Christian uprightness amid suffering is a powerful way of giving an account for our faith in Christ our Redeemer (1 Peter 3:15-18). In the power of the Holy Spirit given us, we are to keep the commandments of Christ and remain in communion with God (John 14:15-21).
Innocent sufferers
The Christians of Asia Minor undergoing harassment and persecution are instructed by Peter to respond to their situation in a particular Christian way. They must be ready to give an explanation to anyone asking for a reason for their hope unquenched by their pains and humiliation. They must be capable of giving an account for their hope and loyalty to Christ. And they should do so simply and with respect, as he said earlier “not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult” (3:9), but also “not afraid or terrified with fear” (3:14). Their Christian behavior through both words and deeds should reflect favorably on their faith.
Also, the apostle reminds them to keep their conscience clear, to give their enemies no justification for finding fault with them. Their Christian upright living should put to shame those who malign them. It is Peter’s repeated point made to the early believers that “It is the will of God that by doing good you may silence the ignorance of foolish people” (2:15). Definitely, better to suffer for doing good, if it is God’s will, than for doing evil. As innocent sufferers, those who slander them are shamed for obviously doing so unjustly. Indeed, “whenever anyone bears the pain of unjust suffering because of consciousness of God, that is a grace” (2:19).
In imitation of Christ
To follow Christ’s example in this regard (as we have seen in the Fourth Sunday of Easter) is the vocation of Christians (2:21). “If you should suffer because of righteousness, blessed are you” (3:14). Thus, writes Peter, Christians bless Christ as Lord in their hearts, acknowledging His holiness, for it is in the context of Christ’s holiness that the sufferings of Christians must be considered. The sacred example of Christ’s innocent suffering gives the believers strength to patiently endure everything and courage to give enthusiastic witness to the faith.
The tremendous good that can be achieved through innocent suffering becomes manifest in the death of Jesus Christ, which should be remembered as a kind of sin-offering, a vicarious sacrifice by the righteous one for the sins of the unrighteous. It was effective in bringing about our redemption once and for all; no other atonement sacrifice needs to be offered in the future. Because of his sacrifice, Christ has now made it possible for us to have communion with God. And our Christian hope is anchored on the fact that although Christ was put to death in the flesh, He was raised up to life in glory in the spirit. Similarly, though Christians may die in the human sphere, in the sphere of the spirit they hope to be brought to everlasting life.
With the Paraclete
The love that Jesus asks of His disciples is a demanding one, self-sacrificing as His own love. Only those who imitate Him and obey His commandments can be said to truly love. Obedience and imitation are consequences of love. And love for Jesus means being loved, in turn, by His Father and by Jesus Himself, and so being in the communion of the Triune God, for Jesus would also ask the Father to give His followers another Paraclete to be with them forever. This advocate is the Spirit of truth, whom the world in its materialism cannot see and know and accept. Motivated by love, the disciples, on the other hand, know the Spirit who is in them and remains with them.
The departure of Jesus in going back to the Father would not mean abandoning the disciples, for He will return. In a little while through His death, the world would see Jesus no more. But His disciples would be seeing Him because He would be resurrected from the dead, and as Jesus lives, they will live in a new bond with Him that endures all things. And He would be back in the gift of the Holy Spirit He promised and which would mean God’s abiding presence. Also, “on that day” at the end of time, He will be back when all the faithful will be united with Him forever. And it will be all clear then that Jesus is in the Father, and that He is in us and we are with Him.
Alálaong bagá, the amazing words of Jesus reveal the marvellous manifestation of love in the mutual indwelling among Jesus and the Father and the Spirit, and among us and Jesus and the Father and the Spirit. We are here given some insight into the intimacy of the Trinity and Their relationship with us in faith.
Our participation in this divine life is translated in our Christian way of living in the world. In a world without hope, we are to live according to our hope of the promised fulfillment through Jesus Christ in the power of the Spirit given us by the Father. Because God is trustworthy, we can live upright amid
trials and pains. True lovers of Jesus can
account for their hope.
For more of my reflections and works, visit my blogsite: http://alalaongbaga.multiply.com.
