Over the past 5 years we have seen drastic changes happen in our country. For the past 20 years, our country’s culture has been considered post-Christian, that is a culture where the Judeo-Christian ethic that had been prevalent in the past no longer is the prevailing ethic. So when we as Christians watch what is happening in our culture and it seems so foreign - this is why.

So how do you and I shine the light of Christ in the midst of an ever changing culture? How do we bring the love of Jesus to a hurting world? How do we as Christians share our faith to people that have lost theirs?

Part of our challenge is so much of what remains of our Christian culture is being watered down as just one among many, as if there is not anything differentiating our faith from the world’s religions. This is simply not true. A couple of weeks ago I shared with you this graphic claiming that all religions are basically the same:

This graphic proposes that the lead teaching of all these religions is basically to “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” And as I said at that time, this is NOT the lead teaching of Christianity nor Judaism. I cannot speak to all of the other religions because I’m not as familiar with them and do not want to speak to something I don’t know.

The primary teaching of Judaism and Christianity comes from the Shema in Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Deuteronomy 6:4–5 ESV

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Or As Jesus put it: Matthew 22:37-38

Matthew 22:37–38 ESV

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.

The greatest teaching of Christianity and Judaism is the existence of, the worship of, the love of our Creator God. And the recognition that we are not God. Everything else flows from that. When we made our journey through the first three chapters of Genesis we started by spending weeks on the first four words: Genesis 1:1

Genesis 1:1 (ESV)

In the beginning, God...

And we said that how you read and understand those first words of our Scriptures will determine how you read the rest of the Bible. I still believe that to be true to this day.

It is because God created the world, it is because God created humankind in His image, it is because God is love that we are called to love God and love others.

It is the secondary teaching of Judaism and Christianity: From the Old Testament (The Jewish Bible) Lev 19:18

Leviticus 19:18 ESV

You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

From the New Testament and Jesus’ words

Matthew 22:39 ESV

And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

We forget too often that Jesus’ teaching is filled with Scripture quoting from what we call the Old Testament. A pastor of mine once told us that if we don’t understand the Old Testament we can’t understand the New Testament.

Peter had grown up surrounded by the teaching of what we call the Old Testament.

And I will commend to you a book by Philip Yancey, “The Bible Jesus Read: Why the Old Testament Matters.” If you’ve never read anything by Philip Yancey I recommend him as an author.

In our passage today, Peter is pointing us directly to a Christian ethic as he begins our passage today:

1 Peter 3:8 ESV

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.

As Christians we are called to be united, sympathetic - working to understand where others are coming from. Brotherly love - caring for, encouraging and supporting our neighbors. And a humble mind - the humility of the Christian is a theme throughout first Peter.

Perhaps the most powerful challenge Peter gives us is not to be reactive. We tend to be reactionary, it’s our nature:

Someone yells at us; we yell back.

Someone hits us; we hit back.

Someone insults us; we insult them back.

Someone is rude to us; we’re rude back.

But Peter challenges us reminding us that God calls us to something much, much higher and more difficult.

1 Peter 3:9 ESV

Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.

He then goes on challenging us to

keep our tongue from evil and our lips from speaking deceit.

turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

And then says, 1Pe3:12

1 Peter 3:12 ESV

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Now it is true that we are to do good, to be righteous, but we also know that you and I, on our own have no ability to be righteous.

I remind you of Psalm 14:1

Psalm 14:1 ESV

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.

and Isaiah 53:6

Isaiah 53:6 ESV

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

This is the status that we found ourselves in. And Peter then reminds us that Christ took those sufferings: 1Pe 3:18

1 Peter 3:18 ESV

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,

We were the unrighteous. Christ suffered for us to bring us to God.

I will be the first to admit I am not always the best at holding my tongue, nor withholding a reaction that better reflects another’s mood, action, or evil than my Lord’s mercy and grace. That’s why Peter’s challenge is so great:

1 Peter 3:9 ESV

Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.

Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount: Mt 5:38-39

Matthew 5:38–39 (ESV)

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil.

And he went on: Mt 5:43-44

Matthew 5:43–44 ESV

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

So, how do we apply this in our lives today.

First I would challenge you to consider is there someone in your life that it is a struggle to get along: A neighbor, a family member, a friend - anyone in your life.

Secondly, take up the challengeJesus gives us to pray for them.

And finally, take up Peter’s challenge to us not to repay evil for evil, but to seek to bless them. In other words, not to react.

No doubt we’ve all heard the phrase, “They make me so mad,” or “That makes me so mad.” That’s a reactionary statement. And at the same time, I’m equally sure that we’ve all at one time or another determined that we were not going to get mad in a situation, we were not going to allow another to push our buttons. So we know it’s possible.

God’s Word, and Peter’s Letter challenge us to go beyond just not reacting and returning evil for evil. Christ’s words challenge us to pray for them, and Peter challenges us to bless them reminding us that this is the task we’re called to do.

I have no doubt there are times we feel wounded by what others say, or the actions others take. Our call is to be lights reflecting God’s glory, not the whatever kind of light might be coming from those who wound us. Remember Jesus died for them too.

I do want to insert a brief caveat here. This is not saying that you are required to live in an abusive relationship. Hear that clearly - you are not the Christ, though you reflect Christ’s light. I once heard a professor remind us that even Jesus had to leave so that the Holy Spirit might come.

What ever your circumstance may be - when we receive evil actions from another - Pray for them. Pray and ask God to give you patience with them. Pray and ask God to give you the courage to speak truth to them. Pray and ask God to forgive them and give you the strength to forgive them too. Reflect God’s light in the midst of that situation instead of reflecting their evil back to them.

It’s all about giving the glory to God. Peter closes this section reminding us that we’ve been cleansed through the waters of baptism. 1Pe 3:21-22

1 Peter 3:21–22 ESV

Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

Let us keep living as those who are Christ’s to the glory of God. AMEN.

Let me pray for you...

Doing Right, Even When It Hurts