Peter 2:18- 20 “Servants, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but even to those who are unreasonable. For if anyone endures the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God, this is to be commended. How is it to your credit if you are beaten for doing wrong and you endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.”
Being a slave was horrible! Slaves had no rights. Slaves could be sold upon a whim of the master or mistress. Slaves could be beaten and nothing would be done about it. Slaves could be sexually abused or pimped as prostitutes. Slaves could not own property. No, there was nothing good about being a slave!
At the same time, slaves had ways of retaliating against bad masters. Everybody knew about cooks who claimed food cost more than it actually did or who sent food home to their families. Slaves who worked in stores might routinely pilfer. Slaves who handled money might “save” a little back for themselves. Yes, slaves had all kinds of ways of getting even with a bad master.
When slaves and other downtrodden groups heard the Gospel and realized that God loved them, it was exhilerating! Finally, someone was affirming that these people were human beings and their lives were precious. But what were these people to do now? They were still slaves, still serving at the whim of their masters or mistresses.
Peter is advising slaves and servants to submit with all respect and conduct themselves honorably, even when a master or mistress is “unreasonable,” and is beating them. Why? Throughout this letter, Peter was advising believers to remember that they were not living for themselves any more. Once a slave became a Christian, he or she was now an ambassador for Christ. Everyone knew that ambassadors did not act on their own, but carried out the wishes of those who had sent them. If these believing slaves and servants were beaten or otherwise abused and they responded with patience and respect, their masters and mistresses would probably be in shock! Reacting with patience and gentleness would cause these slave owners to ask themselves why these slaves were different. Slaves who were honest would also cause their owners to wonder what was going on. Once these questions were raised, the slaves and servants could then tell them that they were Christians, and that as Jesus followers, they had to maintain standards.
Today, many of us might feel that we are caught in no – win situations at work. Others are stealing and getting away with it; we are acting honestly and being abused. Others slack off and work as little as possible; we do our best and are criticized. The question is this: for whom are we working? If we are only working for our own interests, then we are likely to copy our friends who misbehave. If on the other hand, we are working as members of the Body of Christ, we are not working for ourselves but are ambassadors and representatives of the Kingdom of God.
The question each of us must face is this: for whom are you working? Are you working with eternity in mind or are you only going along to get along?
PRAYER: Father God, please help us to follow hard after you all the days of our lives! Help us to bear suffering patiently and continue to work well, even when we are physically, emotionally, mentally or spiritually abused. Thank you that Jesus is our Example and that one day, You will commend us. In the mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.
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