Tag Archives: 1 Peter 2

God’s People!

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“God’s People!”

1 Peter 2:4-10 – May 7, 2023

            I had an amazing time in Egypt! Our wonderful and knowledgeable tour guide often called our group together during our time in Egypt, saying “My people!” in his resonant baritone voice. Often, at museums, libraries and archaeological sites where there were many other tour groups, our group of 19 soon learned to listen for our guide calling out, “My people!”

            I can just imagine the apostle Peter considering the same thing. He wrote this letter to a group of scattered Jewish believers in the Messiah Jesus (our Lord Jesus Christ) all throughout Asia Minor. Peter does not say exactly “My people!” to his scattered believing friends, but that is very much his intent.

Listen to verses 9 and 10: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

            The situation of these scattered believers, sprinkled far apart throughout the area north of Palestine, was a sadly common one. No matter where these first-century believers lived, very often they were persecuted. They faced becoming social outcasts simply for believing in and obeying Jesus Christ as Lord.

            As I have said in past weeks, the current situation of many believers in Jesus, in large parts of North Africa and the Middle East, is also one fraught with dangers and persecution. Believers can lose their jobs, lose their families, even become social outcasts simply by letting it be publicly known that they believe in Jesus Christ as Lord. This is a very serious thing, indeed. And, not relegated to way back when, in the first or second century.

            The apostle tried to encourage the hearts of these scattered Jewish believers! He starts off the letter by thanking God for such great salvation! He encourages his believing friends to continue to live holy lives, as is pleasing to God. In other words, we all ought to pattern ourselves upon our Lord Jesus, the cornerstone of our faith.

            Do you know what a cornerstone is there for? Why a cornerstone is placed on a building? The cornerstone is often a fancy stone, with carving or words placed (or carved) on it. The cornerstone is “the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.” [1] The cornerstone has very great importance to the rest of the whole building!

            Peter knew quite a lot about stones. He had received a new name from the itinerant Rabbi Jesus during the three years the disciples followed Him around Palestine. Formerly Simon, now called Peter, or “the Rock.” I would imagine that Peter considered himself as a follower of our Lord Jesus to be a part of that heavenly Temple, that spiritual building, a Rock positioned, set in place following the Cornerstone called Christ.

            Can you see how Peter meant those words about our Lord Jesus, Him being a Cornerstone, to be an encouragement and comfort for these scattered believers? I can just see these timid believers, gathering in houses on the first day of the week, blessed by the words of this letter that was copied and circulated throughout Asia Minor!

            And the capper for this part of the letter is that these believers are God’s people. “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” I can only imagine how encouraging that was to these dear persecuted followers of Jesus!

            Not only are they – we – silent stones, placed in the building of the heavenly Temple built by our Lord Jesus. But, they – we – are also God’s people. All of us are! We have been chosen, on purpose. Not just leftovers, not just the remainders, but God’s special chosen people! God’s special possession! Praise God, can you believe it? Plus, you and I are not simply static stones in the foundation of a building. No! We are much more than that!

            How does it feel to be one of a royal priesthood? A holy nation? In fact, God’s special possession? Because, we are! We all as believers are something to be celebrated, for sure!

            A key part of this Bible reading is the enormous difference that is not due to anything that you or I did. We did not work for it. “It is what God did for us! We didn’t become the people of God by trying hard. God chose people, all people, as God’s people. God chose us. We didn’t become holy because of something we did right. We became holy because God forgives us and chose us as special treasures. It is our responsibility, then, to live a life that honors what God did for us. It is a “God thing” that we are chosen! [2]

            May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and I will be highlighting mental health on the third Sunday of May, May 21st. Whether we as believers face suffering and rejection from others or deal with suffering and mental illness from within, we can all be encouraged by these good words of great hope! Jesus Christ is our Foundation and Cornerstone, and we are all – every believer, throughout the world – are called to be God’s people! God’s chosen ones.

The apostle knew that these scattered believers needed to be encouraged! Sometimes, we need to be encouraged, too. “Peter was keen to energise these small bands of believers, to empower them to change the world one community at a time. And to do that, Peter knew, as Jesus knew, that our identity needs a rock-solid foundation.” [3]  

            We can go out into the world with confidence. We know who we are! We are God’s people, built on our strong Foundation, Jesus Christ. We can go forth with hope, with joy, with confidence, because we are indeed God’s people. Alleluia, amen!

@chaplaineliza

(Suggestion: visit me at my other blogs: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. #PursuePEACE – and  A Year of Being Kind . Thanks!

[1] Wikipedia, Cornerstone – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornerstone

[2] https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/worship-planning/a-living-hope/fifth-sunday-of-easter-year-a-lectionary-planning-notes/fifth-sunday-of-easter-year-a-childrens-message

[3] https://churchofscotland.org.uk/worship/weekly-worship/monthly/may-2023/7-may-5th-sunday-of-easter

Returning to the Shepherd

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“Returning to the Shepherd”

1 Peter 2:19-25 – April 30, 2023

            How many here know the 23rd Psalm by heart? The 23rd Psalm is probably one of the most familiar Bible passages in either the Hebrew Scriptures or the New Testament. I myself memorized it when I was younger, when I was regularly memorizing verses from the Bible. These verses can be by turn comforting, soothing, encouraging, and supportive. Just what many people need at challenging or difficult times in their lives!

            Today’s Bible reading hearkens back to Psalm 23. In 1 Peter 2, the apostle is straightforward in his statements. He talks clearly of suffering: the suffering of believers, and about Christ’s suffering on our behalf. Wait a minute! I thought that since I became a Christian that I would not have to suffer! Didn’t you? When we become Christians, we get a nice, easy life, don’t we? Who said anything about suffering?

Here in 1 Peter 2 is one of many places in the New Testament that talk about suffering, certainly. A number of other places in the apostle Paul’s letters mention suffering, too. Paul’s suffering, as well as that of his friends’. And, what about the Gospels? Our Lord Jesus does not shy away from talking straight about suffering. Carrying the cross, and following Him.

            Sadly, I regularly have contact with people for whom life has become very difficult. Living one day at a time becomes the only way that some can possibly make it. Sure, since I am a hospice chaplain during the week, many of the patients and families I interact with are dealing with huge difficulties. And, usually these difficulties are physical in nature.

            Except, life does not always send us physical problems. (Or, just physical difficulties.) Life happens, as we all can attest. Life can throw many of us curve balls, and even see us (or our friends) striking out at home plate. Not only reverses in health, but emotional upsets, lack of financial security, even spiritual distress of many kinds.

            For many, many people throughout the centuries, Psalm 23 has been a help and a stay when the unexpected challenges and difficulties in life happen. This 4th Sunday of Easter is Shepherd Sunday, the day when we not only lift up the many blessings of Psalm 23, but on this Sunday we also look at other Shepherd-related Scriptures.  

             “Perhaps it was the image of Jesus tenderly carrying a lamb over his shoulders. Or the memory of shepherds in a field hearing the good news of God’s love born for them in Bethlehem. Or the Sunday School story of a shepherd boy becoming king. Even if they’d never met a shepherd. Even if they had only encountered sheep from a distance.” [1] Just about everyone attending church during Eastertide has some kind of connection to sheep and shepherds.

            What happens when this Psalm 23, these familiar verses just do not fit with our state of mind, or specific situation. What happens, then? People still get very much afraid, still have health reversals, still get into financial difficulties, still walk through dark valleys.

            This reading from 1 Peter 2 has some difficult words for us to listen to. Difficult words for us to swallow. “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” I can attest that I have seen people who know that they will greatly suffer for the sake of and for the name of Christ, and yet they still believe. They can do no other but believe!

I am remembering my trip to Egypt, just a few weeks ago. I had the experience of being in a Muslim-majority country. Just like many believers today in North Africa and the Middle East, “This letter was written [during the first century] when the church was under constant threat; when the benediction was spoken in a whisper because everyone knew when they gathered again someone likely would be missing, caught up in the cleansing, deportations, and imprisonment. They were afraid of their neighbors. They were afraid people might discover that they practiced a minority religion, a suspect faith. They worried that neighbors might turn them in to the increasingly vigilant authorities who were out to make the nation safe.” [2]

            This was the situation for these scattered believers in Christ, in the first century. And, this is the current situation – the suffering – for countless believers throughout the world today. Life continues to throw us curve balls, unexpected and sometimes unrelenting. Life continues to happen to all of us, in any number of ways. It does not matter how strong of a believer you or I may be, it can be terrifying to walk in the darkest valley, whatever that dark valley of our life may be. But – Jesus, that Shepherd of our souls is walking right beside us. Gathering His sheep together.

“The promise is that this one understands; this one has been where we are. This one walks with us into the suffering. This guardian is a close companion, not one who waits until we make it through on our own and then gives us a gold star or some other commendation. No, this one is right there with us. This one knows us. This [shepherd] cares for us.” [3]

In my chaplain’s work, I meet with patients and their loved ones who are in denial, fearful, or angry. Sometimes, they even are serene and accepting of that valley of shadow. What I have been moved to say, again and again, is that our Great Shepherd Jesus is right by our sides. Right there in the room or the hallway, whether they or their loved is sleeping or awake, in pain or pain-free.

            To be sure, our reading from 1 Peter does not just leave us wallowing in suffering. No! Our reading “presents the [shepherd] of our souls as the one who brings us back together, who brings us home. We celebrate that [shepherd] today, the one who walked through the world and showed us what a life of meaning and purpose looked like.” [4]

The message from 1 Peter for us today? Our Shepherd Jesus is with us always. Always! And, He will bring us home. No matter where, no matter what. And, that’s a promise.

            Alleluia, amen.

@chaplaineliza

(Suggestion: visit me at my other blogs: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. #PursuePEACE – and  A Year of Being Kind . Thanks!

[1] http://words.dancingwiththeword.com/2012/04/of-sheep-and-shepherds.html

[2] https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/worship-planning/a-living-hope/second-sunday-of-easter-year-a-lectionary-planning-notes/second-sunday-of-easter-year-a-preaching-notes

[3] https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/worship-planning/a-living-hope/fourth-sunday-of-easter-year-a-lectionary-planning-notes/fourth-sunday-of-easter-year-a-preaching-notes

[4] https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/worship-planning/a-living-hope/fourth-sunday-of-easter-year-a-lectionary-planning-notes