1 Peter 2:21-25 – 21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” 23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 25 For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Have we been insulted, taken advantage of or abused? Has someone spoken wrongly about us or told lies about us? Has someone actually hurt us? Maybe hurt us severely? Jesus is our complete example on how to live our lives. He set aside His divinity, not separating Himself from it, but refusing to walk in the powers of His divinity and rather to rely totally on the Father and the Holy Spirit. Scripture is clear that He prayed often to Father God and that He was led and encouraged by the Holy Spirit. Jesus led His life as an exact example of how we are to live. Oh, I, like all of us, fall so woefully short. When I am attacked, or if I feel attacked, my first instinct is to defend myself. This is strong within me. However, over the years, the Lord has been remaking me so that often, though not always, I don’t defend myself. Firstly, it is in obedience to the Lord and best for me, and for all, that I do not. Secondly, because when I try to defend myself, I mess everything up. Oh, I can say strong words to defend myself but in the end, I will not have glorified God, but usually, quite the opposite. Whether I am right or wrong, if I defend myself, even if I present a strong defense, it is likely that hard and hurt feelings are what follows. Of course, then I have hurt my “witness” before others. Usually I don’t leave people with the feeling that they are loved, but instead have shown myself on par with the world, rather than someone who is different because I am a child of God, what follows me defending myself is hurt and anger. Me, defending myself, is not a good thing and does not glorify God. However, when I trust God to be the just adjudicator, then He is glorified and I am much more satisfied that I have, as Jesus always did, trusted in our Father. Then God is glorified. Maybe I don’t see it, but I know it to be true, because He is faithful, He is good, and He loves me. It is enough. We don’t ask God to prove Himself to us. And no, that is not what Gideon did. Gideon asked God to clearly show him what His will was. God never needs to prove Himself. Those who know Him well never ask Him to. The thought of doing that is horrid!
The reason that Jesus did not retaliate was because He trusted in God the Father. We need not retaliate for the same reason. Of course, we must know of Him, and know Him, to trust Him. We know of Him and we increasingly know Him through His Word as revealed by the Holy Spirit. This is God revealing God to us. Knowing God, we are confident that He is faithful to us. We are more confident that He is good, and that He loves us, and we are more confident of that than in anything else we know, or think we know, or are able to know.
God being creator of all, knows that we are a creation and nothing more (Psalm 103:14). Being our Creator He knows we are weak and not able to fully live up to the example Jesus gave us. Just as God has made a way back to Him when man appeared hopelessly lost, He makes a way for us to follow the example of Jesus. He Himself saved us. He Himself enables us. Jon Courson, Pastor at Applegate Christian Fellowship, in his Application Commentary on the New Testament, related the following:
When my son Peter-John was about three years old, we were playing in the snow, and I said, “Come on PJ, follow in my footprints if you can.” He couldn’t. My stride was too big.
The stride of Jesus is too big for us to exactly follow in. Now read the end of our Brother Jon’s story:
Peter John did indeed follow in my stops that day – as I lifted him into the air and back down again and again so that he could put his feet in each one. He followed in my footsteps not only because I gave him steps to follow, but because I also enabled him to do so by lifting Him up.
Praise God! What a wonderful example of God’s love and complete care for us. God calls us to do the seemingly impossible. In our own abilities and strength it is too much for us. But with faith in God, we move forward and it is God Himself who enables us. He lifts up into each pre-ordained step. And what a joy to serve the Lord. Now, it is not here being expressed that it is always easy. That would be silly. But always it is joy to know that what we are doing is in direct service to our God. What an honor! What a blessing!
Likewise, it is an honor to hand over the defense of ourselves to the Lord. We know He loves us and that He is just and that He will take care of the matter. We can hand it over and forget about it. If anything, I often worry over the person who would wrong me. I pray for them. If they are refuse the Lord, they will pay in hell for what they do to us. So, with that thought in mind, I pray for the Lord to forgive them and not hold what they have said about me, or done to me, against them. The unforgiven will suffer for all eternity and no matter what they have done to me, I have no desire for them to suffer any further on account of some offense against me. Oh my, the fate of the unforgiven is horrible enough, I release them from any offense against me. May God not hold it against them. It is best to leave all such things in the hands of our good, just and loving God. And leave it there! God will do what is just and right. I can’t guarantee that is how I defend myself is.
God defends us, and He enables us, as He calls us into His fold. He begins to train us who and what His sheep are and do. Who they must become. Family, may we always, every time, trust in God and in so doing, be at peace. May the peace of God be ours as we forgive others and trust God. Praise the Lord!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God.