THE WITNESS STAND
Text: I Peter 3:13 - 22
"A man went out to a river for a time of quiet meditation one morning. During his meditation he noticed that the river was rising as well as a scorpion that was trapped in the roots of a tree. He tried to release the scorpion and with every attempt it drew back its tail ready to strike. An observer watching this man said, “Don’t you know that it is the scorpion’s nature to sting?” The holy man responded, “Indeed it may be his nature to sting, but it is my nature to save. Must I change my nature because the scorpion does not change his?” (Herb Miller. Actions Speak Louder Than Verbs. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1989, p. 72). This story is like a parable in that it reflects a picture of the world that Jesus came to save. Like our Savior, we will be rejected by those to whom we try to witness. As Jesus reminded His disciples, “If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20). We will all have our “scorpions” that we are called to reach out to in Christian love so that others will know we are Christ’s disciples (John 13:34).
This passage of scripture reminds us of how we as Christians must reach out to others---even if they oppose us. As William Barclay once said, “No man escapes suffering, but for the Christian suffering cannot touch the things that matter most of all.” (William Barclay. The Daily Study Bible Series: The Letters of James and Peter. Revised Edition. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1975. p. 230). Every day, we take the witness stand giving our testimony through our words and actions. Our witness demonstrates how “suffering cannot touch the things that matter most of all”. Even though people might ridicule us, verbally persecute and socially try to humiliate or exclude us, they cannot take away our salvation. In the day when Peter wrote this letter, people were often persecuted to death because of their faith. People of modern day might not kill those of us who are Christian, but they sure will attack our faith and try to kill our spirit through verbal persecution, and social humiliation.
OUR WITNESS
Peter’s question was who will harm you if you do good? Are there people who will seek to do harm to others who are eager to do good? They answer to that question is yes. One of the things that we see in the Old Testament is what some scholars have called the Deuteronomic theology. 1) Deuteronomic theology: That branch of theology held that if you do good things, then good things will happen to you. That same branch of theology also held that if you do bad things, then bad things will happen. 2) No exemptions: In the Old Testament, Job was a righteous man and bad things happened to him. God does not show partiality because God lets it rain on the righteous as well as the unrighteous; and God also makes the sun to shine on the righteous as well as the unrighteous (Matthew 5:45). Job’s friends were always questioning his righteousness if bad things happened to him. In the New Testament, our own Savior was without sin and did a lot of good and bad things happened to Him as well. Bad things can happen to good people like Job. Bad things even happened to our own Savior who was without sin.
How many times have you heard of whistle-blowers being persecuted? There is the true story of a young woman named Karen who was working to help make ends meet as her husband was in seminary. Karen worked for a pharmaceutical company that made syringes. She was asked to sign a clearance form for contaminated syringes. She refused and it cost her the job. Her refusal to sign that form cause the order for those syringes not to be delivered to the customer on time. “Officials of that company investigated the delay and discovered how Karen had protected them from the contaminated syringes, even at the cost of her job. The customer then hired Karen and increased her pay.” (Bryan Chapell. Standing Your Ground. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1989, p. 23, 32). Karen’s former company had used extortion (using force and or threats to accomplish a desired agenda). Karen did what was required to have a clear conscience (I Peter 3:16) because she refused to be forced to do what was wrong. God always vindicates His people!
THE WITNESS OF CHRIST
Jesus practiced everything that He preached. 1) Before the cross: Jesus went the extra mile; tuned the other cheek; loved His enemies and prayed for them. 2) On The cross: When they crucified Jesus, He practiced all of these things. When He suffered at the hands of others, He did not threaten retaliation. If Jesus had wanted to He called have called for back up through the angels but He chose the cross instead. He truly demonstrated that He laid down His life not only for the sheep of His fold but also for the lost sheep. He truly demonstrated that He laid down His life for His enemies as well as His friends. 3) During His crucifixion: Once His Spirit left His body, Jesus went to preached to the spirits in prison who were disobedient before the flood in the days of Noah. Why is that so significant? Noah had preached to them for 120 years but they would not repent. (John MacArthur. The MacArthur Bible Commentary. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2005, p. 1915). Imagine how the people must have mocked Noah during those 120 years.
One of the things that Jesus came to do was to preach to them that were bruised (Luke 4:19 KJV). What Peter says about how Jesus made a proclamation to the spirits in prison of Noah’s day seems to be an extension to that part of Jesus’ mission. Jesus ministered to the bruised (KJV) --- the oppressed (NRSV) during His earthly ministry, and then He also went to preach to the spirits in prison “… who in former times did not obey when God waited patiently in the days of Noah during the building of the ark … ” (I Peter 3:20 NIV). Scholars get bogged down trying to interpret this passage. However, as some (Walter Brueggemann, Charles B. Cousar, Beverly R. Gaventa and James D. Newsome) have said, “By asserting that Christ preached to those who died in the Flood, 1 Peter insists that no one exists beyond God’s power for redemption.” (Walter Brueggemann, Charles B. Cousar, Beverly R. Gaventa and James D. Newsome. Texts For Preaching: Year A. Louisville; Westminster John Knox Press, 1995, p. 306). Would that also not shed new light on what Peter said in II Peter 3:9?: “The Lord is not slow about [H]is promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all come to repentance” (NRSV).
Our challenge is to reflect Jesus Christ in all our ways. The story is told of a “God is dead” theologian who was invited to a debate on a Chicago theological seminary in the mid 1960’s. The evangelical theologian won the debate “in terms of spiritual truth”. However, the evangelical theologian lost the debate in “conduct of character”. “The God is dead theologian was a gracious, kind man who shared his material with an open spirit, while the evangelical theologian was a critical, negative, unkind, and sarcastic man who fought, attacked, and condemned. The former seminary student (Paul A. Cedar) who observed the debate put it this way: “How tragic it is to know the truths of God and to live like the devil!” (Lloyd J. Ogilvie. ed. Mastering the New Testament: James, 1 & 2 Peter; and Jude. Paul A. Cedar. Dallas: Word Publishing, 1984, p. 162)). Yes, it is true that our actions can and do speak louder than words!
People should be able to see that character of Christ in our witness. Every day we take the witness stand as Christians! There was a Christian businessman from his home church who was leading weekly Bible Study for presidents of major corporations located in that particular city. The president of a large corporation became a Christian through the impact of the Bible Study. He was a faithful member of the Bible study but he remained a Christian in secret because he did not want anyone to find about His Christian commitment. In spite of his efforts to contain his secret, the influence of Christ was beginning to affect his lifestyle. His associates and friends were curious about the change and asked him why he was different. Out of desperation, he asked a friend in his Bible study group if it was possible to live the Christian life in secret. His friend answered and said, “Friend, it is impossible for you to have Jesus living in you without some of Him leaking out!”. (Quoted and paraphrased from : Lloyd J. Ogilvie. ed. Mastering the New Testament: James, 1 & 2 Peter; and Jude. Paul A. Cedar. Dallas: Word Publishing, 1984, p. 166). How much of Jesus leaks out in our witness?
