Dear Friends in Our Savior

I Peter 2:19-25Easter 4a

April 13, 2008Pastor Charlie Vannieuwenhoven

Dear friends in our Savior,

“It’s just not fair!” If I could count the number of times that I have heard this! People in our world are driving themselves crazy trying to be fair. HillsboroughCountySchool district found how difficult this can be by not taking Good Friday off of school so as to be fair to religions other than Christianity. But this cry for fairness is an instinctive selfish cry that is part of our beings from the very beginning of life. Our kids do not have to be very old before they start using this cry, “She got it and I didn’t. This isn’t fair!” And this instinctive selfish cry just keeps getting louder as people get older. It seems that just about everyone in our society is fighting for their rights. They want what they feel they deserve. And this is fueled by clever marketing ads that tell people, “You’re worth it.” “You deserve it.”

But whoever said that life was supposed to be fair? Certainly not God. In fact, God tells us just the opposite. He tells us that much of life is going to be unfair. Expect that you will not be treated the way that you feel you deserve to be treated. We do well to understand what true fairness is. Because once we understand this concept of fairness and how “unfairly” God has treated us, we have great reason to give thanks to God. And as we understand why we can thank God that we are treated unfairly, we will be strengthened to bear up under unjust treatment and patiently endure it. Listen as I read our text and we study it today with that cry, “It’s Just Not Fair. (And Thank God for That!)

1 Peter 2:19-25 (NIV)19 For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. 20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? 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. 22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” 23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

I. It wasn’t fair for Jesus.

In the immediate context in which Paul was writing, he was directing these words to slaves. While there is much that could be said about slavery, let’s suffice it say that Paul is not condoning slavery—especially as you and I think of it. He is talking about God’s people submitting to their station in life and trusting that their Good Shepherd will protect, feed and guide them as he has promised. These thoughts directed to slaves are certainly applicable to any type of suffering that God’s people might go through. This entire letter of I Peter is addressed to “God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bythinia.” These were Christians who were facing a tremendous amount of suffering for the Gospel of Jesus. This entire book has been given the theme, “Living Hope in a Hostile World.” The devil uses many different tactics to pull God’s people away from Him. Often he useswhat we might call “unjust suffering” to lead a person to ask of God, “Where are you? Don’t you care? How could you let me suffer like this? I’ve been so true to you, Lord. Aren’t you going to keep your promises to me?”

It appears that these slaves were being mistreated and abused because they maintained a loyalty to a higher master than their human overlords. The temptation in suffering like this is to lash back at God and say, “Lord, I’m standing up for you. And is this the thanks that I get?” When you are facing difficult times of severe trials or testing in your life (and let’s be honest that we have all been there—perhaps you are there right now) the temptation is to become bitter towards God, towards others who seem to have an easier road, towards those who are simply trying to help you and that bitterness can lead to sinful words and actions. There is the temptation to speak evil of those who might be over you, whom you believe to be the cause of the problems or difficulties, or to run others down so that you have company in the pit of despair. It is tempting to be resentful to God for your situation and lot in life. Especially if you are facing troubles or difficulties that come because you are standing firm in your defense of God’s word or in trying to live God’s word in your life, the temptation is there to forsake Christ and turn your back on him so that you can achieve a temporal peace.

Why is it that we hang so heavily on this mantra that everything has to be fair? It comes from a false sense about ourselves to which all of us are susceptible that we think we are better than we really are. There is some part of each one of us that really doesn’t want to take help from God. We want to be our own people. We want to have some credit before God for how good we have been. We want to think that this is a “quid pro quo” relationship that we have with God. In other words, we say, “God I’ve done my part and been good for you. Now you do your part and do good to me.”

But have we done our part? Have we loved God with all our heart and put him first in everything that we do? Have we loved the people around us more than ourselves, always thinking of them first? Have we put heart, soul, body and strength into serving and following God, with absolutely no wrong steps and not even a bad or indecent thought? It is James who tells us, “8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. James 2:8-11 (NIV)” Who of us can say that we are not a lawbreaker? Who of us can say that we have kept the whole law? Who of us can say that we have not even stumbled at one point? And how fearful for us to hear that the price tag that comes with sin is death. This puts us into the same position as a sheep who has fallen into a pit with no way to get out. And being our own fault that we ended up there, fair would be for us to stay there and die for our sin.

But let’s talk about fair. God would have been fair to punish us eternally because of our sin. But that isn’t what he did. Rather than leaving us to die trapped in the pit of our sin, he sent our Good Shepherd to rescue us. When we think of a good shepherd, we think of one who protects his sheep, provides food for his sheep and leads and guides his sheep as they wander from pasture to pasture. Our Good Shepherd protected his sheep. Peter tells us, “23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” Talk about unfair treatment! He had no sin, yet he paid the price for sin. And look at what his reaction was. He did not retaliate even though his accusers had no basis for which to hurl their insults at him. He made no threats—even though he was the all-powerful God—that he would get back at them. Rather he submitted himself to this suffering. Peter tells us, “He entrusted himself to him who judges justly.” He entrusted himself to his Father. He trusted that what he was enduring served to the glory of his Father. He trusted that God would use that unjust suffering to bring about something good, which he did—the eternal salvation of mankind. Talk about unfair!! God gave our punishment to Jesus and gave to us Jesus’ perfection and innocence. This is the great exchange that we celebrate at Easter. This is what brings us such great joy. God wasn’t fair—to Jesus or to us. And for this we give him great thanks and praise.

II. It won’t be fair for us.

And understanding this concept of how “unfair” Jesus’ sufferings were for us, we can’t help but to ask, “What is any suffering that we might have to endure compared to the suffering that Christ endured?” Since we have received our salvation at such a high price, how can we not bear up patiently and follow in his footsteps? God tells us that we are not going to be treated well in this world. “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.” The cheerful and patient endurance of the sufferings that we face in this life is what we have been called to as God’s people. God knew that “unjust” suffering would be part of the Christian life. We are called as God’s people to do what is right and what is good, even though we may have to suffer for it. And we know this will happen because Christ was a pattern for us. The concept is like a little kid tracing letters to learn how to write. When we trace Christ’s life, we know what our life will be like. It will be a life of unjust suffering.

This leads us into some timely examples. The end of life discussion always comes into play with unjust sufferings. Why is that we work to protect and save life at all costs, even when the “quality” of life may be nothing more than pain and suffering? Because God tells us to protect and value the life that he gives to us and that he alone is the one who decides when a life will end. Doing what is right in God’s eyes may bring suffering. When others are griping about a neighbor or a boss at work, or a member or pastor at church, and we step in to stop the gossip and slander and speak well of the other person, that may not be met with the most gracious of attitudes. If we are talking to co-workers who are defending their right to interpret the Bible however they want and we defend the inerrancy and inspiration of scripture, this will not be a popular stand. When marriage gets tough and difficult, and we stay true to God’s will and committed to our vows rather than “getting out” as many may suggest, we may be the objects of ridicule and laughter.

But this is the life to which we have been called. Facing suffering for doing what is right is commendable in God’s eyes. It is a far worse option to be the sinner than the one who is being sinned against. So how can we face any suffering, much less unjust suffering, and bear up patiently and endure it? we follow Jesus’ example and put ourselves into God’s hands. We trust that our Good Shepherd who has rescued us from the depths of our sin, who feeds us with the food that we need spiritually and physically, and who guides us with his word goes with us in everything. He promised to be with us as we face problems in life. He promised that he will give us the strength to face whatever comes our way and that he will provide a way out from that suffering. As continue on with your life, you do so in the loving and protecting hands of your Good Shepherd. When God brought us to faith, our Good Shepherd accepted a solemn responsibility towards us. He commits himself to being our Shepherd. He has committed himself to guiding, protecting and feeding us. He will be with us in our troubles and sustain us in our challenges. As we grow in our faith and understanding of God’s word our lives will become more Christ-like. Then we can see our troubles as opportunities for us to bring glory to the Lord as we patiently endure whatever comes our way confident of his care for us.To show patience in the face of unjust suffering is true evidence of Christ-like character. And we pray that with the strength that God provides we will be able to grow as we show that same patient endurance in our lives.

So no—it’s just not fair. It’s not fair that Jesus took the punishment for our sins upon his own shoulders. It’s not fair that we are given his perfection to stand before God as the holy people that he expects. It’s not fair that Jesus was so unjustly treated as the innocent Son of God. And it’s not fair that we have the privilege and opportunity to follow in his footsteps and face unjust treatment for the sake of his name. It’s just not fair. And for that we thank God. Amen.