Today's piece is the same one from yesterday where 1 Peter deals with slaves. I often have trouble making sense of this. I cannot promise I will. 2:18ff.
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 beating 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.
"He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth."
When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls
Well I thought I needed to look at the whole notion of 'an example.' An example is out there for us to look at. Jesus as the Christ of God is part of a promise of a presence that abides with us - through us - around us. It is always so easy to walk down another way - too easy in my case. But for all of us, there is this loving nature made manifest - that is it is real, concrete, not merely poetry or storytelling or a good meditative exercise. No, this one who suffered as one who lived as the Beloved of God becomes the way we live - by the power of the Spirit of God. Whenever I read that 'he committed no sin' I have to remember that this doesn't mean he was not fully human. When we are human, we are a part of the brokenness of the world. I would say even Jesus. He lived within the dynamics of violence, gossip, finger-pointing, and all the rest of the ways people either seek more power or try to fold-up their lives into something worthless (both a part of our sinfulness). Having said that, in our story telling of Jesus, we hear that he - in an ordinary life - as an ordinary human - within an ordinary historical setting - walked down a different path. He would not participate in the brokenness of the world (any of it) because he already knew whose he was and that name - being the beloved - had the power to inform his life. The Christ of God did not do what is expected. He breaks the cycle within the normal and ordinary cycle of our humanity.
Connection: Yes, it is amazing. Like Grace - amazing in its power to transform and redirect our actions. We can be amazed at the gracious presence of Jesus because it is truly extraordinary - and yet a part of the essence of ordinary. Therefore, the day at hand becomes a moment ready for the unveiling of the love of God's beloved among us and as us.
In the middle of what is so common, O God, you continue to make us into the amazing witness to your Reigning love. We long to have that love shape our every step and every act. Come, Gracious God. Come and empower us again. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment