“For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered [or died] for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone.”
1 Peter 2:21-22 NLT
Is this another paradox in Peter’s letter? Suffering if we do good? We must break this down to understand Peter’s thoughts. Firstly, about doing good, was that for, or to, ourselves, or was it to be applied to others? Probably both, I think. Often, personal good can affect others as well as ourselves. We also need to bear in mind that Peter was addressing his advice to some slaves in the churches in the Five Provinces. The pressure of living in a “good” way as demanded by their faith in Jesus would have potentially been very difficult. The natural tendencies towards immorality, spitefulness, wanting to take revenge, cruelty, rebelliousness – they are all opposites to the “good” demanded of people experiencing the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
So if we pilgrims are living in a way that is “good” will that lead to ”suffering”? It could certainly lead to inconvenience or personal cost, as we help others in our families or communities. It could also mean social isolation as we shun the sinful practices of those around us. But to the first century slaves, doing good would have perhaps meant turning their lives around, a new paradigm in a sinful and cruel world. The very fact that they were slaves would have meant that their “good” behaviour might have been resented by their slave masters, and result in some form of punishment.
Jesus said in His Sermon on the Mount, “In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your Heavenly Father” (Matthew 5:16). It is a fact that a moral stance on certain issues can cause resentment in others and even provoke them to a violent response. That will lead to suffering, for sure, particularly for those at school or in a work environment. Paul wrote in Romans 8:18-19, “Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are“. We have a choice in this life. Make it comfortable for the years we are on this earth, or plan for the future when life becomes eternal. Hopefully most of the time doing good will be appreciated by those around us, but when society brands us as “do-gooders”, contemptibly rubbishing our philanthropic deeds, we take a step back, breath in deeply, and move on, certain that one day we will be vindicated by our loving Heavenly Father.
Jesus consistently did good in His community, telling people about the Good News of the Kingdom of God and healing the sick, but even then He was condemned for His good deeds. we read in John 10:31-32, “Once again the people picked up stones to kill him. Jesus said, “At my Father’s direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone me?”” That was the sort of suffering that Peter was writing about. The times when people question the good that we do, looking for an ulterior motive that perhaps exposes another agenda.
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