours - more and more every day. 

Father, the ideal you set in this passage is not the life I have lived! I've returned evil for evil. I've not been the humble servant my Savior was and called me to be. But I pray you will make me more like that every day. 

Think and Pray

Think of those who have persecuted or harassed you. Do you respond with anger and vengeance, repaying evil for evil? 

Or do you live as Christ, returning good for evil?

Think of the people who have hurt you the most. What would it look like if you put these verses into effect? 

Pray for strength to do that.