1 Peter 2:17-25 Servants and Submission
Good morning! We are back in 1 Peter 2 this morning, page 1015 in the pew Bibles.
We started talking last week about everybody’s favorite Christian virtue, submission. (At least I think that’s what that was… Thank you all for your prayers by the way.)
In our passage for this morning Peter gets more specific about submission as Christians, that we are not only to submit to the governing authorities over us, but we are also to submit to those whom we serve.
Paul talks about slaves submitting to their earthly masters but Peter uses a different word, Paul says slaves, Peter says servants. And I think that we can probably have an easier time applying these principles to our own lives.
Let’s look at our text.
17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 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. 21 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. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. Let’s pray.
Peter fleshes out here several ways how we, as Christians, are to honor everyone as it says in verse 17. One of the most practical ways for the original audience of this letter and us to honor everyone is for servants to be subject to their masters with all respect.
Where Paul addresses slaves, Peter addresses household servants, “domestics,” they might be called.
And before we get any further, I know that there are many who bristle with idea of identifying with slaves or domestic servants. I’ve had conversations with people who have outright refused to hear the principles in these texts because they refused to be compared with slaves or servants because, “nobody owns me, I’m nobody’s slave.”
Try not showing up for work for a week and see if you aren’t.
We can identify with these ideas because most of us are, or have been, employed by somebody, we have all had bosses or managers to whom we are accountable. These principles that Peter talks about parallel perfectly with the relationships we have with our managers or bosses, honestly, anyone to whom we are accountable or responsible.
Weisinger wrote, “Before such masters the false longings for liberty are most apt to break out; but here is just the point at which Christian views and principles appear in the strongest possible contrast with merely human and natural ones, and at which the peculiarity of the Christian calling, as a power of endurance, shows its marvelous glory.”
So again, if we understand these principles to apply to employees as well as domestic servants, we can all have our pride beat into submission together.
J. Mombert wrote, “What the writers of the New Testament have said concerning slaves holds true concerning servants and all those employed… under a master [boss], they that discharge their office modestly, diligently and willingly, and act with faithfulness and integrity in everything that is committed to them.”
18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.
Peter reminds us that the quality of character of those whom we are responsible to is irrelevant, whether they be wonderful, loving, helpful, and kind, or, unjust, quite literally, crooked.
Our obligation to our duties does not depend on the character of those to whom we are responsible but on our own relation to Christ and His example.
Peter goes on to say…
19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 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.
This here is an amazing concept, potentially life altering, or at least attitude altering, I hope.
The concept is merited suffering vs. martyr suffering. I say “vs.” because they are not the same.
Merited suffering is when you get what you justly deserve for bad behavior. Having to pay the fine for speeding, not turning in your homework and getting a bad grade, having a bad attitude or slacking off at work and being passed over for a promotion or not getting a raise. How often do we experience things like this and cry, “woe is me!”? This is merited suffering, we earned it, Peter says there is no credit for enduring beatings for our own sins. (Maybe beatings are against your company’s policy, but you get the idea.)
Martyr suffering, on the other hand, Peter calls, “a gracious thing in the sight of God,” doing good and suffering for it, enduring suffering or punishment or tribulation when you don’t deserve it.
JP Lange wrote, “You have no praise before God, you cannot glory in your tribulations, if you remain steadfast in troubles brought on by yourselves; but if, suffering wrongly you remain steadfast, you will have honor before God and secure His approval and good pleasure.”
If you’re anything like me, bless your little hearts, right now you may be starting to wonder, “What about my rights?” The reality is, deep down, I expect things to go my way pretty much all the time. An equal reality is, they seldom do. As my dad is fond of saying, “Why bother worrying? Nothing’s going to be alright.” When I’m faced with problems I have most likely created myself I often hear myself saying, “Can’t nothing be easy,” as if easy is owed to me. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
When we are faced with difficulties that are brought on because we have been willing to submit to the authorities placed over us we have a choice about how we react. Will we whine about our rights or will we patiently endure?
To be frank, there is really no choice to be made here. Peter reminds us of our example, Jesus.
20 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. 21 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. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
There is beautiful and rich theology in these verses concerning the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf and in our place, but that wasn’t really Peter’s point.
Peter’s point was to remind us of the innocent suffering of Christ, the Father’s purpose in it, and the example that He is for us to follow.
Matthew Henry wrote, “Good Christians are called to be sufferers, and therefore they must expect it… The sufferings of Christ should quiet us under the most unjust and cruel sufferings we meet in the world. He suffered voluntarily, not for Himself but for us, with the utmost readiness, with perfect patience, from all quarters, and all this though He was God-Man; shall not we sinners, who deserve the worst, submit to the light afflictions of this life, which work for us unspeakable advantages afterwards?”
Peter’s point is that Christ, our Shepherd, our Overseer, our example, quietly, patiently, willingly endured unjust suffering in submission to ungodly authorities. His example is a proof that patient endurance under unjust and undeserved sufferings in submission are acceptable to God.
Our Master and Savior expects no more from each of you than He was willing to do Himself. He bore our sins to save us, how much more should we be willing to quietly and patiently endure our own challenges in submission.
Jesus Christ is our Gift and Pattern, our Mediator and Head, our Shepherd and Light. What is our duty? To believe and to follow, to trust and obey His teaching and His example.
Bishop Horne said, “He who regards [Christ] as an example and not a redeemer is lost because he cannot follow Him; he who takes Him for a redeemer and not for an example will be lost because he does not follow Him.”
Though these verses are a reminder of Christ’s example for us as disciples to follow, our pattern, I would be remiss if I did not remind you all of the purpose of the pattern.
22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
The offer still stands: He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds, the wounds of our souls have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, will you now return to the Shepherd and Overseer of your soul?
The purpose of Christ’s submission and suffering is your salvation, will you now accept that gift, will you believe in Jesus, turn away from your sin, and entrust your life to Him? If so, I would love to pray with you and help you get to know the Lord Jesus our Great Shepherd.
And a reminder for those of you who know the Lord, the purpose of His submission and suffering was our salvation, the most world changing thing to ever happen, it is entirely possible that our own submission and subsequent suffering may also have effects far beyond what we could ever imagine!
18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 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. 21 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. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Amen.
