Word@Work 1Pet33 - 1 Peter 2:23
Published: Wed, 06/10/09
Word@Work from BeaconLight
ACTIVELY ACCEPTING
1 Peter 2:23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. (NIV)
Insults and injury always lead to suffering. There are two natural human reactions: retaliation or passive cowering. But Jesus did neither. Nor did He use the verbal retaliation of threats, as a way to protect Himself. This was not because He failed to feel the wounds, indeed the pain was intensified knowing that he was bearing God's wrath against our sin. But, despite that, Jesus knew that Father God was already in charge of His future, and thus had no need to struggle to guard His own integrity, personality or body: He trusted that His Father would deal with all that, and deal with it perfectly.
God always makes the right decisions. His, is the all-seeing eye and all-hearing ear. God is just in judging sinners, but also just to put our sins onto Jesus Christ. He is also just in accepting the sacrifice of Christ as the payment for our sins. And He was fully justified in being pleased at the obedience of Jesus in going to Calvary. That was why Jesus could endure the cross - by looking ahead to the joy that was before Him (cf Heb 12:2). So the suffering of Jesus was not a passive acceptance of injustice, or mute frustration of not being able to vent anger. He actively accepted that His suffering was part of being in God's will.
Such acceptance is supernatural. It looks beyond the suffering, to the fulfilment of God's purpose; and looks under the suffering, to see God's designer hand. And that is the way that all followers of Jesus should react to injustice, especially when it comes because of being a servant of Christ. The workplace often provides opportunities to practice this godly reaction; when we are misunderstood or simply abused for belonging to Jesus Christ. When suffering comes, it is a test of your faith, to see if you will entrust yourself to God (His mercy and His grace) whatever the circumstances; and let Him be the vindicator of the righteous and the judge of the wicked.
Prayer: Dear Lord. Please help me to accept that every circumstance of life in known by you, and that none is allowed except by Your sovereign will. So help me to grow in faith so that I can entrust my future to You; even when I cannot see what to do, or how to resolve the issues that seek to drag me down. May my time at work also provide evidence to You and others that I really do entrust myself to You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
You can read the verses around this Bible passage from the Internet Bible: - in English, and many other languages
Insults and injury always lead to suffering. There are two natural human reactions: retaliation or passive cowering. But Jesus did neither. Nor did He use the verbal retaliation of threats, as a way to protect Himself. This was not because He failed to feel the wounds, indeed the pain was intensified knowing that he was bearing God's wrath against our sin. But, despite that, Jesus knew that Father God was already in charge of His future, and thus had no need to struggle to guard His own integrity, personality or body: He trusted that His Father would deal with all that, and deal with it perfectly.
God always makes the right decisions. His, is the all-seeing eye and all-hearing ear. God is just in judging sinners, but also just to put our sins onto Jesus Christ. He is also just in accepting the sacrifice of Christ as the payment for our sins. And He was fully justified in being pleased at the obedience of Jesus in going to Calvary. That was why Jesus could endure the cross - by looking ahead to the joy that was before Him (cf Heb 12:2). So the suffering of Jesus was not a passive acceptance of injustice, or mute frustration of not being able to vent anger. He actively accepted that His suffering was part of being in God's will.
Such acceptance is supernatural. It looks beyond the suffering, to the fulfilment of God's purpose; and looks under the suffering, to see God's designer hand. And that is the way that all followers of Jesus should react to injustice, especially when it comes because of being a servant of Christ. The workplace often provides opportunities to practice this godly reaction; when we are misunderstood or simply abused for belonging to Jesus Christ. When suffering comes, it is a test of your faith, to see if you will entrust yourself to God (His mercy and His grace) whatever the circumstances; and let Him be the vindicator of the righteous and the judge of the wicked.
Prayer: Dear Lord. Please help me to accept that every circumstance of life in known by you, and that none is allowed except by Your sovereign will. So help me to grow in faith so that I can entrust my future to You; even when I cannot see what to do, or how to resolve the issues that seek to drag me down. May my time at work also provide evidence to You and others that I really do entrust myself to You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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