So many people call us to question or challenge authority. Jesus points to a different way. How do we submit like Jesus did?
Scripture:
2 Kings, chapter 20; Isaiah, chapters 38-39; Psalm 75; 1 Peter, chapter 2
1 Peter 2:13-25 (CEB):
For the sake of the Lord submit to every human institution. Do this whether it means submitting to the emperor as supreme ruler, or to governors as those sent by the emperor. They are sent to punish those doing evil and to praise those doing good. Submit to them because it’s God’s will that by doing good you will silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Do this as God’s slaves, and yet also as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil. Honor everyone. Have respectful fear of God. Honor the emperor.
Household slaves, submit by accepting the authority of your masters with all respect. Do this not only to good and kind masters but also to those who are harsh. Now, it is commendable if, because of one’s understanding of God, someone should endure pain through suffering unjustly. But what praise comes from enduring patiently when you have sinned and are beaten for it? But if you endure steadfastly when you’ve done good and suffer for it, this is commendable before god.
You were called to this kind of endurance, because Christ suffered on your behalf. He left you an example so that you might follow in his footsteps. He committed no sin nor did he ever speak in ways meant to deceive. When he was insulted, he did not reply with insults. When he suffered, he did not threaten revenge. Instead, he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. He carried in his own body on the cross the sins we committed. He did this so that we might live in righteousness, having nothing to do with sin. By his wounds you were healed. Though you were like straying sheep, you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your lives.
Observations: Submit to Every Human Institution
I think sometimes we forget the historical setting in which Peter wrote. When he says, “submit to the emperor” (verse 13) and “honor the emperor” (verse 18) he is talking about Nero. Nero, for those who might have forgotten, blamed Christians for the great fire of Rome and used that as an excuse to persecute them. In that context, submit to the emperor…honor the emperor sets a very high standard for us.
Peter goes on to flesh out his call to submit to authority by using the example of household slaves. Such slaves had no rights; they were the property of their masters. So when Peter says that slaves should submit by accepting the authority of your masters with all respect. It’s not enough to simply submit; we are to submit with all respect. And to crease the bar even higher, Peter says: Do this not only to good and kind masters but also to those who are harsh.
Submit Like Jesus Did
Finally, Peter tells us why we’re called to do this: because Christ suffered on your behalf. No one ever had more justification to refuse to submit, but Jesus did. As Paul says in Philippians 2:6-8: “Though he was in the form of God, he did not consider being equal with God something to exploit. But he emptied himself by taking the form of a slave and by becoming like human beings. When he found himself in the form of a human, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Peter explains even further: He committed no sin nor did he ever speak in ways meant to deceive. When he was insulted, he did not reply with insults. When he suffered, he did not threaten revenge. Instead, he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. And just so we don’t miss the connection, Peter started this part of his letter with the statement: He left you an example so that you might follow in his footsteps. Submit like Jesus did!
Application: Submit Like Jesus Did
I’m afraid that many Christians today have either overlooked or forgotten Peter’s teaching in this passage. Particularly in the political realm, people excuse anger and insults and talks of revenge as “part of the system.” The Bible – not just Peter, but the whole witness of Scripture – responds, “NO!” He left you an example so that you might follow in his footsteps…When he was insulted, he did not reply with insults. When he suffered, he did not threaten revenge. Instead, he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly.
When will we wake up to the fact that our involvement in the political system does not excuse actions and attitudes which are not Christlike? We have become too comfortable insulting people who do not agree with us. We eagerly call for revenge against those whom we think have wronged us. That is not the example that Christ left us.
We should not excuse those attitudes and actions in ourselves, and we should not justify them in others. What did Jesus himself say to us?
- “Look, I’m sending you as sheep among wolves. Therefore be wise as snakes and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16).
- “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you dressed like sheep, but inside they are vicious wolves. You will know them by their fruit” (Matthew 7:15-16).
If the fruit is bad, the tree is bad. If the fruit doesn’t match up with Jesus’ example, the tree is bad. He left you an example that you might follow in his footsteps.
Prayer:
Father, forgive us for following the example of the world, rather than Jesus’ example. Forgive us for giving in to anger, for trading insults, and for seeking revenge. That is not your way; it is not the example of Jesus. When he was insulted, he did not reply with insults. When he suffered, he did not threaten revenge. Help us to follow his example.
Remind us that you are always at work (John 5:17), and that we can trust you. You call us to submit to earthly authorities for your sake. That doesn’t mean that those authorities are good; in fact, most of them are not. But you are at work, and you are moving creation toward the fulfillment of your purposes. Help us to trust you, rather than our own plans or desires.
As we relate to each other, help us to follow Jesus’ command for us to love our neighbors. They will not always agree with us or act like us, but we need to love them anyway. We cannot do that on our own; we need your help! Thank you for giving us your Holy Spirit, to enable us to love each other that way. Amen.
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