Following In His Steps 1 Peter 2:18-25

In Brennan Manning’s bestselling book, Abba’s Child, we learn about the God who loves us with an alien love, an everlasting love, that is so very different from the love we receive and the love we offer in this life. We are so accustomed to conditional love, performance oriented love, in the relationships we share with others in this life. This type of love, a very unhealthy love I might add, is so often transferred over to our understanding of God’s love for us. Brennan Manning puts God’s love, the unconditional, no-way-you-could-ever-earn-it-or-fully-understand-it love of God for you on display in his wonderful book. In his book there is a line that has grabbed me this week. Brennan writes,

Our hearts of stone become hearts of flesh when we learn where the outcast weeps. (Manning, Brennan. Abba's Child: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate Belonging.)

It is one of those lines that if you are simply reading the book you will most likely read right through it. Brennan uses the quote in his book to point out the outcasts that are among us and our need to know them, love them, and care for them in the same way that Jesus knows, loves, and cares for us. I totally agree with Brennan, but this week, because of the Scripture I’ve been studying, I’ve seen this line in a whole new light. Let me share some Scripture with you and see if you can identify the Outcast. Turn with me to Isaiah 53:3.

3 He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. (Isaiah 53:3 NIV)

“He was despised and rejected by mankind…” Just four verses later in Isaiah 53:7 we read,

7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. (Isaiah 53:7 NIV)

“He was oppressed and afflicted…he was led like a lamb to the slaughter…” And in the New Testament, in the opening verses of the Gospel of John, we learn about the Outcast once again. Turn with me to John 1:10-11.

10 He came into the very world he created, but the world didn't recognize him. 11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. (John 1:10-11 NLT)

Who is the One who was the Outcast? He is the Suffering Servant of Isaiah’s prophecy and the Creator of everything that was or will ever be. The Outcast is none other than Jesus. When we learn where the Outcast weeps and draw near to Him, it is then that our hearts of stone will be turned into hearts of flesh. When we are suffering, when we are rejected, when we face injustice–we will find the justice we long for, the acceptance we yearn for, and the peace we need by drawing near to Jesus, the Outcast.  Let’s take a look at our Scripture for this morning and I think you will see why this truth was so very important for the scattered exiles living in the Roman Empire. Turn with me to 1 Peter 2:18-25.

18 Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. 19 For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. 20 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. 21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22 "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." 23 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. 24 "He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by his wounds you have been healed." 25 For "you were like sheep going astray," but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (1 Peter 2:18-25 NIV)

There are two things I want to point out for us before we dig into our Scripture this morning. First, I’ve heard many people through the years talk about how the Bible condones slavery because it doesn’t call for the overthrow of that evil institution. Some have even told me, “I could never be a Christian because God condones slavery.” We will talk about that in a few minutes, but if you believe that you are so wrong. Second, what we are reading in 1 Peter concerning how the followers of Jesus were to relate to those around them in their community is a “household code.” The first household codes were written long before Jesus was born. The household codes were written to create and maintain order in the household which would then lead to order in the community. Karen Jobes writes,

For centuries the Greek moral philosophers wrote about proper relationships within the household, slaves to masters, wives to husbands, and children to parents. (Jobes, Karen. 1 Peter. pg. 181)

Plato, Aristotle, Seneca, and other ancient philosophers all wrote about the need for order in society and it was the household codes that were to be followed to keep homes and communities from falling into chaos. There is a big difference between the household codes of the Greeks and Romans and the household codes shared by Paul and Peter. Karen Jobes writes,

In the Greek writings, wives, like slaves, receive instruction through their husbands because both slave and wife are thought to be deficient, though not in the same way. Aristotle understands the slave to be incapable of deliberative thinking, while the wife has the capability but not the commensurate authority. Thus, it was considered proper to direct all instruction through the man, who has both the capability and authority to reason fully. (Jobes, Karen. 1 Peter. pg. 185-186). 

In Paul’s household codes found in Colossians 3:18-4:1 and Ephesians 5:21-6:9 each of the people involved in the household–slaves, wives, husbands, and children are all addressed. For the followers of Jesus, every person in society has been created in the image of God and every person has responsibility for their own behavior. All of those who had Peter’s letter read to them–men and women, slave and free were to live their lives according to their new identity in Christ wherever they found themselves in society. Let’s take a look at verse 1 where Peter addresses the members of the churches who were slaves. 

18 Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. (1 Peter 2:18 NIV)

It has been estimated that up to a third of all people in the Roman Empire were slaves. Some say there were about 5 million slaves while others say up to 60 million people were enslaved in the Roman Empire. Slavery under the Emperor was not like the slavery experienced by Africans in the United States. Slavery in the Roman Empire was not race-based. The Greek word for “slaves” in verse 18 is “οἰκέτης” (oiketēs), the word for “household slave” and not “δοῦλος” (doulos), the general word used for slaves. 

In the Roman Empire people became slaves through war, some sold themselves into slavery because of poverty, children who were abandoned at birth sometimes were taken in and became slaves as they aged, and some criminals became slaves. Throughout history if one nation conquered another they would take the brightest and strongest citizens back to their nation and they would serve as slaves in a wide variety of ways. When the Babylonians captured Jerusalem in 586 B.C., the Jewish boys Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego served King Nebuchadnezzar. 

The status of slaves varied, some were treated well and others were treated harshly. Some were even killed by their masters. Regardless of whether they were treated well or poorly, legally speaking, slaves were not people. This is the world in which Jesus’ followers lived. 

As I mentioned earlier, there are people today who will criticize the teachings of the Bible because it doesn’t call for the overthrow of the unjust practices of the Roman Empire. The Bible doesn’t condone slavery. As a matter of fact, Paul said, 

21 Were you a slave when you were called? Don't let it trouble you-- although if you can gain your freedom, do so. (1 Corinthians 7:21 NIV)

Roman slaves could gain their freedom through a process called “manumission.” They could purchase their own freedom or they could be set free, through time, by their master. Paul says, “If you can gain your freedom, do so.” 

Jesus was a revolutionary, but not the kind that overthrows governments by force or storms the halls of power to demand change. Those who followed Jesus were not concerned with gaining political power to make changes in society. They knew that society would be changed only if the gospel was shared and individual lives were changed. In the long run, it is the power of the gospel which truly affects lasting change, both in individuals and in society. Miroslav Volf writes,

…the call to follow the crucified Messiah was, in the long run, much more effective in changing the unjust political, economic, and familial structures than direct exhortations to revolutionize them would ever have been. For an allegiance to the crucified Messiah—indeed, worship of a crucified God—is an eminently political act that subverts a politics of dominion at its very core. (Volf, Miroslav. Soft Difference.)

So, Peter doesn’t call upon followers of Jesus in the church who are slaves to rise up against their masters. He calls them to “submit” to their masters, and not just to those who are “good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.” It is important to take notice that Peter instructs slaves to do this “in reverent fear of God.” We have already seen this same motivation earlier in Peter’s letter when he instructed all of Jesus’ followers to submit to the emperor and the governing authorities. Let’s read 1 Peter 2:13-14 together. 

13 Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 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 NIV)

“...for the Lord’s sake” and “in reverent fear of God” are one and the same. We submit to those in authority over us because of our reverence for the Lord and not because any authority has earned our respect and submission. I’m sure there were those, who first heard this letter, who were in tough situations with masters who were belligerent and demanding and cruel and they had questions. Peter said, “Yes, you need to submit to those who are ‘harsh’ as well.” The Greek word for “harsh” is “σκολιός” (skolios), and it means, “crooked, harsh, or unjust.” Some people suffer from a medical condition called “skoliosis” which causes their spine to curve like a “C” or an “S.” Skoliosis comes from the Greek word “skolios.” In the Bible the word is used to describe those who are morally crooked, dishonest, unfair, or perverse. Paul used the same word in his letter to the believers in Philippi. Turn with me to Philippians 2:14-16.

14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, "children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation." Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. (Phililippians 2:14-16 NIV)

Don’t grumble. Don’t complain. Don’t be like the people of this “warped and crooked generation.”  So, you see, the call of God for His people is to live a life that contrasts with the lives of those who do not follow Jesus. God calls us to follow in Jesus’ steps. This is why Peter writes, 

19 For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. 20 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. (1 Peter 2:19-20 NIV)

The churches Peter was writing no doubt included people who were slaves. They were not to revolt, they weren’t to cheat their masters, they were not to return evil for evil, but they were to “bear up under the pain of unjust suffering.”  I want to make something crystal clear for us. Peter’s motivation for bearing up under the pain of an unjust master is not the same as that of Marcus Aurelius, the Roman Emperor and Stoic philosopher who ruled the Roman Empire from 161-180 A.D. Marcus Aurelius wrote,  

If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself but to your own estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment. (Marcus Aurelius)

We give power to those things that are painful and at any moment we can deny the pain the power it has over us. That’s Marcus Aurelius. The Bible is clear that pain is real and the ability to endure painful situations, the ability to submit and honor those who treat us harshly does not come from our inner strength, but from being “conscious of God” as Peter writes. 

We aren’t going to get to it today, but the next time we are together we will read verses 21-25 where Peter uses the example of Jesus’ suffering and the way Jesus dealt with those who were harsh, brutally harsh with Him as He made His way through the horrific experience of being nailed to a cross. Peter witnessed firsthand Jesus’ strength in the face of excruciating injustice. Peter also heard Jesus teach about how we are to respond to those who do not love us, those who treat us poorly. In Luke 6:32-35 we read,

32 "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. (Luke 6:32-35 NIV)

The followers of Jesus took His words to heart and sought to live them out in a climate of conflict, persecution, and rejection by those who opposed them. Also, it is important to once again be reminded, their focus was not on changing institutions, but on changing hearts. That is what Jesus did and this is what His followers had been called to do while living in a fallen and broken world. They lived, seeking to walk in Jesus’ steps, so that they might honor the Lord and show an unbelieving world that Jesus makes all of the difference in the world in how they lived and why they did the things they chose to do. Paul wrote to Titus,

9 Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, 10 and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive. (Titus 2:9-10 NIV)

What was the motivation for slaves to try and please their masters, to not talk back or steal from them? It was so they would “show they could be fully trusted” and “make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.” 

Some of you may be wondering why I have spent so much time talking about slaves and masters when none of us who are here this morning are slaves. Oh, you might work in a job where you feel like you are a slave, shackled to a cubicle for 8-10 hours a day, but none of us are slaves. Even though the slave/master relationship is so different from the employee/employer relationship, there are some really important lessons we can learn and apply to our relationship with those we work for during the week.  

First of all, the motivation which enabled first century slaves to submit and show honor to their masters is still our motivation to submit to and honor those we work for today. It is so important that we show up to work every morning “conscious of God.” We must fully understand, before we ever enter the door of our places of employment, that we are His ambassadors in the workplace. This and this alone will enable us to live the kind of life before our boss and co-workers that will show that we can be fully trusted and “make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.” We may have a “good and considerate” boss or we may have a boss who is “harsh,” but we are called to submit, to refuse to badmouth, never undermine, and honor our supervisors.   

Howard Hendricks was a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary for almost sixty years. While I was living in Plano I used to grab every opportunity I had to listen to him to teach the Bible. He told a great story one time about being on an American Airline flight after a long delay. There was a man onboard who had too much to drink and was being loud and obnoxious to others sitting on the plane. He was gruff and demanding of the flight attendant who was trying to help him. Dr. Hendricks watched and listened as the flight attendant never lost her cool. She could not have been more kind even as the man was acting like a total jerk. Dr. Hendricks was so impressed by her that he waited around until the other passengers had left the plane once it landed. He found the flight attendant and told her what a great job she did in dealing with the man. He told her he wanted to write a letter to American Airlines to let them know they have a special employee. The woman said, “Thank you sir, but I don’t work for American Airlines.” Dr. Hendricks was caught off guard and the woman could see that he didn’t understand. She said, “I work for Jesus Christ.” And if you are a follower of Jesus…so do you. 

Second, this model of servanthood, of willing submission to those in authority over us at work, is not simply a theory that was shared by Jesus, but it is the life He lived. Peter writes,

21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. (1 Peter 2:21 NIV)

We will talk more about this verse the next time we are together, but for this morning I only want to point out to you that the word used for “example” is a very descriptive word in Greek. The word “ὑπογραμμός” (hypogrammos) means “a pattern or form.” You guys will be able to relate to how this word was most often used. Back in biblical times and I’m certain it is still true today, children would learn to write their letters and numbers by tracing over them in a book. Just as we learned to write our ABC’s by tracing them over and over again, so we learn to walk in Jesus’ steps by learning how He lived. Karen Jobes writes,

English words such as ‘example,’ ‘model,’ or ‘pattern’ are too weak, for Jesus’ suffering is not simply an example or pattern or model, as if one of many; he is the paradigm by which Christians write large the letters of his gospel in their lives. If Christians are to live as servants of God, the essence of that identity is a willingness to suffer unjustly as Jesus did, exemplifying in suffering the same attitude and behavior he did. Jesus Christ left us this pattern over which we are to trace out our lives in order that we might follow in his steps. (Jobes, Karen. 1 Peter. pg. 195-196). 

There is nothing within us that looks for opportunities to be treated harshly and the Bible never counsels us to be intentional martyrs. The mere fact that we live in a broken world, a fallen world, will make it inevitable that you and I are mistreated, treated unfairly. When that happens how will you respond? Will you respond like most everyone else responds or will you follow in Jesus’ steps? 

I would like to say one more thing before we leave here this morning. If you are in a job where you are not appreciated, where you are taken advantage of, and treated harshly by your supervisor and you find yourself being caught up in bad mouthing and undermining your boss…please do one of two things. First, you can pray the Lord will give you a new attitude so that your boss will see there is something different about you, a Jesus difference about you, or secondly, please turn in your notice and find another job. Find a job where you can make a fresh start. A new job where from the first day you arrive you can be a blessing to everyone, from the boss to every single one of your co-workers. 

The most important decision you and I need to make this morning is not how we will show up on Monday morning to work, but it is who will choose to follow this very morning. If you are not a follower of Jesus then I want to invite you to receive Him as your Lord and Savior today. If you will make that decision then He will begin His work of changing your heart and a changed heart will lead to a change of your behavior. 

Mike Hays

Britton Christian Church

July 14, 2024