14 December 2006

Today we continue in 1 Peter by moving into a troubling passage as to how Christians are to live within the society.

Slaves, accept the authority of your masters with all deference, not only those who are kind and gentle but also those who are harsh. For it is a credit to you if, being aware of God, you endure pain while suffering unjustly. If you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong what credit is that? But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God's approval. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps. (2:18-21)

This is the kind of passage I would encourage our children to say "Baloney." I was not going to use it in this devotional run through 1 Peter but then knew I had to use it. I think it is an inappropriate text for our day and that day. Even though the context of slaves was much more broad then, these words are built on a false premise. It is the last sentence. "For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you and example, so that you should follow in his steps." Christ suffered for others...in slavery, slaves suffer for no one. They suffer because of the socio-political-cultural rules of the day. They suffer because others want to use them for their own convenience and wealth. The suffer because people are not seen as being one. They suffer because some people are considered expendable. A Christian is called to suffer for the slaves who are being broken down. Christ would suffer for these slaves...just as the church should suffer for them by resisting such treatment of others. By doing that - by not participating in slave ownership - the Church would have truly been a contrary community - aliens in the most basic way. More tomorrow.

Connection: This is the kind of passage from scripture that needs to be ignored or else brought into the context of today. Even so, we must battle any use of scripture like this to create an argument for slavery or any form of treating one as less than others.

O Lord, let your living word of grace take us through the many ways we abuse one another. Remind us that when others suffer at our hands, there is little chance that we are walking within the domain of your love. Amen.