Musings on 1 Peter (3:10-14)

10-12: On the heels of Peter's exhortation to love one another and to strive to be a blessing to others, he quotes Psalm 34 as a proof text to show why this kind of outward living works. In song like poetry, David declares that whoever desires to love life and see good days, he should not speak evil, nor deceive others. In other words, do not let your tongue stray into self glorifying speech. Speaking evil of others or deceiving others can only have one purpose, and that is to tear others down, and lift yourself up. To slander and lie is at the root of self worship, not because it desires to hurt others, primarily, though it does. It is the root of self worship because it is necessary to prop oneself up in the eyes of others, to raise oneself to the level of the divine. And the slanders and lies always begin at home. We slander ourselves, and deceive ourselves first, when we attempt such a thing. To be a created child of God is a noble and high honor, to be received with gratitude and grace. When we lift ourselves up we are actually casting ourselves down into the mire, thereby slandering our own noble nature, and deceiving ourselves that we are something better now that we have been self-liberated from the authority of others. It is a lie, a terrible lie that has ruined many a family and many a man. Therefore Peter says, love. Do not speak evil. But this love is not the hippie bumper sticker love, that says love for love's sake. That is rubbish. When Peter calls us to love, he calls us to gospel living, which is a call to death. For only out of gospel death can true life emerge. We die to self, we die to our own passions and desires. We live unto Christ through others, and thereby find joy.

"Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it." Again, don't be evil. To be evil is to be ugly. Evil is an adjective. Evil describes what your heart attitude is, regardless of what the action looks like from the outside. Evil is the apt word to describe everything done apart from faith in the risen Jesus Christ. So turn from it. You have been purchased by the blood of the Son of the Almighty God, the Maker of Heaven and Earth. You have been cleansed. You are no longer forced by nature to act in an ugly way. Seek beauty. Seek peace with all, as far as it depends on you. Pursue Peace, real Peace. Again, we do not speak of bumper sticker definitions. Peace without justice, peace without recompense is no peace at all. If Jesus Christ had not taken upon Himself the full and complete judgement that was rightfully mine, there could be no peace. There is no reconciliation apart from confession and forgiveness. If it is true vertically speaking, it is true of the horizontal. If it is true of our relationship with the Creator God, it is true of our relationship with fellow creatures. Therefore seek Peace, the peace that is real, the peace that calls sin sin and seeks to eradicate it like a tumor. A doctor who sees an abnormal growth does not seek peace with his patient by ignoring the cancerous tissue. Peace means surgery, and now, before it grows. Therefore pursue peace, even though the pursuit is not peaceful. The pursuit will often mean strife, and struggle. Surgery hurts. Incisions bleed. But again, this is gospel. The way out of the tomb is through the grave. Do good. Seek peace.

Why? Why do all this? You speak of hurt and bleeding and dying and discomfort. Why should I pursue peace when it comes at such a cost? Why should I do good, when it might bring pain? Because the Lord watches the righteous. The Lord God sees your heart and understands the workings of your will. He who sustains us and holds us and continues to speak us into existence (whether we honor Him or not, interestingly), is the master of turning pain into joy, sorrow into laughter, mourning into a song of life. He is the one who conquered death and sat on its head. The Lord of life watches our way, and provides light and rest to those who walk according to His instructions. His ears are open to those who trust in Him. He listens to those who are in distress. He takes your feeblest efforts to do good, and pursue peace, and transforms them into works of mercy and of grace. He sees the heart, and honors the will. Those who seek to do ill, the Lord has turned against. It is neither prudent nor wise to disparage the hand that holds your life together, to dishonor the Spirit who allows your lungs the very breath they use to curse. Turn from doing evil, and hold fast to what is good. For the the Lord lifts up those who seek the good of others, those who see in others the face of God.

13-14: Who is there to bring harm if we are zealous to do good? This is Peter's version of Paul's "If God is for us, who can stand against us?" Neither question states that there will be no one standing against us, or that no one will bring harm and suffering into our lives. We live in a fallen world. Pain, suffering, sin, harmful opposition, they are not maybes but inevitables. We live in a world made by God, inhabited by people who hate their Maker. Strife and conflict resulting in difficulties are not a question of if, but of when. At the very least we have conflict happening within our own persons. Not only are our bodies decaying, paying tribute to our fallen world, but our natural desires as sons and daughters of Adam give us who are redeemed by the blood of Christ enough trouble for a lifetime. Beyond our own persons we live in communities where God is not honored as God, nor is He given thanks. People living with mutually exclusive world views will run into hardships. Pain and suffering will be a constant theme, to one degree or another. So no, the question does not mean to imply that there actually might not be anyone out there who might hurt us. Rather that God is God in all, and through all.

Peter's under layering hope here is that God, our Father, is the Author of all things. This necessarily includes any pain and suffering that might result from a life of faith. If God, our Father, calls us to do good, to be zealous to do good, and if this same Father and Author is writing into our story the pain and suffering that accompanies doing good in a sinful world, then we have nothing to fear. In the back of Peter's mind is the time he heard Jesus say, "Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell." What can man do to us in other words? If we strive to do good in all things, and resistance rises, what really do we have to fear? Death? Pah. We belong to Him who conquered death, and made him our servant, an usher standing in the narthex of the cathedral of eternal joys. And really, thats man's only weapon. They can inflict pain, they can torture, they can do really awful things, things that should not be taken lightly. There are horrendous atrocities that occur against the Bride of Christ in this very day and age. In the final analysis, however, all they can do is scrape the surface. They cannot dislodge that which rests in the hands of God Almighty.

Therefore, do not fear. Do not let your hearts be troubled. For you are blessed in suffering for righteousness sake. For it is not your righteousness that you are suffering for. Rather it is the righteousness of the Son of Man, to whom we owe our lives, our freedom, the very air we breathe. His righteousness has delivered us, body and soul from Hell. It is His righteousness that is the bedrock of our hope. For His sake we endure all manner of things. Why? The reason is simple. It is the story that the Author of Life is telling. We are living, breathing characters in a grand drama that is unfolding in time. The great Playwright has chosen us, crafted us, and is positioning us in His story. We are simply called to live in obedience to His story, to love His story, to embrace His story. This great drama is the lifting up of the Son of Man. Every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess. Jesus is Lord. He has been given a kingdom, dominion, power and authority in Heaven and on Earth. He is the King. And He is drawing all men to Himself. This is the story we are in. By His grace we participate in this, by living and breathing the story. Every character, if they are to be interesting, and intriguing to the reader, must endure trials. It is the means to growth and maturity. We are dynamic characters, placed in the middle of pain and suffering, not that we might get lost in it, but that we might learn to endure, learn to rejoice, learn to be content in all things. For we are being prepared for an eternal weight of glory. This preparation takes place in the sight of all men, so that they might hunger for it. So that in witnessing our response to the story they might long to know the Author. This is the basis of evangelism. It is expressed in whatever gifts we have been given, and whatever station we have been given to. As a body working together in unison through our different giftings, we disciple the nations, baptizing and teaching them to obey all that we have been commanded.

Therefore do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in Christ. He sits enthroned in Heaven, governing all things. Every moment of every day is a moment of interaction with the Almighty, a moment in which we see Him work, a moment in which we confess our dependance on Jesus.

Musings on 1 Peter (3:8-9)

8-9: Peter next takes a step back and addresses all of us as one body. "Live like Christians," he says. "Live as you were called to live. Do not act as though you were an unbeliever, as those who speak evil, or revile." We are called to bless, Peter says, and to bless others in and through every aspect of our lives. It is in blessing others that we ourselves are blessed. How do we do this? Peter draws our attention to five different ways. First, be unified in mind. This is difficult for us. We all come from different stations, different backgrounds, with different personalities, etc. In this way Peter calls us to unity as a summation of what he has been talking about this entire chapter. Masters and servants, citizens and governors, husbands and wives, be all of you of the same mind. In other words, no matter what role you play in the grand drama of God's story, have gospel minds. Both masters and servants, have gospel minds. Husbands and wives together, have gospel minds. Together share the same hope and glory of who God is, and what He has called you to do, no matter the reality that He has called you to different roles. Bless one another in the way He has gifted and positioned you to do.

Next we are called to sympathize with one another. Literally we are to step into one another's shoes. As the whole body suffers when one part suffers, so we must manifest this in our body life. If we do not feel the pain or suffering of other 'body parts' it is a valid question to ask if we are truly members of that body. Do we hold one another up in prayer and encouragement? Do we seek the good of others before our own? Do we come along side and weep with those who weep? Or do we insist on speaking the truth without love, declaring what we 'know' to be right without any regard to the frame of the brother or sister? One song puts it this way, "Don't read me pointless poems friend/Don't diagnose, don't condescend/Though you may be right to disagree/I need someone to weep with me." What character are we playing? Are we the one to diagnose and condescend, even though we are right? I forget who, but someone talks about a deeper right. The deeper right lays aside all judgments and sermons and simply enters into the grief and suffering of a brother. God's truth is bigger than us. We do not need to defend every last jot and tittle in the face of family suffering. There will be time for that another day.

Love the brethren. In other words, love one another as if you were family, because you are. In an age of broken homes, and destroyed families, it is not as easy to convey the meaning of this type of love. But regardless, we must love the brethren. What does this mean? I think one of the primary aspects of this type of love is simply joy. Do you enjoy your family? Do you enjoy the presence of the brethren? Or is your love more academic? Do you affirm your love for them in your head, and through a simple handshake on Sunday mornings? Or do you actually enjoy their company? Do you seek them out? Do you, so far as depends on you, seek to bless them out of pure joy? Love that does not include this is not love; it is tolerance. Enjoy the brethren is the heart behind Peter's exhortation here. Love them, and love being with them. So far as it depends upon you.

Be tender-hearted. There are not many words more rich with readymade implications than this. It is the word that describes a mother's first experience with her newborn child. Feelings of love, adoration, care, concern, and nurture. An immediate disposition of self sacrifice, of selfless giving for the sake of the other. A common theme runs through all Christian virtues, not least of all this one. That theme is anti-pride, death to self for the life of another. We saw it above in the relationships and roles we are to inhabit and perform. We see the epitome of anti-pride hanging on the cross. It was not with a hard heart the Jesus bore our sins. How can we do otherwise, when the sins against us are petty in comparison with the sins Jesus bore?

Finally be of a humble mind. Some manuscripts have friendly mind, but I think it amounts to the same thing. Does your mind, and therefore the extension of your mind, i.e. thoughts, words, and deeds, does your mind think of others first, or of your own self first. I like the idea of a friendly mind. A mind that is outward focused. A mind that is not overly concerned with self. That is the essence of humility after all. Humble people are not dour people. Humble people are friendly, joyful, and caring. They simply don't care about themselves, apart from the obvious necessities of food and hygiene. Even there though the humble is quick to invite you over for dinner, and pays attention to their appearance for the sake of the comfort of others. It boils down to this. Have this mind in you also. What did Christ do? What mind did He have? Should we not do the same?

Musings on 1 Peter (3:1-7)

1-2: I am a young husband. Because of this I am approaching these verses with not a small amount of fear and trepidation. It is at this point I would like to remind the reader of the title above: "Musings." I am ill-equipped to teach with any real authority on these verses. I am more like a boy on the beach, dirty with sand and sea water, dried kelp stuck in between my toes, contemplating what clean skin after a shower would feel like. None of us is perfect in these things, however, and we wont be until glory. All of life to a certain extent is spent in the same place as the boy on the beach. It is in this that I take hope and proceed in musing on these first few verses.

Peter calls all wives to submit to their husbands. It is the same submission that we have been discussing above, Christian to human institutions, servant to master. The point there, as is here, is that the one submitting is no less equal to the one they are submitting to in God's eyes. They have equal value and equal worth, because they are both image bearers and servants of the King. What we have been talking about is a hierarchical world, one in which by God's design some lead, and others follow. Again, it is this way because God Himself embodies this, and all of the created order is a reflection of who the Creator is. Therefore, wives submit to your husbands. Not because they are worthy to submit to, not because there is something special in them. Peter anticipates this when he goes on to say that it is likely that your submission will be the very thing that God uses to bring about repentance and salvation in the disobedient heart of the husband. Here we find a marvelous paradox. True submission, true following will anticipate true leadership. If a husband is lousy, and we usually are, a submissive wife will often be the key player in bringing about repentance, and true headship. This is so because true following and true submission are in reality first and foremost a description of the follower's position before God. If you are not submitting to God, you cannot submit to your husband. We submit to God first, and manifest this through our willing and cheerful obedience to what He has told us to do. Therefore wives submitting to their husbands is in itself the cheerful act of submitting to the Higher Authority. (I am purposefully leaving out of this discussion the extreme cases of domestic violence, and hardened husbands; situations where a submissive wife should prove her submission to the Higher Authority by leaving her husband, and finding shelter among friends. These situations are very real, and require a different teacher to effectively offer light on that dark path.)

Therefore, wives be subject to your own husbands. God is the author of our lives. God has given us each the spouse we need to be shaped and molded into the image of Christ. When a husband is not obedient to the Word, Peter tells wives that it will not be their words that save their husbands. It will not be their pleadings or their requests, but their conduct, their pure and respectful actions. This takes tremendous faith on the part of wives. It acknowledges that God is the author and perfecter of faith, not us. He is the author of the faith that will fill an unbelieving husband. As Author it will be in His time and in His way. Wives are simply called to be subject to them, showing respect through pure conduct. It is not the respectability of the husband they are honoring. It is the authority of their God they are submitting to, trusting in His goodness and in His wisdom. It is the same phrase we discussed above, entrusting oneself to Him who judges justly. It is not within our power to make husbands more respectable. That is a work of the Spirit. Wives who desire this must depend fully on the work of the Lord, and thereby show their submissive hearts.

3-6: Peter anticipates one way in which wives might be tempted to misunderstand this calling. It is easy to do for it is the way the world works. On the heels of telling wives to submit, he asks that they not consider their worth, nor their glory to be in the main external. "Do not let your adorning be external-the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear-..." The world would say that to win a man, a woman must be externally pretty, wear seductive clothing, and act in a way becoming of such external trappings. But this is not how Christians are to act, nor even to think: "but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious."Again we see our priorities need adjusting. God must be honored first. This is not done with braided hair, and gold bracelets while the heart is far from Him. Jesus called the Pharisees who thought this way, white washed tombs. We might call women who think this way gilded headstones. There is a way that seems right unto man, but it leads to death. In honoring God first, we address the main problem, which is our sin. When our sin has been dealt with by the blood of the Cross, we see how God uses inward submission to transform the whole man.
Wives are called to be beautifully adorned, but it is the gentle and quiet spirit that God finds precious. It differs from external prettiness in three ways. First it is imperishable. A gentle and quiet spirit will last for eternity, where as what the world considers beautiful is like a delicate flower; it blooms and promptly begins to fade. Secondly, inward beauty actually accomplishes things. Inward beauty, Peter says, is what will win people, men in particular, to Christ. It is the example of godly submission that declares the gospel. What the world calls beauty cannot do that. In fact it does just the opposite when pursued for its own ends, becoming an idol. Thirdly, inward beauty will always make true external beauty possible, and inevitable. This is most obvious in elderly mothers in the Lord. By the world's standards, they are not pretty, or beautiful. Their skin is wrinkled with age; their hair has gone grey if not blue; and gravity effects their bodies more than the body of a younger person. By the world's standard, this is not beauty. But here again we see the foolishness of the world, and the wisdom of God. Elderly sister saints, having lived lifetimes defined by inward beauty, with gentle and quiet spirits, are the most beautiful people this world can know. To look on them is to be warmed from the inside out. The beauty inside has transformed the wrinkles and gravity stricken body into gems of untold worth. It is the power of the gospel at work. It is the glory of earthenware vessels.

Peter calls on history to exemplify his admonitions. Sarah, and the women of old, showed this type of submission, trusting in God. Again it is faith that defines this type of life. Faith that the sinner of a husband you have will be transformed into the likeness of Christ, just as you hope and trust the Spirit to work in you. Going on mere outward experiences, there is not much to gladden the heart. Husbands screw up, and will continue to do so until glory. But the wife who in faith, submits in her heart and with her hands to God first, and husband second, finds that she can live without being afraid of what her husband might do. She knows that she belongs to Him who is the Author and perfecter of all faith, including the faith defining her husband's life. It boils down to trust. Do we trust God to be faithful, even when we are faithless? Do we trust Him to continue to work in our lives? Do we trust Him pick us up whenever we fall? We should, because He will.

7: Husbands do not get off as easily. Even though Peter gives them only one verse, it is quite a verse. First Peter begins by drawing an analogy to what he has been saying concerning faith, submission and obedience.'Likewise' he says, or 'in the same way'. Husbands must live this life just like their wives, submitting in cheerful obedience to the will and commands of God. This takes great faith, for there is a way that seems right to men. But God calls us back to Himself, to start there, and in the fear of the Lord, proceed. Peter calls husbands to live with their wives with knowledge, or with understanding. It is the greek word that, roughly translated means 'to click'. The lightbulb going on is a picture of this word. This is how husbands are called to live with their wives; i.e. in such a way that everything about them, not least of all their thoughts and emotions, clicks. We are to know who our wives are, understand what and why they are thinking what they are thinking. This is a tall order for husbands, because their thoughts are higher than our thoughts, their ways above our ways. But Peter calls us to grow up. The culture of this world delights in prolonged immaturity. It is one of Satan's primary weapons. 'If we can convince the men that they need not think, or mature, or grow in wisdom,' Satan tells his minions, 'then we can interfere with His plan for them.' Men have been told that women are inscrutable ever since we were little. "Just deal with it" is the attitude taken, which results in eye rolling disrespect on our part, and frustrated sorrow in our wives. But if God, through Peter, calls us to live with our wives with knowledge, and not just the hopeless pursuit of knowledge, then it must be achievable. We must actually be able to do it. If we are able, it will take patience, attention, listening, strength, and most of all, the will to do it. We must not be apathetic to who our wives are. It sounds harsh to say that aloud. To say it that way, makes us cringe and swear we have never been apathetic toward our wives. But we are. Constantly. Whenever we would rather watch the TV then spend time focused on their needs. Whenever we would rather put our nose in a book than take the time and energy to discover how she is doing. "Except a grain of wheat fall to the ground and die, it abideth alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." Husbands must die to self. Husbands must die to their own desires and needs. Husbands must die. Else they will abide alone, in the shell of their half-hearted marriage.

Peter continues. We must show our wives honor as a weaker vessel. As created beings, we have all been made to bear in a small and finite way, the attributes and image of God. Together, male and female He made them in His image. The feminine and and masculine together in correct arrangement showcase the fullest image we on earth can bear. Both sexes image both sides but with greater emphasis on one or the other. Generally speaking, men are created to be strong, enduring, leaders. Women are created be loving, compassionate helpers. Men and women have been given frames that aid and are suitable to our different callings. Men are given strong and hard bodies, whereas women are given bodies that grow and nurture others. The two bodies are as different in form as they are in function. Peter recognizes this and understands the female glory that is held in their weaker, less physically strong, frame. Husbands recognize this too, and should not take advantage. We must not strong arm our wives, even though we are physically able to do it. In respecting and honoring their weaker frame, we respect and honor the purpose and image they bear. In respecting them and lifting them up we honor and glorify the Maker, by honoring His great intentions and design. In dishonoring women in domineering and tyrannical ways, we dishonor God Himself, and seek to declare our rebellion from His wise and perfect ways. In obedience we consider our wives as Christ considered His bride. She (we) were helpless and weak, and Christ did not strong arm us into servitude. Rather He considered us, while dead in our sin, as worth saving by means of His own brutal death. This is how we show honor to the weaker vessel. We must die.

Peter concludes this thought with an odd phrase, "so that your prayers may not be hindered." To the thick of mind (husbands) these two thoughts don't belong in the same verse. Honor your wives, we can grasp, even if eventually. But to hear that 'hindered' prayers are a consequence of not doing so, we choke on our academic whisky. You mean to tell me that God takes this stuff seriously? Yes He does. Why? Of all the equally valid reasons that are out there, the one Peter uses is this: They are our co-heirs of the grace of life. They have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb as have we. They are sisters in the most real sense. And if we say we love God but hate our sister, we are liars, and the truth is not in us. If they are sisters, and share in the inheritance of life, then the same Spirit that dwells in us also dwells in them. If we refuse to honor the Spirit residing in our wives, why would the Spirit of God honor us? Christ gives us one another, and in doing so gives us Himself. We each are members of His body. How can a foot dishonor a hand, and expect to receive honor from the head? We are thick, as mentioned above, in that we do not connect these dots. Worse then thick, we are propping ourselves up as gods, even if unintentionally, in not showing honor to our wives, in not loving them as Christ loves His wife. Again, and always, the answer is to die. Husbands must die. We must die to our own ambitions, our own desires, our own thoughts of direction and purpose. Only then will the grace of Christ raise to new life our own complete persons. And when He does, He will do so in the context of our neighbors, in the context of our families, and in the context of our wives.

Musings on 1 Peter (2:18-25)

18-20: We are a people, a holy nation, called to suffer for the sake of the gospel. If the world hated our Lord, then it will hate us. We are not immune to suffering. We live in a world plagued by the curse of the fall. Everything we do is made more difficult by the fall. Difficulties are hard and heavy, and they cause us to suffer, laden with weight and trial. But Peter calls us to endure, for this is what grace means. We have been shown grace, grace beyond comprehension, grace beyond our wildest dreams. Peter defines grace this way here: enduring while suffering unjustly. If we suffer as a consequence of our own stupidity, then what credit is that? It is when we suffer for doing good, for acting wisely, or for standing for truth, that is where we showcase grace. On the job site, do we showcase grace? In the home, do we showcase grace?

We live in a necessarily hierarchical world. What does that mean? God has, in His wisdom, created the world in such a way that some would have rule over others. It is not a value statement to say this. Each person is created in the image of God and loved by Him on an individual level. But to keep the world running smoothly, some must have authority over others. In the home, the husband leads the wife; on the job site, the foreman leads the workers; in the church, the elders shepherd the flock. This is so because our Triune God Himself models this for us. The Son submits to the word of the Father, and the Spirit obeys the will of the Father and the Son. They are each equal in their Divinity and equal in worth and power, but submit to one another in love, as if in a grand cosmic dance. One leads, the other follows. It is a beautiful thing, and the source of beauty in the world. We uglify creation when we ham handedly force our clumsy egalitarian mantras onto every situation. If all the contestants are given a gold medal at the end of the race, then there is no point in running, no matter whose self-esteem we artificially boosted. But beauty is found in the leading and submitting paradigm. It is the elegant waltzing couple, gracefully floating across the floor, in precise and practiced steps, made to look effortless.

Some lead, others follow. It is the nature of the world. It is also a fallen world, where leaders do not lead well, and followers do not follow well. Grace, as Peter defines it here, is following well when others do not lead as they should: when masters beat their slaves for doing good, when employers punish employees for acting wisely, when husbands brow beat their wives for being prudent. For sure, it is sin and it is wrong for those who lead to act in such a way. But believe God, and trust in Him. They will be held accountable for their actions. You, in the ways in which you are a follower, showcase grace. Submit, Peter says, to those who have authority over you, remember their authority is not theirs by natural right, but by God's wisdom and determination. Therefore, let us be subject to those we are underneath, and endure with joy, knowing that in doing so, we are proclaiming God's grace.

21-23: Enduring while suffering unjustly is not just something to be prepared for in case it happens sometime. It is a life we are called to. Again, "If the world hated Me, they will hate you also." Jesus Himself, paved the road for this type of gracious living. He suffered cruelly at the hands of wicked leaders. Not only did He suffer, He did so on our behalf, taking upon Himself the greater suffering that we deserved. He was unjustly murdered. We have been shown mercy through His healing wounds. For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross. Peter says He did this in part to leave us an example. It is as if Jesus said to us, "Children, you cannot endure the suffering you deserve. I will bear that for you. In doing so I will pave the way for you to follow, guided and strengthened by My Spirit who I give to you. In Him you will be able to suffer the little things that life will bring. Many of them you will not deserve. Did I deserve the suffering I bore? Do not be anxious for them. Endure with Joy, seeing the end that is set before you. Follow after me. Pick up your Cross. Fear not, My burden is light."

The remarkable phrase in verse 23 is this: "but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly." Jesus had perspective. He knew that He suffered unjustly under the hands of small men. He knew His trials were "unfair." He knew they were not deserved. But He continued to entrust Himself to the One who judges justly. God is God. He judges the earth with equity. He also works on His timetable. Often we want the fire bolts of judgement to descend right now. We want God to act on our timetable. But He is God, we are not. He sees the end from the beginning. That is where we are required to trust. We believe that God is both just and the Judge. As God, He knows what He is doing. As Just, He will act well. As Judge, He will bring justice to every situation. These three things we must rest in. We must trust God to be God. A rather silly thing to have to say to ourselves, but we need to. God will be God whether we trust in Him or not. But trusting Him gives feet and wings to endurance.

24-25: Our father, Adam, fell at a tree. It was by a tree that the curse of sin and death entered the world. It was a tree that bore the tempting serpent. In the glorious providence of God, salvation came by means of that tree. The serpent was cast down, and God Himself was nailed in his place. The serpent had looked down from the tree, questioning Gods word. The Word looked up from the tree, trusting in Him who judges justly. The tree which offered the tempting fruit, now bore the fallen fruit of temptation. The tree at which our whole human race was wounded and cursed, now brought the healing sap. Christ reversed the effects of the fall. At His death, death itself began to work backwards. But Jesus did not die so that we might live. He died so that we too might die, but live again in His resurrection. We must die to sin, for Jesus died for our sin. We must now live in righteousness, for Jesus was raised to new life. By His wounds we have been healed. We were once lost sheep, straying far from the comfort of our shepherd. But we have been found. We have been brought back home.

Musings on 1 Peter (2:13-17)

13-15: Peter continues to exhort us to live well in front of others. Submit, he tells us. It is not for our sakes, or for the sake of authorities either. We do not obey those above us in order to be praised, or well rewarded by them. We do not obey our earthly authorities because they possess in themselves the right to govern. We obey for the Lord's sake, whether it be the emperor, the king, the president, the prime minister, the governor, etc. We obey because the Lord tells us to. It is the Lord we are obeying. In this we recognize that all earthly authorities derive their power, not from the people, or from position, but from God. He sets kings on their thrones, and He brings them down. He establishes crowns and courts, and He dismantles dominions. Because all authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to Jesus. That means our current administration answers to Jesus. Our state and local authorities answer to Jesus. He owns them. He has given them authority to administer justice, to punish those who do evil, and to praise those who do good. When this does not happen, and evil is praised and good punished, those responsible will be called before the Supreme Judge, and will be held accountable for all their misdeeds. But it is not first and foremost our concern. We do not need to defend the King. He needs no lawyers. He has the power to judge, and will do so righteously. Therefore when we see injustice done, especially at a level where we can do very little, we can have a foundation of peace. We can rest knowing that justice will win. Recompense will be made.

By God's great wisdom, it is through rest and peace, and quiet living that true justice grows. The ignorance of foolish people will be silenced by our good works. The good work to be done in this context is to be subject to the powers that be. In our submission, and in our obedience to the one who rules the ruler, we prove the wisdom of the world to be ineffective in the pursuit of change. We cannot effect lasting change. For we are simple sinners, and wherever we go, there we are. But the one who rules the heavens and the earth, the one who declares, "Behold, I am making all things new," He can bring real, and lasting change. He can bring real and lasting justice. And so we trust in Him. Our weapons are not carnal. Our weapons are not merely political. They are Spirit and Truth. They encompass politics only in that they encompass all of life. We trust in the Lord of politics, the Lord of capitols, the Lord of legislations. Therefore, Christian, submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution. It is quiet submission that will turn the world upside down.

16-17: Our basis for living quiet lives is that we are in reality free. Though our external circumstances seem to be enslaving, what with taxes and regulations and inflation, we are at the core of reality, free. This requires some perspective to understand. If we really believe that Christ is Lord of heaven and earth, that indeed all authority has been given to Him, then everything we see is under His dominion. If everything is under His dominion, then that means everything. Every bill that is passed, every law that is established, every decision made by every cabinet in every country in the world. Let that sink in. Ponder the truth of that statement and how really real it is. It is not some sunday school truth that we nod at when we are six, only to realize when we are adults that, of course, its more complicated than that. Jesus is Lord. It is that simple. No fine print, no reading between the lines, not misunderstood subtext. Jesus is Lord. And here is the beautiful thing. We belong to Jesus. Here comes the perspective. If Jesus is Lord, and we belong to Jesus, and in Him is freedom, then we are free. The word Freedom has unfortunately been hijacked by our modern sensibilities. We have come to understand freedom as complete and utter autonomy, final say, total ability to choose our own destiny. Nothing could be more absurd. Not even God has this kind of freedom. He Himself is bound by His own Holiness, bound by His own nature. So we too are bound by our nature. We can only do two things: either obey God in conformance to how we were built, or rebel, and live life according to our fallen natures. Either way we are living bound lives. If we rebel, and live unto our own fleshly inclinations, then our very fabric begins to unravel, until nothing is left of us except a clump of dusty thread. But if we live by the power of the Spirit in a manner consistent with how we were created to live, then glory and freedom and peace are ours.

Peter defines freedom here as serving God. This is our creational design. To serve in the house of God as sons and daughters. True sons and daughters do not live as if some other house is their own, and follow the governance of some other father. True children serve their Father with joy, and in so doing find their freedom. Some, those whose hearts are carnal, would see the freedom grace brings, as an invitation to live in another father's house. There end is destruction. You cannot serve two masters. We are sons and daughters, a holy people, kings and queens in the House of the Lord. If that is true, then that is true now. As a plumber you are a king in the kingdom. As a nurse, you are a queen in the Holy City. Our freedom is real, for we really do belong to Jesus, and Jesus really is Lord of all. It is with this confidence that Peter tells us to, "Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor." God is God. He does not share His throne with anyone. This means the emperors of our day are simply subordinates, vice-presidents at best. Therefore Christian, know that with Jesus on the Throne, we live our lives unto Him. In this we have the ability to honor our fellows, for they are put there by the King. If God deems it prudent to place a certain someone on the throne, or in the oval office, we fear God by honoring the emperor. Our freedom does not hinge on the whims of a vice regent. Our freedom is secure in Christ. In honoring the emperor we recognize and publicly declare that he is there only because Someone higher placed him there. Only if God is God can you honor the emperor, or love your neighbor. He is. So honor and love. We need fear no man.

The Fourth Day

From outside the bright and unending light
The Spoken and the Speaker called to one
Another; it was so. In pure delight
The firmament gave birth to mighty sons
And daughters, too; empty space now undone.
Seven children did the Speaker make, to
Govern times and seasons; their course begun,
They will reign until the day earth, made new,
Is, of time, no longer in need. "TO YOU

MIGHTY SOLIS," He said, "I give the day.
You are the Son of Light, giver of Gold,
And wisdom, chasing mists of doubt away.
Like a man, strong in valiant youth, take hold
The reins your chariot offers and be bold
In your conquest of the sky. Come, Bridegroom,
Leave your nuptial tent and search out the cold
Surface of earth, her power to chill consume.
Kiss the earth with warm joy; bring her to bloom.

"LADY LUNA, silver huntress," said He,
"To you I give the long night, serve her well.
Though you wax and wane, through melancholy
Moods show inconstancy, and some compel
To madness, you impart through dewy spell
Rhythm and maturity, granting sleep
'And drench of dream' to weary heads. Farewell
To day and with him, hurried thoughts that creep
Across the mind. Mother, My children keep.

"SYLVAN MARTIS, to you I give mankind,"
Said He, "And all his efforts to succeed
In life. He will strive, mastery to find,
That his world may be without any need.
War will rise, for impossible indeed
This is apart from Me. With iron staff
You will teach him the art of planting seed;
Hands will work, discerning true wheat from chaff.
Come Harvest, hearts will cheer, red cheeks will laugh.

"BRIGHT VENERIS," He said, "Sweet Morning Star,
I give to you love and society.
Your beauty shining copper-like on far,
Distant fecund fields, in chaste piety,
Will bring them children in variety.
Awake to love, these I have formed from clay;
Teach them to care, and with propriety
To hold one another dear. I today
Have shown you love; love which they must obey.

"SWIFT MERCURIUS, "said He, "with winged foot
You will fly. To you I give mankind's Speech
That by your art they may learn to love what
I have Said. By words and sounds you will teach
Them the depth of creation's Beauty. Each
Of my words, the quicksilver-like glory,
Fill the earth; your words, they will use to preach
My grace, to train their youth, to bless the hoary
Haired heads; to live and to love the story.

"JOCUND JOVIS," He said, "To you I give
Life and laughter, and vernal jollity.
Winter is gone; teach your subjects to live
In light of the Great Feast. Eternity
Will be their end. With ripe hilarity
Share with them the Joke: red wine served in tin;
Mighty king, as bells sing and banners flee
Before the wind, teach my children to grin,
To laugh, and to love, for Me they will win.

"WISE OLD SATURNIS, Father Time, "He said,
"To you I give the leaden weight of age.
The fruit of the branch must yellow, and, dead,
Fall to the ground. But my children will wage
War with death. This they must not do. Assuage
Their fears. Tell them of seeds and how they grow,
For thus their bodies enter the next stage.
Bearing resurrected fruit they must go
To the four winds, and your full purpose show.

THUS HE SPAKE, and thus they were: sevenfold
Deities to rule the life-filled heaven.
They govern times and seasons from of old;
They are the captains of His Host. Seven
Lords and Ladies, formed for the sake of men.
Servants of all, they only bow the knee
To One. Before Him they have always been,
And in His presence they find they are free
To be what they were created to be.

For in Him is all Light; Golden and wise,
He keeps those who sleep 'neath the silver light.
He is true Man. With fire in His eyes,
Glistening love, and true solid delight,
He sends for His Bride, and all through the night
Feasts in the laughter and joy of His love.
For by Death He has bought her; death she might
Have tasted but for His grace. By the Dove
Death has died. Glory be to God above.

Day to day pours out speech that must be heard,
Their voice goes out through all the wind-blown earth.
Night to night reveals knowledge of the Word;
His heavens proclaim to all their worth.
His glory is seen in their very birth,
For He holds all of His creation dear.
There is no speech nor are there words whose mirth
Is not heard, by those who, in hearing, hear.
This is their song, sung in joy and in fear.

This song sung in seven part harmony
Joins the great dance, and calls all to the floor
To circle Him in great polyphony,
With ever increasing speed they adore
The risen Lamb who as King sits before
The Great Ancient of Days. Faster they dance;
Quicker, quicker they move. As planets soar
Through their planned steps, we are given the chance
To gaze with wonder on their great expanse.

We behold their steps, their mighty reel.
By the light of their dance we reap and sow;
We love and laugh, we sleep and die; and feel
They were given so upward we might grow.
Therefore, Praise God from Whom all blessings flow
He is the only one in whom we boast.
Praise Him all creatures who are here below
Praise Him above, all you Heavenly Host
Praise the great Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Musings on 1 Peter (2:4-12)

4-5: We are called to come to Jesus. There is no option. Peter treats it as a done deal. As you come, he says. He does not say if you come, but when you come. We must come to Jesus. He is the author and perfecter of our faith. He is the one who shapes and molds us. He is the Master mason, taking the living stones of our lives, fitting them perfectly into His house. We are the very materials He uses to build His dwelling place, His spiritual home. As we come to Jesus we realize that we have been rejected by man. The world does not know what to do with love. It has no place for joy in its blueprints. But we are living stones, precious and chosen by God Himself, so that we might serve Him in His house. As priests we offer ourselves as living sacrifices, which is our spiritual worship. And through the completed work of Christ, our service becomes acceptable to God. This means our entire lives. Every moment of the day, every decision that we make, every thought that we have, must be taken captive, and be rendered as blood on the alter. We die, daily. We sacrifice the will of our flesh, and say no. It is malice that must die. Envy and slander, must die. Hypocrisy and deceit, die. We are no longer stones the world would be comfortable using. We are living stones, made suitable for use in the kingdom. Made suitable by the blood of the Lamb, who desires our service. If that isn't incredible to think about, I'm not sure what is. The Creator God, the Triune Majesty desires our service, not as slaves, but as precious and chosen heirs, as if we had something to contribute. He has made us His priesthood, and His temple. He has made us partakers of His very nature, inviting us into the very circle of His glory. It is no wonder Peter says As you come. How could we say no?

6-8: Scripture bears witness to this great edifice that is being built. The apostles and prophets laid the foundation with Christ as the chief cornerstone. From Him all lines are drawn, and on Him our foundation is secure. Christ is the Stone, and in Him we are living stones, chosen and precious. We will not be put to shame. The prophet knew that the gospel was foolishness to the world's mindset. He knew that it would be a stumbling block to those who do not believe. He comforts us then, insisting that those who trust in Christ, those who become stones themselves will not be put to shame. Their faith will not be in vain. The God they put their trust in will not be shown to be a sham at the last day. His word is sure. We believe in His word. Therefore we have honor. They who refuse to believe will stumble and fall. They stumble because they do not obey the word of the Lord, and the Chief stone has become a rock of offense. They will be put to shame. The god of their world will be shown to be a sham, for there is but one God in Heaven, and His Son Jesus Christ. We belong to Him.

9-10: But you. Words of mercy and of grace. But you. Those who disobey will fall. But you. We are a chosen race, the new humanity in Christ. When Christ rose from the grave, He became the first fruits of the new creation. He ascended into the heavenly throne room, sitting at the right hand of the Father, ruling over His inheritance. To Him had been given honor and glory, dominion and authority, in heaven and on earth so that all peoples, nations and languages should serve Him. He sits on His throne and declares, Behold, I make all things new. He sits there now, and behold He is making all things new. He has begun with us, His Bride. Through us He is recreating the world. Once we were not a people, we were formless and void. Once we had not received mercy, like the earth without the light of the sun. But now we are a people, for He has spoken it with power. Now we have received mercy for the Son has risen and shines on our hearts and our hands. A second Adam has come. A second Eve has been brought forth, in water and blood, from His pierced side. A chosen race, made up of every color; a royal priesthood, both male and female, kings and queens; a holy nation, set apart with every language spoken; a people for His own possession we are. And we are called with purpose. We have been shown mercy and grace so that we might proclaim the Glory of God. We have been called out of darkness. We have been placed in marvelous light. We were once formless and void, and God spoke light into our very souls, and there was light. It is the excellencies of His majesty and power and grace that we proclaim. This is why we have been called. This is why we have been brought into His house, as priests and kings: so that we shout with our lives the living majesty of our God. We do not do this first and foremost with our own particular voice. Before all else we do this as a chosen people. Together we are the nation of God, and it is as a nation that we bear witness to His mercies. It is the reason we have been called, and when God calls, He does so with power and authority. Therefore we will not fail, for we are but the mouthpiece of God, and it His Spirit that goes forth drawing all men to Himself. We simply obey, honoring God and giving thanks with our lives, watching the leaven run through the loaf; watching the mustard seed grow into a tree so large, all the birds of the air find their dwelling place within its branches.

11-12: Peter reminds us that our home is Christ. Our center is found in Him. We are exiles here in this land, dispersed and yet still a people. We have not lost our identity though we be scattered across the land. In fact we identify more clearly with Christ as a dispersed people; a people sent to the corners of the earth, for in our dispersion we see our purpose. Here we find one of Heaven's paradoxes. As a sojourning people, sent from our home city to fill the earth, we find that we do indeed belong here. He who says this world is not our home and therefore we do not belong here draws a false conclusion. The earth was created for man, much like the sabbath, and so it is for man to enjoy. We were not created for Heaven, though that is where we find our head. Earth is the natural place for us to be, enjoying the fruit of its bounty. Though we be citizens of a better country, we have been given this land as a possession; and behold, it is very good. Therefore we can live our lives here with peace, knowing that we can feel settled here, on earth. We can plant vineyards, and harvest grain. We can build cathedrals and invest in our children. In fact it is in doing these very things that we bear witness to those who are spiritual gentiles, of the glories of our Creator. In their presence we abstain from the passions of the flesh. In their presence we do battle with our proclivity to sin. Keep your conduct in their presence honorable, Peter exhorts, so that when they slander you, they are without footing. When they revile us, and we show them love, the love our Lord has shown us, then they will know that we are truly disciples of Jesus, and they will glorify God. Our good deeds are to be seen. But not so that we may be glorified. Our good deeds do nothing but point to the mercy and goodness of God. For in our natural state, we are no better than those who revile. As children of grace good works have been placed before us, so that we might walk in them. This is our testimony to the world. It is with lives like this that we exhort the ends of the earth with the gospel of Jesus.