Many years ago I heard Tony Campolo tell about a certain rich man in Texas. He was so rich that he was buried in his Cadillac, dressed in his best suit with a cigar in his mouth. As the crane operator was lowering the individual into the grave, he was heard to remark, “Man, that’s really living!” As amusing as that may sound we, ourselves often confuse an empty life full of things with really living. We try to fill the spiritual void with activities, we’re busy going everywhere and doing everything and accumulating things to hide the awful emptiness of trying to live life without Jesus Christ as the center of it. Too often we live as Christians as if this life is all there really is and we neglect the fact that we are really only preparing for an eternity with the God who created us.
In this passage of Scripture, Peter tells us what really living is all about. The key idea that Peter is trying to get across to us is that really living is available to every Christian who follows the pattern that he gives to us. Peter outlines two truths concerning how to really live and the results of really living in verses 8-12.
1. The root to really living (v. 8)
The first truth concerning how to really live is found in verse 8. Here, Peter gives us the root to really living. The root to really living is the starting point, the port of entry, into living the life God has planned for us. As Peter sums up the section he just completed on submission he begins his summation by describing the root to really living. And in verse 8 we can clearly see that the root to really living begins with both thoughts and emotions. Peter sandwiches the command for brotherly love symmetrically between two pairs of commands dealing with both our thoughts and emotions. The first and the last words in the list both describe outr thoughts. ([be harmonious]same thoughts and [be humble]humble thoughts). The words right before and after brotherly love both describe emotions ([be sympathetic] same feelings and [be kindhearted] good feelings).
Peter knows that our brotherly love for one another will be driven by the way we think and feel toward one another. As believers in Christ we are brothers and sisters and we ought to have such familial affection toward one another. If we say, “I can’t stand that person,” it’s because we have trained both our thoughts and emotions against our brother or sister in Christ. Let’s look at these commands that Peter gives us. The first word translated variously as “be harmonious,” or “be all of one mind,” literally means to be like-minded. This doesn’t mean that we all think the same things programmed like some cult group. What it means is that we have the same goal. Our thoughts are to be like minded in our goal of exalting the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s like a football team that has the same goal. Score as many touchdowns as possible without allowing the opposition to score any. Each player has a different position, but each one is thinking, how am I going to make sure that what I do in this play counts for the team? In the same way, we ought to be thinking, what am I doing in my life that will count for Christ? But our relationships aren’t a game, church isn’t a game we play, it’s a battle in which we are fighting against a common enemy. That enemy tries to get us to fight each other. We ought not be building trenches between one another in this church. We ought to be like minded. We ought to be harmonious in our dealings with each other. (The better analogy: army)
The second word dealing with our thought patterns is actually the last word in that list which literally means low or humble minded. It is contrasted with pride in Proverbs 29:23 (A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor). This is a recognition that we are not better than someone else. Comparisons between ourselves and others cause division and separation that must not be taking place within our body. Our comparison must be with Jesus Christ. Some may say that we will never measure up to such a standard. That is exactly the point. When we realize our condition that apart from Him that we can do nothing, then He can work in us. Peter, James and Proverbs each say “God opposes the proud but gives grace (or undeserved favor) upon the humble.” God will oppose you until you realize you need Him. Pride does not lead to brotherly love for each other. It leads to thinking negatively toward others. “I could do better than him,” “Why does she struggle with that?” Pride causes us to look at others and chide them for the lousy job their doing instead of praying for them to do better. Jesus said you had better take a look at the log in your own eye before you take the speck out of your brother’s eye. This is what humility is: humility is seeing your faults as they are, much bigger than your friend’s fault and dealing with them accordingly.
The word sympathetic deals with the emotions. It encompasses the idea that we rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. Literally it means to “feel with.” Our concerns must be the concerns of those in our church body. We must be burdened for those who are hurting, we must be willing to pray for them and call them and help them if it is in our power to do so. There are so many needs. We (each one of us) must be willing to praise God for the blessings in the lives of others. Sometimes it’s difficult to rejoice with those who rejoice because we wish we were there. (It was hard when we were without a child, esp. after we were going to have one and then lost him). It was hard to praise God for the blessing of children in the lives of others, but God tells us to rejoice with those who rejoice, and He can give us the grace to joyfully do it.
The word kind hearted or compassionate again deals with the emotions. Paul uses this word in Ephesians 4:32. It is a compassion that results in forgiveness for the sins that one commits against you. It is equivalent to a term we use when we say that someone has a big heart.
The point of these words that Peter uses here is that if we want to know the root to really living, if we want to know where real living starts, we must engage both our mind and emotions, through the grace of God, to think, feel and then act toward those around us in the body, in a manner that treats them with the respect of a member of the family of God. That is brotherly love. That is the root of really living. It is not the face mask of Christianity that says, everything is OK between me and you when its not. Really living can deal with problems in a loving biblical way. But everything will be OK when I begin to love you for who you are and not because of how much you are like me. God begins to do a transforming work in our lives when we begin to accept others as different parts of the body of Christ. Why does God make us so different? Not to irritate us, but to balance us out.
So the root to really living is found when we engage our thoughts and emotions to show brotherly love to those within the body.
2. The road to really living
Secondly then we see the road to really living. If the root to really living was the port of entry of living out the life God has planned for us then the road to really living is the pathway to follow in the life God has planned for us. And this pathway is found in your response to the outside world. First, Peter deals with our thoughts and emotions toward other believers, now he focuses on our response to unbelievers. It is easier to love those who love you, but seemingly impossible to love those who have declared themselves your enemy or at least are apathetic to your way. But Peter gives us a two-fold key in responding to the wrong actions of the outside world.
A. Stop getting even (v. 9a, 10)
Peter says the first key is stop getting even. This is the first step on the road of really living. You have to get this one down before you can get to step two. He says stop getting even. To begin this section Peter discusses action (Don’t return evil for evil). “Wait till he needs help.” “I can play that game too.” “I’ll get my day.” Well I’ll just get in front of her and slam on my brakes.” “Taking my seat, I’ll just won’t give him any room and he’ll want to leave.” “That was my place in line, I won’t let her get away with that.” “He called me a fool for believing in Christ.” Don’t let the hurt burn you up. By returning the evil, you are putting yourself right where the devil wants you. He wants to put you in a situation that you lose your testimony for Jesus Christ. Returning evil for evil is the natural response of our flesh. That is how fights, riots and wars get started, by evil being returned for evil. We want to vindicate ourselves, we want to accomplish our revenge in our time and in our way. Peter says no. Not with actions and not with words. “Not returning insult for insult.” And in verse 10 as Peter quotes from Psalm 34 (keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit). In other words, put a lid on it. But you don’t know my boss. Put a lid on it. But you don’t know my coworker, but you don’t my mother-in-law. Put a lid on it. Peter says we must stop getting even. Whether in a physical battle of actions against someone, or a battle of slander, “Do you know what he did . . .” Stop. Is it difficult? Yes. Is it impossible? No. It is possible for the believer who (as Peter says at the end of chapter 2) entrusts himself to God who judges righteously? When we commit it to God, we don’t have to defend ourselves. We don’t need to go on the offensive. Is God big enough to take care of it? Then why don’t you believe Him? If you don’t make a commitment to stop getting even now, tomorrow you are going to be doing the very same thing. You don’t have to get even if you believe and put into practice the art of closing your mouth and committing your situation to God. God knows. The examples I mentioned were petty. But if you don’t allow God to work in the little, how will He work in the big things, like real persecution, seeing your children hurt or killed, or you being attacked for your faith. How would you respond?
B. Give a blessing
But Peter doesn’t stop there. He doesn’t just say, stop getting even. Even some non-Christians have this attitude about going through suffering, “Just grin and bear it, tough it out.” Peter goes onto give the second key to responding properly to the wrong actions of the outside world. He says, “Instead give a blessing.” This is beyond human ability. Only in God’s strength can we accomplish such a thing. The word blessing conveys the three ideas of praying for, doing to good to and speaking well of our enemies. The right of this blessing was normally granted to the priest in the OT, but as Peter mentioned in chapter 2, every believer is a priest before God and can intercede on behalf of those who do not know Christ. By quoting this Psalm, Peter gives us what is included in blessing those around us. In verse 11, it says, “do good.” Are you seeking to do good to those around you? This is a powerful witness to those who need Christ. Why are you doing this? Because as a Christian, I am called to be a blessing to others. Are you seeking to bless others by looking for ways to do good to them? Also in verse 11 we are to be peacemakers. Seek peace and pursue it. Are you a peacemaker?
The terms here don’t suggest making some casual attempt to promote peace among each other. These verbs suggest a great struggle in working out peace. The word pursue is also used in a context of following after someone to persecute them, as when the apostle Paul sought out Christians to have them put in prison. This is a strong word. And it shows how diligent that we should be to disarm strife between others and ourselves. We ought to be the first one to seek peace and go after it, even when the fault is not our own. We ought to go and speak kind words and restore peace between those who are seeking to hurt us and ourselves. Are you looking to see how you can be a blessing to those who are outside the family of God? Maybe it’s as simple as mowing someone’s lawn when they are unable to do so. Maybe it’s telling someone that you’re praying for them. That’s especially potent when that someone whom you bless has been spreading rumors about you or has been telling lies about you.
Peter says this is to what we have been called. Some people wonder what their Christian calling is. They ask themselves, “What should I be doing?” Peter says, “Give a blessing because you were called for this purpose.” It is our privilege as the recipients of God’s blessing of salvation to share this blessing with others. When our hearts are focused on the end goal of our salvation, seeing Jesus Christ, other things pale in comparison to the importance of telling others of this great gift. And the way that Peter says we are to do it is to seek to be a blessing to those around us. Pray for others, seek to do good things for others. Find out people’s needs and meet those needs. Let God’s Holy Spirit direct you to bless those around you. Blessing others especially those who curse you is your calling from God. This is your Christian vocation. You are called to bless others.
Sometime ago, maybe because this passage of Scripture had been on my mind, as I was on my way home I began to pray for the people in the vehicles around me on the highway. And I found that as I was blessing these people, it was almost impossible for to me have any animosity toward them, the natural fleshly thoughts like, “This person’s not paying attention to the road,” or “That person is moving too slow,” or “I can’t believe he just cut me off” were non-existent. I began rejoicing in my drive home. And I think this is what Peter is describing when he notes next the “Results of really living.”
3. The results of really living (vv. 9, 12)
Peter describes the results of really living in verses 9 and 12. Peter says that when you give a blessing, the result is that you will inherit a blessing. We don’t bless because we want to receive a blessing, but Peter says that’s the result of it. When we recognize that we ought to be blessing others and we begin to bless them, God in turn will bless us. That is the biblical principle of reaping what we sow. When we do good to those who are our enemies, those who mock us and our lives then we receive blessing back. The biblical principle of sowing and reaping is that you always get the same thing back that you sow (blessing for blessing) and you always get more than you sow. That’s why you can’t outgive God. In verse 12 Peter tells us just what it is that this blessing that we are to receive entails. Peter says that this blessing results in two tremendous benefits.
A. Divine protection
The first benefit of God’s blessing is divine protection. Here, Peter describes it as “The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous.” The Lord is watching over you. As you bless your enemies and do good to them, there is no need to fear the cursing of the enemy against you. There is no need to fear the retribution of those who seek to do us harm because the Lord is watching over us.
Peter instructs these believers that even in the midst of persecution, God’s watch care is over them. His protection is evident in their lives. And God’s divine protection can be evident in our lives too.
A few years ago my brother Rick was on his way home from work. A drunk driver barreled through his stop sign into the passenger side of my brother’s jeep moving about 50 mph. My brother’s jeep rolled three times from the impact. When it had stopped, my brother, who didn’t have his seat belt fastened at the time climbed out the passenger window with only a few bruises. Later, my brother was able to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with that man who hit him.
That is God’s protection. There’s no denying that. It wasn’t luck, chance, or a lucky break. God was protecting him. This doesn’t mean that we won’t experience hardship or peril but that in whatever circumstances we go through God is guiding and strengthening us through them. In focusing on blessing others, even those that hurt us, God will show Himself strong on our behalf. We don’t need to worry because God is right there with us.
B. Divine Response
The next benefit of God’s blessing is divine response. Peter says, “The ears of the Lord attend to their prayer.” This is the blessing of divine response. The blessing of divine response is knowing that God hears you and answers when you call upon Him. In turning away from evil in both actions and with our tongue and by blessing others, God is willing to hear our prayers. Is God answering your prayer or is God not there? Are you receiving the blessing of God answering your prayers? I’m sure that many of you can give specific answers to prayer that God has provided. I went through the answered section of my prayer list the other day and was excited to see just how many specific answers to prayer God has given. This is the blessing of divine response. That God cares to answer us. Not only are His eyes watching but His ear is open to hear our cry. Who alone but God can answer your prayer? The strength of man is unable to deliver him from his trials. It is God alone who can provide for our needs. This is the joy of seeing God working in your life. This is the inherited blessing in blessing others.
The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and His ears attend to their prayer. Divine protection and response, these are the results of really living. Do you want to really live? Do you want the joy of knowing that you are accomplishing God’s calling in your life? You need to have the right thoughts and feelings toward those within the body. This is the root of really living. Its where really living starts. And you need to have the right response toward the outside world. Are you returning blessing for evil? Are you seeking to bless your lost friends and enemies? Is what you can do to bless people foremost in your mind? Are you experiencing the results of really living? Don’t say that may happen to others, but not to me. Quit being faithless and start believing! God wants you to experience the joy of really living. There is a joy in the sense of purpose that you can experience in carrying out your calling, your Christian calling to bless so that you may inherit a blessing (Chicago airplane).