“No pain, no gain.” That saying is true isn’t it? If you want to get your muscles into shape, you’ll need to work them to the point of exhaustion. That will cause some pain in the manner of sore muscles the day after your workout. Wouldn’t it be great if someone else’s pain could be your gain? What if instead having to spend an hour at the gym straining to lift weights and pounding the treadmill to get in shape, you could send someone else to the gym to sweat on your behalf and for your benefit? Their pain would become your gain: bigger muscles and a stronger heart without any effort on your part. Of course it doesn’t work that way. If you want to get stronger, then you and no one else will have to hit the weights. No pain, no gain.
When it comes to spiritual matters, however, the Apostle Peter says that gain is possible without pain. How? Because of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. Today Peter will encourage us to stick with the Good Shepherd because his pain is our gain. And even though that gain will paradoxically bring pain in this life, we still have good reasons to stick with the Good Shepherd and not wander off on our own when the going gets tough.
Our sermon text was originally addressed to Christians who were slaves. Contrary to what we might expect, Peter doesn’t urge the slaves to rise up and rebel against their masters. Instead he encourages them to serve their masters well, even the means ones, and in this way let their light shine as Christians. Peter writes: “18 Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. 19 For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God” (1 Peter 2:18, 19).
While none of us are slaves we all are under the authority of others. If Peter were writing this letter to our congregation, he may have encouraged us to submit to our boss at work, even if that individual is harsh. Or he may have said: “Honor your parents, even when they’ve given the bigger piece of pie to little brother.” You see, anyone can work for a kind and generous boss; it takes a Christian, however, to work cheerfully for a mean one. And anyone can honor Mom and Dad when they’re driving us to Dairy Queen for ice cream but what about when they’re “dragging” us to music lessons?
When I read this section of Scripture I was quick to pat myself on the back when I thought of the summer I worked for Bob. I had to chauffer my boss around Milwaukee but since it was my first time driving around that city I had no idea where I was going. Instead of simply giving me directions, my boss often berated me for being so stupid for not knowing the way. But I never yelled back at him. I think I even kept smiling while he made fun of me. OK, so I may not have outwardly showed that I was fuming but inwardly I was. And while I may never have said anything mean and nasty to him, I did complain about him when I returned home from work. And that was not OK. Peter makes that clear when he writes: “21 To this [submitting yourselves to your masters with all respect] you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” 23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:21-23).
We are to be like Jesus in the way we handle those who cut in front of us at the ATM, who are never satisfied with our work, who pick on us at school, or who blame us for their mistakes and sins. Yes, such people are harsh and mean. But how did Jesus handle such people? He didn’t curse those who crucified him; he offered words of forgiveness just as Stephen did in our first lesson when he was being stoned to death. That doesn’t mean that Jesus excused the sins committed against him. He simply did not take the matter of vengeance into his hands. As the perfect believer Jesus knew that revenge belongs to God. In the same way we are to commend ourselves to God when we are unjustly harassed or punished. We don’t need to demand or try to carry out justice on our own; God will do this for us in his time and in his way. It comes down to a matter of faith doesn’t it? God wants us to trust him that by not retaliating when wronged we’re not showing ourselves to be weak or a doormat that others can walk all over; we’re showing ourselves to be his children who look to him for protection.
Failing to trust God in this matter is a sin that brings us under his judgment. Not retaliating when hurt is what God expects, no, demands of us. Peter’s readers had failed in this regard and so have we. Thankfully Peter tells us not only what God demands of us but what he has done for us through our Good Shepherd. “24 [Jesus] himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Peter 2:24, 25).
Jesus suffered and died for our refusal so submit to all in authority. Yes, the pain Jesus experienced through his death on the cross is our gain! Notice how Peter said, “by his wounds you have been healed” not “by his wounds you have the potential of healing.” In other words, forgiveness is not a “maybe,” it’s a certainty – as certain as Jesus’ death on the cross. Imagine that, gaining eternal life by doing nothing, not even raising a finger. Actually we have gained heaven in spite of raising the finger in protest to God’s laws. It’s no wonder the Bible calls Jesus our Good Shepherd. He truly cares for his sheep, even offering his life for them. I know a lot of you like your pets, but would you give your life for them? Not if your dog consistently does his business on your couch or your cat loves to tear apart your curtains. You would only to be too happy to get rid of such an animal. Although we were wandering sheep, God brought us back to the fold through the work of the Holy Spirit. And he gave us a home because of what Jesus did as our Good Shepherd. His pain is our gain. Stick close to him!
Just how close are we to stick to Jesus? Well, Peter says that Jesus has set a pattern for us to follow. The original Greek word there describes a master copy a student learning how to write is to carefully trace. As I showed in the children’s devotion, you can’t trace anything very well if the paper you are writing on isn’t close to the original. So we’ll want to be close to our Good Shepherd so that we live like him. In fact, Peter says that another reason Jesus died on the cross was to give us the power to say no to sin so that we will live like him. Peter put it this way: “24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness” (1 Peter 2:24a). When Peter said that we are to “die” to sin, he used a word that would describe what someone does when they unplug the TV. When you unplug a TV you are disconnecting it from the power source. In that state the TV won’t light up no matter how many buttons you push. That’s how we are as Christians. Through Jesus’ crucifixion and through baptism we have been disconnected from the power of our sinful nature. When we remember this fact we will not react in sinful anger no matter how many of our buttons a harsh boss or a bully at school pushes.
While Jesus’ pain on the cross is our gain of eternal life, Peter wants us to know that this gain will bring pain. You see where there is the fire of faith there will be the smoke of adversity. Not retaliating when picked on won’t stop the bullies from targeting you. Serving your boss with a smile won’t keep him from yelling at you. Don’t be surprised at this or discouraged. Just stick close to your Good Shepherd and don’t wander off on your own in search of greener, easier pastures. Peter had this to say a couple of chapters after our text: “12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name” (1 Peter 4:12-16).
It’s scary to know that we will suffer for being Christians. Yet look at it as an opportunity to serve God. You don’t have to become a pastor, a staff minister, a Sunday School teacher, or an organist to serve him. You serve him whenever you don’t react in anger to those who ridicule you or treat you unfairly. Anyway our suffering is like the cracking of a nut, not the smashing of a bottle. God’s purpose in letting us suffer is not to demolish us. He lets us suffer to give opportunity to the good he’s instilled in us through his Word to display itself. As someone once said: “A Christian is like a tea bag. You don’t know what he’s like until you put him in hot water” (Randy Hunter). Stick close to your Good Shepherd so that when the hot water of adversity swirls around you, you will come out smelling like a fragrant herbal tea. Yes, that’s possible because there is no deceit in Jesus’ mouth, says Peter (1 Peter 2:22). Jesus is not like Satan who promises the moon while delivering us to hell. When Jesus promises heaven, when he promises us spiritual safekeeping, he will deliver these blessings because he is our Good Shepherd. And so we will stick close to him. Amen.
