Rev. Doug Floyd

Easter 4 – Good Shepherd Sunday
Rev. Doug Floyd
1 Peter 2

Peter writes a letter of encouragement to the communities of faith dispersed across the empire. The surrounding culture does not understand these communities gathered in and the name of Christ. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks. The world around them simply cannot understand their devotion to Christ. Some believers will be mocked, some will lose social status, some may lose jobs, and eventually, some will suffer and even die at the hands of unbelievers.

We don’t live in the same era as these early Christians. And yet, our culture often misunderstands the call of Christ and even a belief in God. When Peter encourages these early communities, he encourages us.

We’ve talked about how the gathered believers are like a house of wisdom where we learn to live our faith in worship and through one another. We gather around Christ, and He speaks, “Peace!” This is a real and tangible gift of peace from the throne of God. As Christopher reminded us last week, we rehearse this word of Christ with one another as we declare, “Peace to You.”

In chapter 2, Peter reminds us of Christ’s presence and our participation in that very presence. We see an image of Christ feeding us with His very life, with Christ as a living stone, and of Christ as the Good Shepherd. Each of these images offers implications for our response to the presence of the living Christ among us.

In 1 Peter 2:1, we read, “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—” (1 Peter 2:2, ESV). This passage connects with the final words of chapter one, “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.” (1 Peter 1:24–25, ESV)

Christ is the Living Word, the enlivening Spirit who teaches us, cares for us, nourishes us, and provides for all our needs. Peter explicitly says that we are like newborn infants. Here is a metaphor we may not usually think of: we may not think of ourselves as newborn infants. An infant cannot do much. It can drink whatever the parent provides. It can cry out in hunger. It reveals total rest or trust in the parent’s provision.

An infant cannot look around at other infants and wonder if they are receiving more or better attention. Peter says, “So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” (1 Peter 2:1–3, ESV)

In these little communities of faith, the people are not in competition for the blessing of the Lord. Instead, they all come hungry, weak, and dependent on God’s provision. He meets them and us in our weakness, our fears, our struggles. We sing His praise, we hear His Word, we call upon Him to meet our needs, we gather around His table and feed upon His life poured out for us. When we are away from the communities of faith in our lives, we rehearse His faithful in Scripture, prayer, confession, and worship. He alone can feed us with the everlasting life that will strengthen us and help us to grow up into Him.

Next, Peter calls Jesus the Living Stone, and us living stones. He says, “As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:4–5, ESV)

We’ve talked about how the gathered community is a house of wisdom. This house that is made up of living stones is the dwelling place of God, the Temple. No longer built in physical stone, the Temple is a living Temple of Jesus Christ and His people. Ephesians emphasizes this same image. In chapter two Paul writes,

“And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:17–22, ESV)

The Jews and Gentiles are built on the foundation of apostles and prophets, with Christ being the chief cornerstone. Instead of thinking of a cornerstone at the base of a structure, think of the chief as the stone at the top of the arch that holds both sides together. He is holding together Jews and Gentiles as one people, as living stones, as a Temple that is growing up into the Lord.

Peter uses a similar image in chapter 2. Christ is the Living Stone and we are living stones. We are all growing up into Christ. Thus, we might say that the true house of wisdom is a Living Temple where God dwells with His people. Together, we serve Him as priests of the Lord. We are a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices before God. Together we stand before God and lift one voice in worship and in prayer for our families, our community, our world. Then together we are fed by our Lord. He gives us Himself, His life, His Spirit, and He sends us out as priests to a world in need. To love and care for people, to pray for those in need, to bless people, and to bear witness to His goodness and grace.

In the final words of this chapter, Peter speaks of Jesus as the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls. Before we consider this, listen to what Peter says first.

“Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 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. 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.” (1 Peter 2:13–24, ESV)

We live in a world of just and unjust rulers: from dictators to presidents to governors to local leaders to managers and supervisors to law enforcement. At many levels of our lives, someone may exert authority. Some rulers will serve the Lord to punish evildoers and praise the righteous. At other times, rulers may exhibit ungodly behaviors and even cruel and unjust actions. Peter exhorts the people follow the pattern of Christ who defeated the ultimate power of evil. Jesus demonstrated a resistance to rulers by obeying His Father in heaven. He humbled himself even unto death.

We follow the Lord. He is our true sovereign. We seek to honor earthly rulers while obeying the Lord. We honor other people, our fellow believers, our supervisors, our leaders. We don’t want to suffer for doing evil, but if we suffer for righteous behavior, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. We must not assume that our ideas about how to govern are better than what we currently experience.

Douglas Harinck writes, “All existing social orders, even those regimes established on the constructs of emancipation and human rights, are always only systems of relative justice and injustice.”[1] We may seek for justice in this world, but we acknowledge that only the Lord can ultimately bring true justice, true shalom.

As priests in the world, we model the life of the kingdom of God. We seek to speak and act in ways that honor the Lord and others. All the while, we realize that Jesus, our Good Shepherd, promises to lead us, guide us, and protect us. Jesus is leading us forward. Think of our Psalm today.

1 The Lord is my shepherd; *
therefore I can lack nothing.

I can rest completely in His provision. He alone is faithful and trustworthy.

2 He shall feed me in green pastures *
and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort.
3 He shall refresh my soul *
and bring me forth in the paths of righteousness for his Name’s sake.

He will meet my needs. I entrust every need to him. Needs for physical strength, food, health. As well as needs for peace and joy and even pleasure. But times will come when I face dark clouds and the future may be unclear.  

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; *
for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me.

The saints of God have found comfort in this promise across the ages. Many people face actual death with the trust of God’s provision in their hearts. Whether we live or die, He is present. He will not forget us. He will not forsake us.

5 You shall prepare a table before me, in the presence of those who trouble me; *
you have anointed my head with oil, and my cup shall be full.

The Lord can and will comfort us even during great trials. And strangely, we can know deep joy and great sorrow at the same time. They are often intertwined in life’s journey. So we trust our good and gracious Lord.

6 Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, *
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

God’s presence and promises go before us and behind us, above us and below us. All around us. We rest in Him now and in the age to come.

With this in mind, let us hunger and thirst for God’s Living Word like newborn infants. Let us live in this world as priests of God, worshipping Him, interceding before Him, feeding on Him, bringing His redeeming grace to our world. Finally, let us go forth as sheep following the Good Shepherd who is faithful to the end and beyond.

I thought of the U2 song, Grace, while writing these words. Here are a few lines,

Grace
She takes the blame
She covers the shame
Removes the stain
It could be her name

……

She carries a pearl
In perfect condition
What once was hurt
What once was friction
What left a mark
No longer stings

Because Grace makes beauty
Out of ugly things

The Lord is good and worthy of all praise. Amen.

[1] Douglas Harink, 1 & 2 Peter, Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2009), 81.