Following Jesus when it is difficult

1 Peter 2:18-25

Nabeel Qureshi – “All suffering is worth it to follow Jesus. He is that amazing.”- Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus.

In the history of the Christian Church, there have been some very important Council meetings in which very important theological issues were settled. At the Nicene Council, (in Turkey) an important church meeting in 325 A.D., of the 318 delegates attending, fewer than 12 had not lost an eye or lost a hand or did not limp on a leg lamed by torture for their Christian faith. Vance Havner Why?

SLIDE Following Jesus can be difficult – it can be costly. SLIDE Will we continue to follow Him?

We’ve been exploring some of what it means to follow Jesus – meeting people like Matthew, the tax collector, He called to follow Him, remembering that we are to continually “come and see” Him as well. We, as Christians, know that it is worth everything to follow Jesus – He is the Lord of life and our loving Savior – our Good Shepherd. But we must admit that there are timeswhen it is very hard to follow Jesus. Times when we are really challenged to keep going because it’s costly. Circumstances are difficult, people are mean, health is challenged, trials are many, and we don’t understand why something is happening to us. Are we to continue following Him in such times? Maybe we should just give up and wait until things get better and then perhaps start following Him again? Some people promise that following Jesus should be easy – free from trouble! NOT SO!

Sometimes following Jesus can be very difficult and I never want to promise you otherwise.

Peter was one of the first followers of Jesus. He was called from his profession as a fishermanto leave it and follow Jesus. He became a leader of the early church. He later wrote to Christians in the first century who were undergoing many difficulties. His whole letter, over and over, makes reference to suffering so he writes to encourage believers who were having a very hard time. PEOPLE WHO WANT TO FOLLOW JESUS WILL ENCOUNTER DIFFICULTY! In fact, some even have a lifetime of difficulty! However, we always have the comfort of our loving Shepherd leading and guidingus. Let’s read from 1 Peter 2.

In this second chapter and beginning the third, Peter talks about the need for Christians to submit themselves. (very brief)

As a citizen – God is the one who places authorities in power and they are supposed to be there to keep order – rewarding those who do right and correcting those who do wrong. But there may be times when this is very difficult - times when a government’s law violates God’s law and then we cannot obey it but for the most part, we honor God as we live as a good citizen.

As a wife – In chapter 3 Peter brings up how wives are to be subject to their husbands even for those married to men who are not believers. This will be difficult at times but they are to be won over by their wives godly character.

But Peter also addresses another area of submission = living under the authority of, respecting the position of, honoring – that of those who are slaves or household servants. The truth is that MANY of the men and women who became followers of Christ in the first few centuries were indeed servants/slaves. Slaves in the Roman Empire: Comprised a mixture of debt-slavery, slavery as a punishment for crime, and the enslavement of prisoners of war. Slaves, over time, could be freed for a variety of reasons; for a particularly good deed toward the slave's owner, or out of friendship or respect. Sometimes, a slave who had enough money could buy his freedom and the freedom of a fellow slave, frequently a spouse. Paul wrote that if a slave could gain his/her freedom then it was good to do so. At some points in time in the Roman Empire, up to 40% of the population were slaves. Roman slavery was different from slavery in America before the Civil War – people from all races & places could be slaves. Some slaves were well educated and had high responsibilities – some were doctors. Being a slave could be good or very bad depending upon the master. A servant/slave could have a very unkind master who mistreated them. What is a follower of Christ to do in such a situation? Being punished unjustly – being misunderstood and accused of something they did not do?

Peter does NOT give them an opt-out clause, he does NOT say that it is okay to rise up and kill horrible masters. The word for master has the same root as our word “Despot” which means someone with absolute control. The word "unreasonable" (NAS)/"harsh" (NIV) is the Greek word skolios literally meaning "bent" or "crooked." The modern day word scoliosis comes from it and it is a medical term meaning an irregular curvature of the body, especially the spine. It also means "perverse/ "harsh," "or "severe." Surely someone under a crooked or severe mastershould let him have it when he got the chance! But what does God’s word tell us?

Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. 19 For it is commendable (Net Bible – “For this finds God’s favor/grace”) if a man bears up (pres act) under the pain (or sorrow) of unjust suffering (pres act) because he is conscious of God (because of his conscious sense of his relation with God).

Why should someone bear up under difficult circumstances? Under a bad master or boss? Why should we keep on following Jesus when we don’t feel like going on? Because WE REMEMBER THAT WHEN WE DO WHAT GOD WANTS US TO DO WE ARE REALLY SUBMITTING OURSELVES UNDER HIM. He is the one in control – He is the ultimate Master. He is the one who has permitted this situation and He is the one who gives grace or favor when we bear up under difficulties. Now, no one here today is a slave so you might think that this passage has nothing to do with us these days but most of us are workers under a boss and so we can relate. We also meet difficult circumstances in life which make it hard to keep following Jesus.

Follow Jesus: EVEN WHEN WE SUFFER UNJUSTLY

Someone may accuse you or suspect you of doing something you did not do. You may be passed over by someone beneath you. You may be misunderstood. You haven’t done anything wrong – Peter says that if we suffer for doing something wrong then that is to be understood. This is not to say that we shouldn’t tell our side of things IF we’re given the chance. But we are to live our lives always mindful of our relationship to God, the one who is in control and the one who will give us grace as we endure, and EVEN WHEN things are not fair toward us we are to still do good and not strike back.

EVEN WHEN WE ARE TREATED HARSHLY

But you can hear someof Peter’s readers: “You don’t know the harsh master that I have! Last week he beat me and I didn’t even do anything wrong!” Now the Bible is NOT advocating that this is okay for bosses/masters to do. But, injustices will happen. We will be misunderstood. We may be treated harshly by someone – harsh words, harsh actions, bad results. How will we react? Will we stop following Jesus then and take our revenge?

Or perhaps you’re in a difficult situation and you think, “Ican follow Jesus as long as He changes things for me.” But what if He doesn’t allow the situation to change? What if He allows things to continue as they are? JONI wheelchair for 40 years! Are we going to give up and stop following?

EVEN WHEN WE ARE WOUNDED

Some of those masters did beat some of their slaves. Surely this is not acceptable. Today, we are going to find ourselves in situations in life in which people will wound us with their words or actions. We are going to get hurt when we are involved in people’s lives. It might be easier to just withdraw ourselves and never take risks in life – in relationships with people but that is not what God wants. You may be wounded by someone in authority over you. How can we keep going on? The answer:

When it is difficult to keep following:

WE REMEMBER JESUS’ CALLING

Peter here tells us that we have been called to follow in Jesus’ steps – to walk in His footprints. His way was NOT easy. It was brutal at times. So, enduring suffering in this life is part of our calling. We live in a world where SIN AFFECTS EVERYTHING. That is why there is suffering. Usually here in America we don’t have a lot of this – nothing very severe but the day may come. Just as He calls us to keep on following Him, He also calls us to endure suffering – to allow ourselves to be vulnerable where we can be hurt by people. Endurance & suffering are constant themes in the NT. Some teach that Christians will be snatched out of any great trouble but over and over we are told to endure to the end, to be faithful to the end, and to keep on following our Lord no matter what He sets before us. When we do suffer because we are seeking to live for His glory, we refuse to compromise our principles/values, we are actually in the best of company. Paul talks about “The Fellowship of His sufferings” Phil 3:10. We find out a little bit of what Jesus our Lord went through, and we share something deeper with Him. It drives us closer to Him. We call out to Him when we are facing difficulties, and He draws near to us!

Jesus Himself identifies with suffering people (Matt. 25:35-40) – those in prison, those who are hungry, those who are improperly clothed. When you help the least of these, He says, you did this unto ME!

Also, Jesus is the Head of the church. When any part of His body feels pain, the head feels the pain! When we are wounded – the “Head” feels it too – just like our human bodies – the pain shoots up to the brain and then the brain shoots it right back interpreting what is going on through those nerves.

We may have earthly bosses, presidents, and other authorities in our lives, but Jesus is our real Master and He will not treat us harshly. He will go through difficulty WITH US.He has called us to follow in His stepswhich include difficulty and suffering.

WE REMEMBER JESUS’ EXAMPLE –

He calls us to keep following in difficulty and He has left us with an example as well. Peter saw firsthand Jesus’ example so this is not just a nice story. He was an eye-witness to what happened to Jesus and how Jesus handled it. Our Lord underwent a terrible ordeal but through it all He never resorted to sin or deceit. He was reviled time and again, yet He did not hurl harsh, cruel words back. When He was cruelly beaten, He never struck back. He had already told His disciples:

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

He taught this and lived it! This was a real temptation for Him. He could have called legions of angels; He could have asked that he not drink the cup of suffering that was being handed to Him in the Garden but HE KEPT ON ENTRUSTING HIMSELF TO HIM WHO JUDGES JUSTLY!

This is how Jesus made it. HE KNEW, EVEN IN THE MIDST OF HORRIBLE SUFFERING, THAT GOD COULD BE TRUSTED. GOD MAKES NO MISTAKES. He always has a purpose when we are doing right.

Our Lord knows BY EXPERIENCE what it means to suffer, be accused falsely, be treated harshly, hear very cruel words, experience injustice, etc. The very hands that reached out and healed people were nailed onto the cross – right through the carpel tunnel thus rendering his hands useless.

People who cannot believethere is a God because they see suffering in the world need to know that God knows all about suffering. He sent His Son into the world and experienced the worst of treatment. And His was 100% unjust suffering for He had no sin, no guilt, He had done nothing wrong.

So, we always remember that we can keep following Him even when it is difficult because He has set us an example already. Jesus is our example 樣 样

Take heart and keep looking to Jesus! (Heb. 2:18)

WE REMEMBER JESUS’ SACRIFICE –

Peter finishes the section by quoting from Isaiah 53 in describing the purpose of Jesus’ suffering. He did not suffer without reason but for a most wonderful reason. Sometimes when people suffer we wonder why? When He suffered, He suffered NOT because He had done anything wrong but because WE had done a multitude of wrong. We had sinned and rebelled against God’s authority. We refused to submit ourselves to Him. He took upon Himself what we deserved, bearing our punishment. Hanging on the cross/tree He asked that God forgive us and pour out our punishment upon Him instead. Such injustice! A perfectly righteous义(義) person for unrighteous people.

He himself bore (OT sac. Language – to bear up, bear away) our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins (aor mid ptc, to get away from, depart, die - that we may cease from sinning) and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have beenhealed.

His death/sacrifice accomplished what we needed. Someone to take away our sins. The healing we needed was from the disease that all people have – the disease of SIN!

We want to strike back when we are treated wrongly but the truth is that we do wrong things every day that deserves punishment! We get angry at the person who is rude, uncaring, or unkind but we have done those things ourselves.

When we suffer, it may accomplish what others need but only Jesus’ death is atoning. He UNDERSTANDS our pain, suffering, insults, bruising – He has been here and experienced it. His scars remain on His resurrected body, so we know who He is and what He has suffered in our place.

That helps us go on when it is difficultfor we remember that He paid the ultimate price for us and took care of our sin disease already. We are now free to live a life that counts even when we face suffering and difficulty. When He asks us to go through something that is hard we always know that He went through something so much harder because He had the whole weight of the sin of the world bearing down upon Him. So, when it is hard, look back to the cross and your Savior who hung there for you!

WE REMEMBER GOD IS THE JUST JUDGE & JESUS IS OUR SHEPHERD

Why shouldn’t we retaliate when people treat us wrongly? Why didn’t Jesus retaliate? He knew that one day God will take care of what is not forgiven. Jesus could pray on the cross, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing.” A lot of people who do wrong things to us really are ignorant of their actions. Out of love for fallen people we should say: “I love you more than my desire for vengeance.” If I do not insult back, I show the way of Jesus. If I suffer unjustly, I’m able to point to both the example of Jesus and to the just Judge.

We also know that we can never judge someone with complete purity and truth. Our judgments are always tainted by our selfishness and our limited knowledge. There is only one who can judge impartially and with all wisdom and knowledge. We have to trust that one day He will make everything right according to His righteous character. Those great injustices will be made right one day so we have to wait for that day.

Meanwhile, we have a shepherd and overseer to guide and lead us even through the most difficult of times. Difficulty in life is one of the best things that cause us to look to the Shepherd of our souls. Don’t be a wandering sheep, keep following the Good Shepherd.

ILLUS – Nelson Mandela spent more than twenty years in prison in South Africa because the government didn’t want him out fighting the great injustice in his country. But instead of coming out bitter at the wasted years of his life, Mandela came out a better man. He saw God shaping his life!

“There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have been altered.” The injustice still existed in his country, but he was now better able to deal with the situation having been “altered” by God. When the end of Apartheid came, we might have expected a LOT of bloodshed but instead Nelson Mandela was able to lead South Africa to a peaceful transition because he had been changed by God and could speak about forgiveness.