The LCA provides this sermon edited for lay-reading, with thanks to the original author.
Easter 6A
1 Peter 3:13-22
Dear heavenly Father, send your Holy Spirit on us so that we may be enthusiastic to live and even suffer for the sake of righteousness and also be willing to share our hope in Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen.
We all suffer.
While some of our suffering is a direct result of our own actions, a lot of our suffering is a direct result of someone else’s actions against us. In the same way, another person’s suffering could be because of their own actions, but many times their suffering is a direct result of our own actions toward them.
So, we all suffer, and we often make sure other people will suffer as well. The more we suffer, then the greater the suffering we want to inflict on others.
For example, let’s take the well-known accusation: ‘He’s picking on me!’
Now the ‘picking on me’ could be as simple as a funny look, a small shove, or a snide comment. By itself it seems harmless, at least to the exasperated parents, but for the child it seems like the worst thing that could happen to them. They feel their suffering is too much to bear, and justice has to be done!
Now, for most parents, you'd think the best response is for the child to ignore it, and may even suggest this, but that’s not what normally happens, is it? The child seeks to become judge, jury and executioner, and tries to get even, but the way they try to get even is by increasing the payback!
The retaliation process usually escalates in increments. Let’s say it all starts with a look. The normally accepted response is pulling a face or poking a tongue out.
This may lead the primary instigator of the ‘look’ to retaliate by making some derogatory comment, random threat, or go to the non-verbal response of a poke or shove.
This may lead the responder to increase the retaliation by threatening or even carrying out some form of physical harm, and sooner or later, it all ends in tears. Of course, sometimes the steps are combined, or some steps are missed altogether.
But it’s not just children who have this innate need to retaliate by increment! Adults, too, play the same game of revenge, payback and retribution. Like children, we don’t just want to get even, but we want to pay people back for the suffering they cause us with interest.
Just think of such things labelled as ‘road rage’ (or any type of rage for that matter), which often starts with a simple, seemingly harmless, or perhaps accidental incident, which is often followed by face pulling or finger waving, followed by threats of violence or abuse, then by physical contact, and we all end up in tears or worse.
The vicious cycle of hatred, anger, revenge and retaliation seems to escalate and we wonder how we could possibly stop it. The world’s headlines and our own lives are full of this pattern of retaliation, and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. No wonder we’re all suffering, and no wonder we want everyone else to suffer as well through our retaliations!
Then we’re told in our text today, ‘if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed’, and, ‘it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil’.
Well, I don’t want to suffer at all, so why should I want to suffer for ‘doing the right thing’? If anyone’s going to suffer, we want the other person to suffer. We want them to set things right. We want them to repent of their actions. We want them to pay for their crimes. They should do the right thing, not us!
But we need to remember the context in which St Peter is saying this, as he's been carefully reminding Christians who they are and whose they are. You're all living stones, royal priests, a holy nation, a people set apart through faith in Christ. Nothing anyone can do to you will change this, but if you treat people the way they treat you, how will this affect your witness to what Christ has done for you?
Now, don't get me wrong, he's not approving suffering, especially the suffering people inflict on you, but saying if you're going to suffer at all, you should be prepared to suffer for the sake of goodness and righteousness, which would include the suffering involved in making your relationships right again through confession and forgiveness.
After all, are we, as forgiven and forgiving people, telling our children it’s ok to seek revenge and pay back? How will our living example of wanting others to suffer for their wrongs lead people to faith in Jesus Christ and his love for them – in our homes, in our schools, or in our community?
You see, our reaction to suffering and our willingness to suffer for doing the right thing, will give a powerful witness either to our hope in Christ, or our lack of hope. Our desire to see others suffer will also give a powerful message to people around us, but not one in line with the Gospel.
I'd like to remind you our Triune God sees your suffering and enters into your suffering by sending his Son to suffer and die for you, and by sending you his Holy Spirit who interprets your groans of suffering and intercedes for you to your Heavenly Father. Our God is a God who suffers, but he suffers for doing the right thing.
God, though his love for you, doesn’t treat you the way you deserve. The punishment and suffering you, and your enemies deserve, was borne by his own Son, Jesus. He suffered for righteousness’s sake. He suffered for doing right.
The innocent One was killed so the guilty ones, including you and me, can be free of condemnation, be made right with God our Heavenly Father, and receive the precious gift of life eternal in heaven!
As Jesus suffered, he never complained, pulled faces, stuck his tongue out, threatened abuse, or struck out in retaliation or revenge. Instead, he suffered for the sake of the ones who insulted him, physically abused him, and ultimately killed him! He suffered for doing the right thing while we who do the wrong thing get off the hook through his forgiveness.
What he did on the cross is given to us through the waters of baptism. We're saved through baptism because in those waters we’re made clean and holy, our sins and guilt are washed away, and we receive all the benefits of his suffering, death and resurrection through faith. Through baptism our old life of fear and hatred and retaliation is ended and we’re given a new beginning.
Through baptism, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, a new kingdom, a new way of living, and a new cycle of love, patience and forgiveness breaks into our old kingdom of revenge, hatred and unforgiveness.
This new reign of God which seeks righteousness, established in our lives through the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus, affects the way we continue to live in the old kingdom.
Which means, when someone makes you suffer and you want to pay back evil for evil, Christ reminds you of the purpose of his own suffering for you and them, and urges you to live according to your new way of life, which is to pay back good instead of evil.
He asks you to suffer patiently and forgive, even if they don’t deserve it, after all, it’s not about deserving. It’s about the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ who forgives to set you free from sin and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.
This means instead of living under the reign of the devil whose tools are evil, revenge and chaos, you’re to live under the reign of Christ whose tools are forgiveness, peace, patience, kindness and self-control.
Paying back evil for evil will never break the vicious cycle of pain and hatred, but using God’s gifts of patience, forgiveness and undeserving love will. You can bring God’s reign of peace and love to a chaotic and fearful world by forgiving and praying for those who hurt you.
Now, it’s not easy to suffer, especially if you’re suffering for doing the right thing. Some of the things which have been done to you are cruel and heartless and can never be justified or excused.
Doing the right thing or offering forgiveness is never about approving their actions or letting them get away with their crimes. Our need to forgive instead highlights their actions weren’t ok. Our need to do the right thing highlights their wrong in the hope of leading them to repentance.
When you suffer for doing right, you suffer with Christ himself who suffered and died for righteousness’ sake. You suffer with a clear conscience because you know you suffer for the sake of love, peace and hope, unlike many others who suffer with a conscience which weighs them down and cripples them.
When you suffer for doing good, you may also have a wonderful opportunity to share the certain and joyful hope of what Jesus Christ has done for you, and for them.
You can tell them how Jesus has broken the endless cycle of revenge and brought you peace with God and peace with those around you. You can gently explain no matter what happens to you here on earth, none of this affects how you’ve been put right with God and have graciously received the gifts of forgiveness, life, and peace.
In this world where we're constantly being shown an example of revenge and hatred, wouldn’t you like to give the people around you the precious gift of hope through your own living example of love, patience and forgiveness?
And, if you had to explain your actions to them, would your actions and faith show you belong to this world of chaos, resentment and payback, or would they show you already live under Christ’s reign of long-suffering and forgiveness?
Brothers and sisters in Christ, don’t be troubled by your suffering, especially if you suffer for doing the right thing. Live as children of God who already belong to the kingdom of light, peace, and truth.
May the Holy Spirit help you to live as loved and forgiven children of God through faith in Jesus Christ, and give you the right words which match your actions as you witness about your hope and faith in your Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
And may the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, especially when we suffer for doing right. Amen.
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