Read the Word:
1 Peter 2:19-25
Meditate on the Word:
Peter makes clear something that is all but unthinkable for the contemporary Christian, which is that suffering is an expected part of the Christian life. He notes that Christ is our example in this. Our Lord suffered mockery, insult, injury, and even death. And Peter rightly points out that Jesus did not return insult or injury; instead he refrained from sin and bore the pain. If any0ne ever had the right to return insult to those who insulted him, it was Jesus. He, after all, lived a completely sinless life.
We, in the American church, have become accustomed to a life that is largely free from suffering. Persecution for our faith, for decades, was unimaginable to us. Now, exclusion and mockery for faith is becoming more common. As our culture decays more and more, it is increasingly important to heed the example of our Lord. We will not win dying souls to Christ by imitating their behavior. We must remember Peter’s words, “For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” Let us keep His example faithfully.
Pray the Word:
Pray for those Christians who are suffering for their faith, that they will endure.
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