The Way of Christ is the Way of the Cross, Not Vengeance
18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
1 Peter 2:18–25
In our Matthew series we just saw the challenge of the cost of discipleship 2 weeks ago, parallelled in Luke 9:57-62, where Jesus rebukes hearts and attitudes that are not conducive to faithfully following Him. The rebukes pointed out being overly concerned for comfort, status, worries, and more, which are things that all disciples are called to lay down and which are also things that Jesus Himself had to deal with so He wasn’t calling them to anything He wasn’t also doing.
Similarly 1 Peter 2:18-25 speaks to suffering as something that a Christ-follower is called to deal with honorably in a way that reflects Jesus’ own attitude and actions. This can be hard for us as self-centered people, especially in our western individualism context, to wrap our minds around. If something is unfair we assume it’s our immediate God-given right to complain and demand comfort or retribution. Just look at the symptoms seen in things like “cancel culture” and the like. But these are exclusively the ways of the world and should not be reflected in us.
“But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” 1 Peter 2:20b-21
Christ, who did no sin, suffered in our place, and we are called to follow that example. Obviously not paying for sins ourselves, but allowing insults to go unanswered in this instance. We do not need to worry about getting vengeance or getting even in any way. “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.” Rom. 12:19.
So why is this “commendable” to bear up under suffering? Because when we show the Fruit of the Spirit, especially in the toughest of situations, it makes us like Jesus and is a testimony to our faith in Him and His word. The Gospel is also seen in such a response, because bearing up under suffering is not us paying for our own sin, Christ already paid that, that was His unjust suffering He bore without retaliation. No, when we bear up under suffering we can be assured it’s only temporary since “the punishment for our sin was taken by Christ in his crucifixion. It is profound consolation in our suffering to know that it is not a sign of God’s wrath on us. As Paul reminds us, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1).”1
Instead, knowing any unfair suffering is not punishment from God for our sin, or an unjust slight requiring us to seek vengeance in our own power in this life, we can focus on growing in our faith and being empowered by the Spirit to react like our Savior in the face of our suffering.
“And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Rom. 5:2b–5
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