And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason forth hope that is in you, with meekness and fear, having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. (I Peter 3:13-16)
Who will harm us if we become followers of what is good? Really, Peter?
You sound a little naïve. Of course, we should remember that Peter’s life
wasn’t without its trials. He was arrested more than once and very likely
beaten and otherwise abused. Eventually, he was crucified upside down. It’s not
likely that he was ignorant that there were evil people in the world who would
delight in defaming and destroying anyone who doesn’t exalt them. There are
monsters in the world, but they don’t make up the majority of the population.
Back
in the 1950s, Martin Luther King, Jr. lead a movement that functioned on the
notion that when the majority of white folks saw black folks being mistreated,
they would do what was right. It took time, but America took action. King’s
idea was similar to Peter’s. If you keep doing what is good and right, people will
be ashamed of their own evil deeds, or reject the evil deeds done by others
against you.
And
even if they don’t, God sees. Eventually, they will face shame for their
wicked deeds, even if it isn’t in this lifetime. Humiliating others should not
be our goal in doing good. God is likely to reveal your deception if you try
it. The goal is their salvation – and the salvation of others who stand by and
watch.
But,
one of the keys in this passage is that we are not only to be good – we are to
be ready to explain why we are good and why we repent when we’ve been bad. The
walk and the talk go hand-in-hand.
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