“He Cares For You” 1 Peter 5:5-7
Back in January of this year we began our study of Peter’s letter to the followers of Jesus, Peter calls them “elect exiles,” who were scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. All of these provinces were located in the Roman Empire. You can think of them like states within the United States.
Life was difficult for the followers of Jesus. The Roman Empire was filled with the worship of all kinds of gods and therefore the followers of Jesus were a minority in each of the towns in which they lived. The Roman way of life was radically different from the way of life Jesus called His followers to live. Peter wanted to encourage them to recognize themselves as different, not better, but different from the surrounding culture. He called them to live holy, set-apart lives for the Lord and to refuse to follow the culture of their pagan neighbors. Their motivation for seeking to live a holy life was what had been done for them by Jesus. In the very first chapter, in 1 Peter 1:15-19 we read,
15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." 17 Since you call on a Father who judges each person's work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. (1 Peter 1:15-19 NIV)
Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, the door had been opened for them to live a new life, a life that was different from the life handed down to them from their ancestors. That is a truth that is still true to this very day. If we are followers of Jesus, we don’t have to continue to follow the path that has been passed down to us by our culture or our family. A new door to a new life, a life rooted in and empowered by Jesus, has been opened for us.
The followers of Jesus in Peter’s day and countless other followers of Jesus throughout history and around the world have found that this new life also brings with it the criticism and scorn of a watching world who are opposed to Jesus. Instead of coddling those who were suffering because of their faith, Peter urges them to be glad they have the opportunity to suffer for the One who suffered for them. In 1 Peter 4:12-14, Peter writes,
12 Dear friends, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. 13 Instead, be very glad-- for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world. 14 So be happy when you are insulted for being a Christian, for then the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you. (1 Peter 4:12-14 NLT)
As Peter begins to wrap things up in his first letter to the brothers and sisters in Christ, he wants to assure them that they are not alone. They didn’t know it when they had this letter read to them, but the suffering would grow more intense, the “fiery trials” would increase in just a few short years when Emperor Nero would unleash his wrath upon the Christians in Rome. Peter wanted all of the followers of Jesus to anchor their hope in Jesus. Let’s read our Scripture for this morning found in 1 Peter 5:5-7.
5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:5-7 ESV)
In the opening verses of this chapter, Peter had called on the “elders” or leaders of the congregation to “shepherd the flock of God.” Peter spelled out what shepherding or leading the people would look like in everyday life. They were to provide guidance, not because they had to do so, but because they were called by God and wanted to help. They weren’t to dominate the people like tyrants, but they were to serve as shepherds. They weren’t to fleece the flock, to take advantage of them for financial gain, but they were to give their lives as Christlike examples for other believers.
Now, in the opening sentence of verse 5, Peter tells the younger people in the churches to “be subject to the elders.” The Greek word translated “be subject” is the word, “ὑποτάσσω” (hypotassō) and it means “to subordinate, to be inclined or willing to submit to orders or wishes of others.” This Greek word was a military term used to describe the ordering and arrangement of troops. In non-military settings, the word was used to describe an attitude that enabled someone to give in, cooperate, or to assume responsibility.
Peter uses this word six times in this little letter. Back in 1 Peter 2, Peter called for all of the followers of Jesus to submit to government authorities. In the same chapter he called for slaves to submit to their masters. In 1 Peter 3, he called wives to submit to their husbands.
The word and idea of submitting, or placing someone else before ourselves, causes people to shudder in our day. Why in the world would we ever put someone before ourselves? That’s the natural way of thinking. Nobody has to teach us how to put ourselves first. For those who have surrendered their lives to Jesus, what comes naturally will always fall short of what God calls us to do in life. The leaders of the church were to serve, to put their church members before themselves. The younger members of the church were to submit, to put their leaders before themselves. Can you see what a beautiful picture of servanthood this paints for you and me? Can you imagine what BCC would be like if we all were willing to put our brothers and sisters in Christ before ourselves? Paul used the same word in his letter to the church in Ephesus when he wrote that all of the members of the church were to…
21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Ephesians 5:21 NIV)
Peter says basically the same thing, but by using different words, in the second sentence of verse 5 when he writes,
5 …Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." (1 Peter 5:5b ESV)
Peter calls upon all of the followers of Jesus to clothe themselves with humility toward one another: men and women, young and old, slave and free, the most powerful and those who held no power in society. Why should they clothe themselves with humility? Peter gives us the answer, “...for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Daniel Doriani writes,
So Peter offers theological motives for his instruction. The command ‘Clothe yourselves with humility’ imagines humility as a garment that believers fasten to themselves. The root of ‘clothe yourselves’ refers to an apron that a slave or herdsman tied over his tunic to keep it clean. In Greek culture, humble-mindedness ‘meant an attitude expected of slaves but unworthy of free people.’ Our word humiliation has similar emotional heft. Yet believers should wrap themselves in humility because ‘God opposes the proud.’ (Doriani, Daniel. 1 Peter. pg. 223)
As we have worked our way through Peter’s letter to the scattered churches we have been given overwhelming evidence that everything Peter urged the brothers and sisters in Christ to do, he did because of the pattern laid down by Jesus. An attitude of humility was expected of slaves in Peter’s day, but looked down upon by everyone else. It was this attitude of humility that permeated Jesus’ life. Because Jesus embodied humility we are to clothe ourselves in humility. Paul wrote to the church in Philippi.
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death-- even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:3-8 NIV)
The Bible teaches that Jesus was God Incarnate, God who came down as a human to live among us, to teach us, to show us what the Father was like, and then to offer Himself as a sacrifice, an atoning sacrifice, for sinners, so that we might be forgiven of our sins and reconciled to God. Wouldn’t it be expected that if God came down to live among us that He would demand that everyone serve Him, everyone worship Him, and everyone cater to His every desire? But that is not what Jesus did. Though He was fully God, He stooped to serve the least and the most lowly. One of the most beautiful pictures I can offer to you as evidence of what I’m talking about is found in John 13, when Jesus gathered with His disciples for the Passover meal, what we call the Last Supper. Let’s read these verses together.
2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. (John 13:2-5 NIV)
The job of washing the feet of those who entered the house was reserved for the lowest slave, the most expendable slave, in the household. Can you picture the God of glory who spoke all of creation into existence, the One who split the Red Sea in two so His people could pass through on dry ground, the One who sustains our very lives at this moment–wrapping Himself in a towel, on His hands and knees, and washing the nasty feet of His disciples? It was such an appalling thought that Peter said, “No way!” Yet, when Jesus finished washing the feet of the last disciple, He said to them all,
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. 13 "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. (John 13:12-15 NIV)
Just as Jesus humbled Himself and washed the feet of His disciples, so we are to humble ourselves and continuously humble ourselves and wash the feet of those around us, serve them as Jesus would have us serve them. God opposes the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. If you will notice in your Bible, these words, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble,” are in quotation marks. That is because it is a quotation from Proverbs 3:34.
34 He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed. (Proverbs 3:34 NIV)
James also quotes Proverbs 3:34 in James 4:6. This idea that God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble is a lesson that is taught often, and in various ways, throughout God’s Word. In Isaiah 2:11-12 we read,
11 The eyes of the arrogant will be humbled and human pride brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. 12 The LORD Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all that is exalted (and they will be humbled), (Isaiah 2:11-12 NIV)
The history books are filled with stories of how the mighty have fallen, how the prideful have been humbled, and how the arrogant have been brought low. What God has done in the past, He is continuing to do today. In Matthew 23:12, Jesus said,
12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. (Matthew 23:12 NIV)
Pride presents itself as a friend, a friend who strokes our ego and assures us that we are altogether different from the rest of humanity, but in actuality pride is a fiend, an evil wolf in sheep’s clothing who is intent on leading us down an enticing path straight to destruction. Charles Spurgeon wrote about the deceptive nature of pride in a sermon he preached in 1856. Listen to this.
Pride has ten thousand shapes; it is not always that stiff and starched gentleman that you picture it; it is a vile, creeping, insinuating thing, that will twist itself like a serpent into our hearts. It will talk of humility, and prate about being dust and ashes. I have known men talk about their corruption most marvellously, pretending to be all humility, while at the same time they were the proudest wretches that could be found this side the gulf of separation. Oh! my friends, you cannot tell how many shapes pride will assume; look sharp about you, or you will be deceived by it, and when you think you are entertaining angels, you will find you have been receiving devils unawares. (Spurgeon, Charles. Pride and Humility. August 17, 1856).
We must be always on the alert for pride to come knocking at our door. The best way to avoid the enticing pleasures of pride is to clothe ourselves in humility and, as Peter says, “Humble ourselves…” Let’s take a look at verses 6-7.
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7 ESV)
Paul Achtemeier translates the first portion of verse 6 as, “Accept your humble status under God’s mighty hand…” We have learned that God will humble the prideful, but here Peter is urging that instead of being humbled by God, those early followers of Jesus and all of the followers of Jesus, should humble themselves. How are we to do that? How can I humble myself so that instead of being humbled by God I can look forward to being lifted up by Him? That is such an important question for you and me.
I can think of two vitally important exercises that can help you and me to be proactive in humbling ourselves. First, recognize under whose hand we are living. We are living under God’s mighty hand. He is Sovereign and in complete control over all of His creation. Jesus said, “Not one sparrow falls to the ground without your Father’s will” (Matthew 10:29 NKJV). In the very next verse Jesus said, “Even the very hairs on your head are all numbered (Matthew 10:30 NIV). And in the book of Daniel we learn that it is the mighty hand of God that “controls the course of world events.” Listen to what Daniel wrote,
20 He said, "Praise the name of God forever and ever, for he has all wisdom and power. 21 He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars. 22 He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what lies hidden in darkness, though he is surrounded by light. (Daniel 2:20-22 NLT)
God is not only Sovereign over all times in the past, this very present moment, and every moment that is left on the calendar of history, but He is Sovereign over your life and mine. How well does He know you? He knows you better than you know yourself my friend. David wrote,
1 O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. 2 You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I'm far away. 3 You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. 4 You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD. 5 You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! 7 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! (Psalm 139:1-7 NLT)
How important do you think this information was to those who were living as strangers in their own communities in Peter’s day? They needed to know that God knew right where they were, He knew what they were going through, and He was with them. Understanding the Sovereignty of God, the mighty hand of God over our lives, at work in our lives is the first step to humbling ourselves.
The second important exercise that we can utilize in humbling ourselves is to understand the circumstances and situations, the hardships of our lives as part of His plan for us. I know, this seems to be a bridge too far for many people today, but that is because we have been taught that God is like Santa Claus–He only brings good gifts to you and me. Yes He does bring good gifts, but He also brings hardships and trials as well and He does this with purpose. Robert Mounce wrote,
They have entered your life with the sovereign approval of God. You are under his mighty hand. …The sovereign hand of God not only redeems but also controls the process of spiritual education. If he has allowed you to enter into a difficult place, remain there with meekness to learn what it is that he knows you need to learn. Humble yourself so that he may lift you up in due time. As Christ’s exaltation followed his time of humility, so he will restore you at the appropriate time. (Mounce, Robert. A Living Hope: A Commentary on 1 and 2 Peter. pg. 86)
That is thoroughly biblical and you can find that teaching from Genesis right through to the final book of the Bible, Revelation. If we will keep in mind whose mighty hand we are living under and that every hardship of life has first filtered through the Father’s fingers before it ever entered our lives, then we can humble ourselves and wait upon the Lord to lift us up at the right time. Not when we like, but when God wills. Let’s read verses 6-7 one more time so that we can close by focusing on the last phrase Peter shared with those who were being marginalized and mocked by society. Peter writes,
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7 ESV)
“...casting all of your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” J.B. Phillips translates this same Greek phrase, “You can throw the whole weight of your anxieties upon him, for you are his personal concern.” They were not going through their fiery trial alone and neither are we. Yet, so many are paralyzed by the cares of life, the anxieties of life, because we give our worries to Him and then reel them right back to ourselves…as if we can handle them better than He can. Austin Gentry writes,
We need to do more than merely cast our cares on God in one act of deliberation—there’s an appeal for us to keep on casting. We shouldn’t cast them once and expect our stress to immediately sink to the bottom of the ocean on the first time. We must continually cast. In fact, the verse says, “casting your cares on him,” which is significantly in the present progressive tense. This means that when the waves of your circumstances or the waves of your pain keep bringing that same care or concern back to the shore of your mind again—you must cast again. And then cast again. And then keep on casting. And however much you need to do so, do it again. (Austin Gentry. Cast Your Cares.)
Keep casting, knowing that your Father cares for you, that He is with you, and He will give you the strength to make it through. What a difference this makes for your life and mine. I often try to remind us that we have resources which this world knows nothing about. This is one of those examples. Let me share with you what I am talking about.
Jean Paul Sartre was a famous French existential philosopher who lived during the 1900s and whose influence is still with us today. Sartre was an atheist and so he tried to figure out life as best he could. Any college freshman who is enrolled in Philosophy 101 knows and has read Sartre’s book, “Being and Nothingness.” In his book he writes,
Man can will nothing unless he has first understood that he must count on no one but himself; that he is alone, abandoned on earth in the midst of his infinite responsibilities, without help, with no other aim than the one he sets himself, with no other destiny than the one he forges for himself on this earth. (Sartre, Jean Paul. Being and Nothingness. Part 4, Chapter 1. 1969)
That is the confession of a man who feels the weight of being all alone with no hope and no help. I want to share the confession of another man who was more than familiar with the suffering of life and yet he found comfort, strength, and purpose in his trials. His counsel is far greater, far more comforting, and that is because it is rooted in the truth of God’s Word. Spurgeon asks us,
Why do you continue to stagger beneath a weight your Father would not even feel? What may seem to be a crushing burden to you would not amount to the weight of a speck of dust to him. O child of suffering, be patient. Your sovereign God has not passed over or forgotten you. He who feeds the sparrows will also provide everything you need. Don’t give up in despair—hope on! …There is One who cares for you. His eye is fixed upon you, His heart beats with pity for your suffering, and His omnipotent hand will not fail to provide you help. …If you are a member of His family, He will bind your wounds and heal your broken heart. Never doubt His grace because of the troubles in your life, but believe He loves you just as much during the seasons of trouble as in times of happiness. (Charles Spurgeon, Morning by Morning, ed. by Jim Reimann (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008)
He cares for you. Will you cast your cares upon Him this morning? If you are not a follower of Jesus, will you turn to Him this morning now that you know He cares for you? He will not turn you away, but He will take you in His arms of grace and mercy.
Mike Hays
Britton Christian Church
December 1, 2024
