humility (1 Peter 5:1-7)

Monday, April 7, 2008

Psalm 25; 1 Peter 5:1-14


Peter turns to exhort the elders, or shepherds, among his readers. His basis and authority for doing so is that he is a "witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the the glory that is going to be revealed" (5:1). He seems to be saying to leaders to be the kind of leaders that don't cause followers to suffer, be the kind of shepherds that lead by example, not dominance or forcefully - and the Chief Shepherd himself will reward you.

This is still a way of speaking of his theme of humble submission; in fact it flows out of the previous section of doing what is good and right and glorifying God by obeying the gospel. His final exhortation in chapter four was, "Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. Therefore I exhort the elders..." (4:19-5:1). And when he moves on after addressing the elders he says,

"Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud but give grace to the humble" (5:5).

And as he begins his final words of encouragement and affirmation, he reiterates the call to humility in the next verse,

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."

This is certainly one of the big themes of the letter and one of the keys to enduring suffering. I see him calling us to humility in the phrase "entrust" oneself to God, as seen in Jesus who "continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly" (2:23) and as mentioned above in 4:19, "let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator." Casting all our anxieties upon God who cares for us is something like, I think, entrusting our souls to a faithful creator. Anxiety is basically disbelief; it is rooted in not trusting there is something or someone bigger than what threatens me who sees, cares, and will deliver me finally. In this way I can return good for evil and forgive those who sin against me, just as the Shepherd who oversees my soul did / does (2:25).

Entrusting my soul to God means something like not having to defend my life source. Soul can mean that animating part of who I am - and that source of life is either me alone drawing life, purpose, power, etc. from some idol, or it is God dwelling in me and me dwelling in God. If I entrust my soul to God I will not fundamentally be fighting for my life when I encounter suffering, for my life is hid with Christ in God (Col.3:3), because through the resurrection of Christ I have been given new life with an inheritance from God hidden in heaven (1:3-7). I will act, I will do good, as one secure deep down inside, not trying to destroy those I perceive are trying to destroy me, but as one who trusts the just judge and faithful creator (2:23; 4:19), as one who trusts God to vindicate me and who, frankly, understands that only God is in control of such matters beyond me anyway. My attempts at controlling my situation for my own protection or advancement are futile and illusory.

As we have also seen, Peter says that suffering somehow is in God's will for his children, and we see again today that it has its time - it will end at the "proper time" (5:6) and is for a "little while" (1:6; 5:10).

It is very interesting to me that only now, after pounding home over and over the real context of our suffering, and how Jesus faithfully suffered, how we are to both follow his example and let his life manifest itself through us in our suffering. Only now, at the end of the epistle, does Peter bring to our attention the one behind the suffering...

[I will share a final post on Peter later today]

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust;
let me not be put to shame;
let not my enemies exult over me...
Make me to know your ways, O LORD;
teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long.
Remember your mercy, O LORD, and you steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, O LORD!
Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way
He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies...
(Psalm 25)