4th Sunday of Easter.
April 17, 2005
1 Peter 2:19-25.

Useful Suffering.

  If God is omnipotent—all powerful—and if God is omniscient—knows all things even before they happen—and if we belong to and follow that God, how is it that Christians suffer? If God could raise Jesus from the dead, certainly he could rescue one of us from a swarming or from a bully or any other injustice. But he doesn’t always do that. Is there some reason for letting us suffer?

  This is an old question that vexes every generation. The Apostle Peter addressed this question centuries ago because Christians then were suffering. Now he didn’t address the reason for all suffering. He’s not considering why accidents happen, why there are natural disasters, why there are terrorists and the like. Rather he focuses on unjust suffering, when you have done good and should be commended but instead are punished, persecuted or ridiculed. Why does God allow that? Well, as strange as it may sound, one reason why God allows unjust suffering among his people is that it’s good for unbelievers! It can bring them to repentance and faith. There is such a thing as useful suffering!

  Christianity has not always been welcomed with open arms. In the Roman empire of Peter’s day Christians were often seen as a threat to the state. Christians abandoned the worship of the traditional gods to follow Christ. They gave up some of the practices and values held by most of society. For example, Christians wouldn’t adore the emperor as a divine being. That honour went to Christ alone. It was claimed that if Christians rejected the authority of the emperor they would reject other authority too: women would reject their husband’s authority; slaves would revolt against their masters. Some even said that the Christians must be practising cannibalism in their secret rites as they ate and drank the body and blood of their God. From that perspective, Christians were often insulted, despised and persecuted.

  How should a persecuted minority respond to abuse? Today we resort to things like boycotts, demonstrations and riots. A minority group might make a charge of racism and call for a public inquiry. We would use some show of power, economic or political, to force other to respect us. This is the normal, accepted way.

  But it’s not God’s way! Peter says, Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men . . . For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. (1 Peter 2:13,15). He then gives some examples of this submission.

1. Submit yourselves . . . to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. (1 Peter 2:13-14).

2. Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. (1 Peter 2:18).

3. Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behaviour of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. (1 Peter 3:1-2).

4. Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. (1 Peter 3:7).

  Very simple isn’t it? Submit to legitimate authority and do what is right. This will silence our ignorant accusers. But what about when those authorities do more than just engage in ignorant talk? As we submit to those who have authority over us, we can expect some unjust treatment because people abuse authority! Governments abuse taxpayers; employers abuse employees; men women, adults children, children pets, and so on down the pecking order.

  You may feel that your employer has ways of squeezing a little extra work out of you especially if he knows you’re a Christian. He may expect more from you! You may find it difficult to keep up with the competition if you adhere to God’s standard. A wife may have to bite her tongue when her husband makes a decision with which she disagrees. A husband may have to bite his tongue instead of criticising some habit of his wife that he doesn’t like. All of this suffering may be unjust, may even be because we are Christians. What are we to do? We could fight it and stick up for our rights. We could refuse to pay our taxes, quit our job or leave our spouse. But that’s not God’s ordinary plan.

  As Peter tells us to submit to authority he adds, For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

  It is commendable to endure unjust suffering because of faith in God. One could get the impression that unjust suffering simply earns us points with God. But what follows makes it clear that our suffering is commendable because it gives place to the power of God.

  Peter points us to Jesus’ life and example. How did he save us? By uniting the Jews against their Roman oppressors and leading a rebellion? No! He saved them and us by his wounds! Jesus suffered unjustly for you and me. He never disobeyed God and had no reason to die. But in obedience to God he accepted all our disobedience, all our sin, and took it to the cross. He unjustly suffered and died. It didn’t do him any good, but sure did us good! His suffering became the means of our salvation. He suffered the punishment of death and separation from God for us so that we don’t have to. He took the punishment; we get the grace or favour of God.

  Surely no one understood Jesus’ innocent suffering better than Peter. He boldly declared that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God, and that he, Peter, would die with Jesus. Then he publicly denied him. Then he watched as Jesus passively submitted to being mocked, beaten, marched to Calvary and crucified. Who ever felt lower and more of a traitor than Peter? He understood that Jesus’ unjust suffering accomplished something good, our salvation. So when we must bear unjust suffering, Peter doesn’t dwell on any difficult theological arguments. He simply reminds us of what he saw and heard. "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.

  This is the model which Jesus left for us. The power God which saved you will work to save others. But that power doesn’t work through economic or political coercion. It works through obedience and bearing unjust suffering. God will use our suffering for a noble purpose, to save others. As we lead exemplary lives, people will see. They will have to stop ignorant talk about how Christians are no good and glorify God.

  There are exceptions, but generally speaking, people cannot stand to see others suffer knowing that they are innocent! If you ever saw a movie on the life of Ghandi, his campaign of civil disobedience had a similar effect. The British finally could not continue to kill innocent people and had to back down. In the same way, a harsh or unjust employer or competitor will eventually have to give in and admit that God is good. An unbelieving husband can be won to Christ by his wife’s exemplary behaviour.

  So we have a reason to see unjust suffering and submission to authority in a different light. It’s not a humiliation for us. Nor is it a matter of earning points with God although it pleases him. It serves to save other people and that’s God’s plan. Just as Jesus entrusted himself to God, Peter is telling us to commit our cause to God, to die to self and one’s pride. Then through our faith in action, the Holy Spirit will reach others. That is a source of godly pride not regret!

  I close with the words of Paul to the proud Corinthians. To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

  Brothers and sisters, whenever we bear unjust suffering, the power of God is at work. Our obedient suffering is useful, because Christ, who suffered to save us, is at work in us to save others.