Injustice of any kind is hard to bear. When I’m on the receiving end of hate, my natural inclination is to defend myself. To fight back. I have little strength to shoulder the weight of false accusations, unfair treatment, or slights on my character. And yet, that’s exactly what the passage in 1 Peter 2 is asking me to do: put down my rights and “submit to every human institution” (v.13).
Before we continue, it’s important to address the part of this passage that tells slaves to submit to their masters. The Greek word used here refers to household or domestic servants who would’ve also been slaves. Slavery in the first century was different than the American version of race-based slavery of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Peter is not advocating for slavery as a system. He is instead dealing with it as a reality that some of the recipients of his letter lived under. For our purposes, it’s best to read this passage with the phrase “lowly workers” in mind. Peter was instructing Christians to endure their pain with grace.
Peter would know. On more than one occasion, an oppressive government imprisoned him for his beliefs and preaching. He would eventually be crucified. In that place of oppression, he continued preaching the gospel, trusting that God would use every ounce of his suffering for the good of the world. He submitted to the path that God had paved for him, even though that path included hardship.
If you cringe at the word “submission,” you’re in good company. Submission is extremely counter-cultural in our “YOLO” society. An acronym short for you only live once, YOLO is a rallying cry that places happiness as the ultimate aim of life. If we only have this one life to live, we might as well make it a great, fun, exciting one, right? I have to admit, it’s a pretty attractive philosophy. But it stands at complete odds with Christianity.
We also live in a society that rails against injustice with ever-increasing outrage. Police brutality, racial bias in our judicial system, gender wage gaps, sexual abuse and harassment in the workplace—these are serious problems, constantly dominating my news feeds. But the problem with focusing all of my attention and outrage on the world’s ills is that I can so easily lose sight of my own sin. I begin to want change out there far more than I desire change in my own heart.
Rather than focus his eyes on the injustice leveraged against him, Peter chose to focus on the injustices he’d perpetrated against God, forgiven by Jesus’s blood. He knew the truth: Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection replaces our temporary perspective with an eternal one.
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree;
so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness (1 Peter 2:24).
As a Christ-follower, you’re not only going to live once—you’re going to live forever. Discomfort, pain, and injustice are real, but they are fleeting when compared to the glory and love of our Savior. I’d rather serve Jesus than my own happiness. And I can trust Jesus to use the injustices I see around me for the good of His kingdom.
How do I know this? Because He suffered a sham trial, a wrongful conviction, and bloody death—on my behalf. And thank God He did. Jesus transformed the ultimate injustice into the world’s greatest good.
With regards to submitting to authority, this passage reminds me of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who did not bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar’s image. They did not submit to the king’s authority because it went against God and all they believed in. However, they were willing to suffer quietly for the injustice. As 1 Peter 2:23 states, they did not threaten but entrusted themselves to the one who judges justly. God is our ultimate authority. We are to submit to authority as long as it does not go against what is in the Word of God and be willing to suffer just as Jesus did.
Very well said!
Churchmouse, your words have been my struggle and prayer for a while especially lately when stress seems to heighten my reactions even more. I am in such need of love, grace, and patience myself that I need to remember that others need it too.
2 years ago in Church our pastor said, “Win the person, not the argument “. Today’s scripture and devotional remind me if that sentiment! It is so hard to “serve Jesus rather than my own happiness “, but if my goal is to win the person I will do just that. I fail at this daily but God’s still working on me.
So many times I react with the wrong emotions to an injustice against me or others, Lord teach me to approach it with grace, love, patience, and strength as I entrust all situations “to him who judges justly.”
I grew up in a heritage that taught that God would only love me if I did certain things and didn’t do certain things. As my relationship with the Lord grows, I think it is more about “be-ing.”
Be-ing will include some dos and don’t:
Do honor God in our actions and reactions.
Do honor others.
Do love our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Do fear God.
Do submit.
Do serve in love.
Don’t give in to sinful desires warring against my soul.
Don’t repay evil with evil.
Don’t use freedom as a cover-up for evil.
The dos and don’t are not a set of rules to be followed,
They are a love to be lived.
That is not a typo, I repeat,
Be a love to be lived.
Be – in love with Jesus.
Be – His light in this world.
Be – different, set apart.
Be a warrior when needed.
Be – a God slave.
Be – honorable.
Be – His.
Always…thanks to Jesus.
Thank you for this!
Thank you Claire for saying that about Yolo. I have not agreed with that concept as a Christian Follower of Christ. If we follow him like is the greatest because of him not what happens around us
I feel convicted by today’s reading about how often I take personal offense over a real or imagined injustice. My emotions can overreact and my Christian testimony crumbles before me. Oh to conquering speaking the truth in love and at the right time, if indeed I’m to speak at all. Praying for discernment. Praying for kindness. Praying for boldness. Praying for restraint. I’m in need of all.
I too struggle with being “slow to speak” . It’s the constant warring of flesh and spirit, we have to constantly die to self to allow the spirit to conform us to be able to do the work we’re called to do.
What comes to mind is subject to our bosses. Thankfully the two people I’m under are both believers. Are they perfect? Do I feel that they make right decisions all the time? Of course I don’t. But even when I don’t agree I subject myself under them because that’s what I’m called to do. And if there’s any ever injustice I know that God will make it known.