During Lent, we’re preaching through 1 Peter, and I’ve learned something over the past few weeks. 1 Peter is a difficult book for preaching. Peter takes these really, really dense theological topics and packs them all together into a few close verses - or even in the same sentence.
For example, listen to just one verse from Michael’s text last week: “But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). That’s about five sermons, right there!
Peter packs in heavy words and complex theological topics. Last week, Michael talked about picking out different grains of rice. This week a better metaphor might be to see the different colors of yarn. First, Peter puts all his yarn on the table. He describes each color. Then, at the end, he weaves it all together. To help us see the individual colors of this text, we’ll just work our way through the text bit by bit.
The first color in Peter’s cloth here is green - alien green. And, I like alien because I myself am an alien. In fact, Sarah is giving birth to an alien. So aliens are near and dear to my heart. Now, I don’t mean “alien” - like 외계인, someone from outer space. I mean “alien” - like 외국인, someone from another place.
The old English beginning of our passage is: “Beloved, I warn you as aliens and sojourners ...” About half of us in this room are legally “aliens” in Korea. We even have Alien Registration Cards. Last week, I renewed my visa, and I checked the box, “Extend period of sojourn.” Even so, a newer translation might be helpful here.
11 Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. 12 Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.
In my first four years here, I was bi-vocational. In addition to pastoring, I also taught English at KNU. I always had fun with the word “foreigner.” My students would say, “I want to learn English so I can talk with foreigners, especially when I go to another country.” I would say something like, “You can talk to foreigners in English in Korea, but if you go to Canada and talk to Canadians, you aren’t talking to foreigners.” They just gave me that blank confused stare with the head tilted to the side, “Huh?” “If you - a Korean - go to Canada. The Canadians aren’t the foreigners. You are!” That just blew their minds. Yes, 한국인 (Koreans) can be 외국인 (foreigners) too.
Why? Because we can all be “temporary residents and foreigners.” We can live in one nation but have our citizenship somewhere else. Our family has lived in Korea for almost seven years, but we are still Americans. We still eat a lot of American food. We still speak English in our home. We still maintain many American customs. Koreans do the same thing when they live abroad. They usually speak Korean at home, eat kimchi, and celebrate Chuseok. Foreigners live in one place, but maintain an identity and culture from another place.
The first thing Peter is saying here is, “Look folks, we don’t belong here. We are foreigners. We are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, and we follow Christ not Caesar. So live like a Christian. Live like heaven - even as you live on earth. Be different - because you are different. Keep away from soul-destroying stuff, and live with such active goodness that people will see your goodness and believe in God’s goodness.”
Patricia told me that Sendai Church of the Nazarene in Japan was featured on the radio this week. Christians from the Sendai church were walking through one of the shelters giving out blankets, food, and water. Some of the people asked, “Who are you?” They said, “We are from the Christian church.” Then, the people said, “Christians do this?!?” Yes, Christians do this. And Christians in Korea - here in our church - have given about 1,700,000 (170 만) won to help Christians in Japan do this. They will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God.
The next thread Peter puts on the table is respect.
13 For the Lord’s sake, respect all human authority—whether the king as head of state, 14 or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right.
15 It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. 16 For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. 17 Respect everyone, and love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God, and respect the king. 18 You who are slaves must accept the authority of your masters with all respect. Do what they tell you—not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are cruel.
Peter does not want anarchists. That is not living like heaven, and it certainly will not give honor to God. Peter calls for respect for the government, respect for the king, respect for our bosses, and in fact, respect for everyone. Every boss ought to want Christian employees because she knows they will be people of integrity who work hard and show respect. Every government leader ought to want Christian citizens because he knows they will be people of integrity who will strengthen the community.
This is actually happening in China. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to talk with some missionaries in China. I asked, “Are you afraid? Do you ever have problems with the government? Do people in your area experience persecution?”
The answer surprised me. He said, “No. In our area, the government has learned that Christians make the community better. Christian businesses are honest and fair. Christian people help others. Many public schools and universities in China are specifically looking for Christian teachers because they have learned that Christians tend to be better employees.” For the Lord’s sake, respect all human authority.
Inside this passage, there’s another color that’s kind of hiding out. It’s freedom.
16 For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil.
In God’s economy, no one is a slave. In God’s Kingdom, everyone is free. We are live in this world under all kinds of human authority, but we are citizens of the Kingdom of God, where we are eternally free.
Think of Jesus before Pilate and the chief priests. They are the symbols of human authority - political and religious authority. And yet Jesus stands before them as a free man. He does not answer. He does not fight back. He does not claim his rights. Why? Jesus gives us his answer in the Gospel of John: “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. ... But my Kingdom is not of this world. ... You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from [heaven]” (John 18:36, 19:11).
Jesus is listening to a different song. Jesus is dancing to a different tune. Jesus is a free man even as he is condemned to die. Like Paul and Silas who sang praises in the jail cell (Acts 16:22-25) ... like Michael’s brother who has found new life within the prison walls ... we are also free.
We are not slaves. We are fundamentally free beings because Jesus has freed us. And “if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed” (John 8:36). No one can make us do anything. Whatever we do, we choose to do. We submit to authority because we are freely choose to obey God and to respect people.
But we can also resist. Because we are free, because we are not slaves, we can resist. Because of Jesus, the king is not our master. The president is not our master. The policeman is not our master. The boss is not our master. The teacher is not our master. Even, the parent is not our slave-master. Paul says in Ephesians, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right” (Ephesians 6:1). We obey all those in authority as long as it is possible to obey people and God.
But we are the free-slaves of God, not people. If the authority becomes crushing, if the authority itself wages war against our souls, if the authority is leading us to sin, if the authority is leading us to live in destructive ways (ways that are destructive for us, for our family, or for others), we can resist. “No. No, I will not do that. No, I will not neglect my family. No, I will not cheat. No, I will not abuse others. No, I will not destroy the environment. No, I will not work 16 hours a day or seven days a week. No, I will not make my child do that. No, no, no.” Because of Jesus, we are free. Because of Jesus, we have the power to say no. Because of Jesus, we are free to do good when everyone else is doing wrong.
However, don’t be fooled into thinking this will be easy. The next thread in Peter’s tapestry is suffering.
... not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are cruel. 19 For God is pleased with you when you do what you know is right and patiently endure unfair treatment. 20 Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you. 21 For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering ...
We won’t just say, “No,” and everyone else will say, “OK. That’s fine.” Sometimes, if we say “No,” we may go to prison. We may have problems at work. We might lose money. We may have problems with our families. They might shout at us or curse us or even hit us. They might “accuse us of doing wrong” or make “foolish accusations” against us.
If any of this happens, we are in good company. The author of Hebrews tells of the giants of God’s people, people who did great miracles, the heros and heroines that we all want to be like. Then, he tells the rest of the story:
But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground. (Hebrews 11:35-38)
Many “ignorant people” made all sorts of “false accusations” against the first Christians. Christians were called atheists because they rejected the Roman gods. Christian worship services were called orgies of incest because Christians held “love feasts” where “brothers and sisters” “greet one another with a holy kiss.” Christians were accused of sorcery and dark magic because people were healed by their prayers.1 No wonder the government tried to shut them down! (By the way, the same thing is happening today within the Church. Christians are attacking Christians because they are using words in new ways.)
What is Peter’s answer? How should we respond when people say all kinds of bad things about us? What should we do when people punish us for doing the right thing?
20 ... endure it patiently ... 21 For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.
22 He never sinned,
nor ever deceived anyone.
23 He did not retaliate when he was insulted,
nor threaten revenge when he suffered.
He left his case in the hands of God,
who always judges fairly.
24 He personally carried our sins
in his body on the cross
so that we can be dead to sin
and live for what is right.
By his wounds
you are healed.
25 Once you were like sheep
who wandered away.
But now you have turned to your Shepherd,
the Guardian of your souls.
The last four verses here are written like poetry because they probably are. This was so important to the early Christians that they made this into a song or a creed to use in their worship services.
Jesus is the fabric that wraps together all our themes. Because our home is in Christ, the Guardian of our souls, we are aliens and strangers in this world. Because we are different, we live different. Because we submit to God, who always judges fairly, we live with respect for others. Because of Jesus, we live with the freedom to do what is right no matter the cost. Because Jesus has suffered for us, we too can patiently endure suffering as we follow Christ.
The first Christians understood a few things about suffering.
They understood that suffering is not the worst thing in the world. It is much worse to be unfaithful.
They understood that Jesus has already suffered before us. When we suffer, we are brought into Jesus’ suffering. Somehow, in a great mystery, our suffering wraps us closer into Jesus’ suffering and death.
They understood that Jesus’ suffering works for our healing. “By his wounds you are healed.” “He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right.” Because he died for our sin, we can die to our sin. Because he died, we can live.
They also understood that suffering drives us into the arms of our suffering Christ. Suffering breaks our illusions of independence. Suffering proves our powerlessness. Suffering breaks the hard shell around our hearts and invites us to bleed with Christ and to be made whole with Christ. Suffering breaks us and gives Love the chance to heal us.
Like Israel in the desert, we will also suffer. Sometimes, it’s our own fault. Other times, we suffer for doing good. In the desert of suffering, we have a choice. We can get bitter and complain against God. Or, we can hold on to the cross. We can let our hearts get broken and bitter, we can let our hearts get broken and loving. Either way, our hearts will break. In this world, at some point, our hearts will break. Jesus is the path forward. The suffering of the cross is the only fabric that weaves together all the broken strings and pieces of our world. Only the cross can heal our deepest pain.
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