How do we “inherit a blessing”? Peter tells us: follow the example of Jesus, rather than our world’s way. Don’t return evil for evil or insult for insult; seek peace!
Scripture:
Isaiah, chapters 40-42; 1 Peter, chapter 3
1 Peter 3:8-17 (CEB):
Finally, all of you be of one mind, sympathetic, lovers of your fellow believers, compassionate, and modest in your opinion of yourselves. Don’t pay back evil for evil or insult for insult. Instead, give blessing in return. You were called to do this so that you might inherit a blessing. For “those who want to love life and see good days should keep their tongue from evil speaking and their lips from speaking lies. They should shun evil and do good; seek peace and chase after it. The Lord’s eyes are on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord cannot tolerate those who do evil.’
Who will harm you if you are zealous for good? But happy are you even if you suffer because of righteousness! Don’t be terrified or upset by them. Instead, regard Christ as holy in your hearts. Whenever anyone asks you to speak of your hope, be ready to defend it. Yet do this with respectful humility, maintaining a good conscience. Act in this way so that those who malign your good lifestyle in Christ may be ashamed when they slander you. It is better to suffer for doing good (if this could possibly be God’s will) than for doing evil.
Observations: “Inherit a Blessing”
In verse 8, Peter offers instruction for all of his readers. He has talked previously about submitting to earthly authorities, servants and masters, and husbands and wives. Now, he directs his comments to all of you. In verse 8, he lists several things for them to be:
- Of one mind
- Sympathetic
- Lovers of your fellow believers
- Compassionate
- Modest in your opinion of yourselves
Well, all of that sounds good, right? But how do we do that? Well, in verse 9, Peter gives us a specific application of it: Don’t pay back evil for evil or insult for insult. Instead, give blessing in return. He then goes on in verses 10-12 to quote from Psalm 34:12-16 to explain how God calls us to live in order to inherit a blessing:
- Keep your tongue from evil speaking and your lips from speaking lies
- Shun evil and do good
- Seek peace and chase after it
The passage from Psalm 34 ends with this stark reminder: The Lord cannot tolerate those who do evil.
Application: Inherit a Blessing
Earlier in his letter, Peter reminds us that “Christ left you an example so that you might follow in his footsteps” (1 Peter 2:21). Yesterday, I reflected on that passage – particularly, the call to submission (“He Left You an Example” – Submit Like Jesus Did). Today’s reading provides some specific steps to help follow Jesus’ example in the ways we relate to one another. I’m particularly drawn to the phrase, don’t pay back evil for evil or insult for insult.
Such teaching sets us on a different path than that of the world around us. Paying back evil for evil and insult for insult seems to be at the heart of our “discourse” these days! I saw a post the other day that said something like this: it’s all well and good to talk about the issues, but we need someone who can sling mud when they sling mud at us.
No, we don’t. We have plenty of people who do that. What the world needs is people who won’t respond in kind; that’s what Jesus calls us to do. When we pay back evil for evil and insult for insult, we give people reasons to reject us that have nothing to do with the Gospel. Jesus told us that there would be times we would be rejected and hated because of Him, and that God would bless us. But we must take care that any rejection is directed at the Gospel, and not because of us. If we want to inherit a blessing, Peter says, we can’t pay back evil for evil and insult for insult!
Prayer:
Father, thank you for reminding us that your way is not the world’s way. The world fights fire with fire, returns evil for evil and insult for insult. That is not your way. Help us to be compassionate, loving, and modest. In other words, help us to be like Jesus.
We want to inherit a blessing; we want to “love life and see good days.” That won’t happen because we fight evil on evil’s terms, with evil’s weapons. It will happen because we demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control – the contrast with the world’s way is obvious. May the Spirit’s fruit be abundant and obvious in us, that people may see a better way. Amen.
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