The subject matter in Peter's letter today reminds me of the words of Dr. Martin Luther King: "Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that." I was just thinking about the terrible shooting that took place in a synagogue this weekend. Obviously the person who did this must be living in an awful pit of spiritual darkness, perhaps coupled with metal delusions. There is a lot of hate in this world and at one time or another we are all going to be hated by someone. We might not be gunned down in a synagogue or church because of our religion, but we will all come face to face with someone's intense dislike. They may hate us because of something we have that they don't, or they may hate us for our religious or political beliefs, or they may hate us for reasons they can't even define---they just know there's something about us they can't stand. Peter is going to tell us not to repay evil with evil. It is difficult to resist paying back those who have hurt us, but Peter reminds us we have a higher calling. We are called to be like Christ and not like the world.
This advice is coming from a man who used to react first and think later. He was a rough and tough fisherman who was more comfortable resolving conflicts with his fists than with soft words. He even tried to cut the head off one of the men who came to arrest Jesus in the garden. Until Peter became a changed man after the resurrection of Christ, he was not one to turn the other cheek. Until he became a minister of the gospel, he was outspoken, impulsive, prone to outburst of anger, and even bold enough to try to advise the Lord Jesus what to do. But he's a changed man now through Christ, and he tells us to be changed men and women through Christ.
"Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing." (2 Peter 3:8-9) If anyone had been looking for a disciple with all these qualities, Peter would not have fit the bill a few years back. But Jesus knew that with His help Peter could have all these qualities, and so can you and I.
I can think of two others who made statements similar to that which Peter makes in verses 8 and 9. When King David fled Jerusalem upon learning of his son Absalom's plot to take the throne, a man named Shimei who was related to the late King Saul stood on a hillside above David and his men and threw rocks at them and cursed David. David's men were ready to kill Shimei, but David advised them to leave him alone, saying that perhaps the Lord would reward him with blessings for showing mercy to Shimei. (2 Samuel 16:5-14) David endured the humiliation of being yelled at and pelted with stones and dirt. He understood the principle of not repaying evil with evil. Though his mercy toward Shimei never changed Shimei's heart, David received the mercy he hoped for from the Lord.
The Lord Jesus is the other man who said something similar to what Peter is saying. He said, "Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." (Matthew 5:44, Luke 6:28) Cursing and attacking those who dislike us isn't going to change their hearts. It's very hard to pray for someone who mistreats us. Sometimes I manage to pray with a sincere heart for someone who's been cruel to me and sometimes I feel like I'm just going through the motions. I can't say for sure how much the Lord honors a prayer that I don't really feel in my heart, but maybe over time He can help me to mean it. Maybe He will bless us when we pray for someone even when it's a struggle to get the words out. We have to keep in mind that if we pray for those who are wicked, and they repent and convert, they will no longer mistreat us. So it's to our advantage and theirs if we practice this principle.
Not everyone is going to convert when we treat them as Jesus would treat them. But the Lord will reward our obedience to Him and that's what really matters, because the approval of our fellow man is temporary but the Lord's approval brings us abundant and eternal blessings. "For, 'Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.'" (1 Peter 3:10-12) Peter quotes David who wrote these words in Psalm 34 after the Lord rescued him from one of the many dangers he faced during his life. David wasn't speaking pretty platitudes; he was speaking from experience. He had tested and tried the Lord's principles and had found them to be true. He had learned that the Lord is faithful to those who are faithful to Him. He knew the Lord blesses those who obey Him.
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