The Joy of Submission
Notes
Transcript
One of the things I admire about Peter is he’s not afraid to tackle the hard topics. Submission is likely one of those topics, and as we read Peter’s letter some nearly two millennia later it is bound to raise the ire of many. So as we consider these passages we need to take a step back from today’s social mores to consider first the culture from which Peter is writing, and then bring that into the 21st century.
Submission in our individualistic culture of the United States today is not at all what it would have been in the northeastern mediterranean of the first century. Today what we hear most is “my rights”, and the rights of the individual. In our western societies today we are challenged with the rights of individuals vs. the rights of minorities, the rights of immigrants, the rights of… (fill in the blank).
So let’s back up a little bit in the context of Peter’s first letter:
1 Peter 2:9 reads:
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Peter has already testified to our value - not only are we as human beings created in the image of God, fearfully and wonderfully made as the psalmist wrote. We are chosen, royal, a priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, fo the purpose of proclaiming the excellencies of God who calls us out of darkness and into his marvelous light.
We read that, and as Christians our ego meter goes up. Peter is describing us, and it’s easy to get this attitude about ourselves, and then right after that he begins on a whole line about our behavior. He commands us to abstain from the passions of our flesh, to keep our conduct honorable, and now to be subject to every human institution. Then we come to our text for today, which begins:
Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.
I think it is important right here to see the idea of good and evil, and that it is not defined by human terms, but here and always it is defined by God. We see this in vs. 15
For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.
Our sense of morality, of goodness, or what is right is not predicated on what is popular at the time, in that place and culture. As Christians it must come from God as does our freedom. In fact Peter implores us
1 Peter 2:16 (ESV)
Live as people who are free,...living as servants of God.
Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
This is the calling of every Christian. However it is at this point that we get into topics that for us are tainted by the differences in our culture from the first century. We these difficult phrases:
“Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect...”
“Wives be subject to your own husbands....”
First lets address the aspect of Servants - some translations use the word slaves. The phrase was often used to justify slavery in our early history. However, the slavery of the first century was not what was practiced in the our history.
No doubt there were examples that were horrible in the first century just as there were in our history. We do not have time to discuss the nuances of servanthood in the first century, but recognize that Peter is not promoting the mistreatment of servants. What he is pushing for is for servants to do what is right and honorable in the eyes of God.
If we were to go back in our history I”m sure that Peter would have been on the side of those who sought to do away with slavery as it developed in the western hemisphere, and would have promoted civil rights with Martin Luther King, Jr. and others.
Perhaps the more offensive of the “submit” statements Peter gives us is the latter:
Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives,
He goes on to speak of “respectful and pure conduct”, in respect to how wives subject themselves to their husbands. He talks about external beauty as passing and encourages women to strive for that internal beauty as 1Peter3:4
but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.
Many women see this as a depreciating of the value of women in a patriarchal culture, and no doubt women were not as highly valued as men in the first century. Women were not typically the families bread winner. For the most part women were uneducated. And yet,...
and yet....
Notice what Peter says to the husbands!
1 Peter 3:7 (ESV)
Likewise, ...
Before we go any further I want you to see this word, “Likewise” - other translations might say, “In the same way...” What way was that? Let’s go back and look again, those same words apply to the men. Words like “respectful”, “pure”, “gentle”, “quiet spirit” - this is not limited to the women it applies to all men as well as a standard of conduct.
Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
Yet it is put upon men to also be understanding, showing honor to her as the weaker vessel - this is not speaking of as being less than the man. The word used here is specifically addressing a woman’s physical strength as compared to a man’s in general terms. Note it says of the wives that they are “heirs with you of the grace of life.” In biblical times women were not typically heirs - the sons were. Peter elevates the women to be heirs with the men.
So what are we to do with this as women and men who call ourselves Christian? We must always strive to do the right thing. We say we do, but do we all the time? When someone has wronged you or you feel slighted, what is your first reaction?
When you’re cut off in traffic, when the customer service person is rude, when the service at your favorite restaurant is half-hearted, whenever you feel that others have given you less than you feel you deserve - what is your reaction?
God calls us to be an example of doing right, of being honorable, of being respectable, of being … are you ready for this? God calls us to be an example of holiness!
since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
Living as images of Christ in a fallen world so that others might be drawn to him. When life is hard - we press on, we continue to love, we continue to be respectful.
The Joy of Submission
The Joy of Submission
The joy of submission is not in submitting to our boss, our wives, our husbands, the authorities - the joy is in knowing and submitting to the Lord our God. You and I are created in the image of God, to strive to live as God would have us live is to seek to live holy lives, remembering we are a chosen people for God’s own possession. We are God’s not for our glory but for the glory of God. To God be all the glory. AMEN.