Midway through 1Peter 2 there’s a shift in Peter’s encouragement to the suffering saints he’s writing to. Up to this point he has been reminding them of the wonder of their salvation . . . their election . . . their inheritance . . . their calling to be holy . . . their special place as a chosen generation of God. And, if I noodle on that, it kind of makes sense. Peter’s trying to put the harshness of the temporal into the context of the hope of the eternal . . . directing the focus beyond the horizontal and toward the vertical . . . reminding them that their difficulty is only for a season . . . that eventually, when Jesus returns, they win! But then, there’s a shift in chapter 2 verse 13. And the message to these suffering saints moves beyond “salvation” and, instead, encourages “submission.” And, I gotta be honest, that isn’t where I think I would have gone . . .

“Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution” (1Peter 2:13 ESV)

In verse 13, these Christians, who were starting to feel the persecution of the Roman government, are told to submit to every authority . . . for the Lord’s sake. In verses 18-19, Christian slaves are told to submit to their masters, even if these masters are harsh and unfair . . . why? . . . because of conscience toward God. And it kind of becomes clear that the number one priority for the believer, whether in good times or not so good times, is to bring honor to the Savior of their souls. In this time . . . in this place . . . under these circumstances . . . they were to submit . . . for the Lord’s sake. They were to endure suffering, though it were unjust, for the sake of their awareness of God’s desire for them to be a testimony to the saving power of Christ.

And I can’t help but think how I need to be motivated more by “for the Lord’s sake.” Less concerned about how I look . . . less concerned about whether or not I’m being treated fairly . . . less concerned about standing up for myself . . . and more concerned about standing up for Him . . . and doing what He wants me to do . . . not necessarily because of the blessing I get out of it . . . but, for the Lord’s sake. To be more motivated by how Jesus looks as a result of my action, than how I look. To be willing to suffer . . . or be humiliated . . . or mocked . . . or misunderstood . . . because of an abiding sense that it’s what Jesus wants me to do for Him.

And it’s not like the Lord asks us to do this without Himself understanding what it means.

“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth. When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but continued entrusting Himself to Him who judges justly.” (1Peter 2:21-23 ESV)

The One who said, “Father, nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42) led by example . . . an example such that we should be willing to follow in His steps. He didn’t “stand up” for Himself . . . He didn’t “fight back” . . . He didn’t engage in debate or a war of words . . . but for the Father’s purposes “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed” (2:24). If Jesus had stood up for Himself . . . said, “No way,” to Pilate, “this isn’t fair!!!” . . . if He had determined to see justice done there and then by calling upon the legions of angels at His beck and call to dispatch the religious hypocrites and the weak-kneed governor . . . if Jesus had done that, rather than submit to the Father’s will, where would I be today? Lost . . . oh, so lost!!! But for “the Lord’s sake” He endured the unjust treatment . . . the shame . . . the suffering . . . and God was glorified . . . and redemption’s work was completed. And, an example was left for me to follow.

There’s a time for taking it on the chin . . . a time when God is brought the most glory, not by us standing up for ourselves, but through our submission . . . a time when He wants us to emulate the meek and lowly Jesus. And the strength and the confidence for being willing to “take the high road”, though I suffer humiliation or loss, is the knowledge that I can commit myself “to Him who judges justly.” (1Peter 2:23b) I don’t have to stand up for myself . . . He will . . . I don’t have to justify myself . . . He will. Mine is to trust and obey . . . for there’s no other way . . . for the Lord’s sake.