SERIES
Sojourn: Toward an Enduring City
2016-10-02T08:00:00-05:00
19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
5:1 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 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 gives grace to the humble.”
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
12 By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it. 13 She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son. 14 Greet one another with the kiss of love.
Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright (c)2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. http://www.esv.org
We may not give ourselves this label, but when the griefs and trials of life disrupt us, we become theologians. After all, to be a theologian is simply to seek answers to our questions about God. When life’s hardest seasons come, our questions for Him are usually “why” questions. “Why would You allow this?” Or perhaps, “Why me?” After some time, we may ask “how” questions. “How can I fix this?” Or if bitterness lingers, “How can I still believe that You are good and powerful?” Good theologians prayerfully seek answers to these kinds of questions in the Bible. But rarely does the Bible answer these kinds of questions in a way that immediately satisfies our painful wondering.
Surely these were the kinds of questions in the minds of the people to whom Peter wrote. Their lives felt chaotic because they were exiles, some of them literal “exiles of the dispersion” fleeing from Jerusalem because of growing persecution against Christians (1 Peter 1:1; cf. Acts 7:59-8:1). Disoriented and isolated, these young Christians struggled to make sense of their life and their faith in new and unfamiliar places. Jesus had charged Peter with tending and feeding these scared and scattered sheep (John 21:15-19). So how does he begin? He does not begin by answering “why” or “how” questions. He begins by answering the one question no one asked but everyone needed: “Who is God?” Peter reflects on God as a Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (1 Peter 1:2). And he celebrates that God knows and causes all things, including our salvation (1 Peter 1:2-3).
At first glace, Peter’s exploration of this “who” question seems wildly impractical, perhaps even insensitive. But Peter was not out of touch with their needs; he wasn’t simply educating these exiles. Rather, he was leveraging the truths of the Trinity and God’s sovereignty for a practical, pastoral purpose. These doctrines lay the foundation for seeing that life is never really chaotic, though it may feel like it at times. Even our griefs and trials work for our good and God’s glory (1 Peter 1:6-7). Where did Peter learn all this? He learned it at the feet of his shepherd, Jesus, whose last hours with His disciples were spent teaching them about the Trinity (John 14:1-16:33) and God’s sovereignty (John 17:1-26).
Many questions will rise within us in our sojourn through life, and God invites to ask Him each and every one. But as elect exiles, we also need to listen to the questions God has already answered for us. The medicine may seem strange at first, but there is no better food for us as His scared and scattered sheep.