The cross and injustice - Part 2 of Colin Tamplin's study in 1 Peter

In Peter's first major reference to the cross in this letter (1.18-19), he demonstrates how it is to be the supreme incentive to holy living. He points to the greatness and the costliness of the cross, and shows how, in the light of this, Christians are to be a godly people.

Chapter 2 verses 18-25 is part of a wider section on how Christians are to respond to worldly authorities. This was obviously a very real dilemma for the early believers, as almost all of those in authority over them were still completely pagan. How were they to behave in godly ways in an environment that was inevitably so ungodly?

In response Peter addresses three areas of life - the three areas which he knows would be most relevant to his readers. He speaks of the state, the workplace and marriage. In each case the overall message is simple; they are to continue to submit. Authority is God-given, and whether the authorities themselves behave in a godly way or not is irrelevant. They are to be respected because their function is basic to God's ordering of his world.

However, it is to the second of these relationships that Peter gives most detailed attention - to the relationship between master and slave. And the reason is no doubt because it was here that the most serious injustice was suffered. There could certainly be oppression by the state, and also in marriage - but it was in the workplace that a Christian would be particularly vulnerable. They were often treated appallingly by their masters, and their faith would frequently make the unfairness all the greater. And so Peter is particularly concerned to instruct them as to how they are to conduct themselves under such trying circumstances. In order to do this he turns them again to the cross of Jesus.

Hard done by

Now, most of us reading this do not share the circumstances of these Christian slaves. We have rights of all kinds that protect us from these injustices. However, we do still face the problem of unfairness of various kinds. Sometimes it can be formal, in that our Christian faith opens us up to discrimination. But often it is more subtle than that. It is simply those times when we are 'hard done by', or when we are not treated as we deserve, or when we are exploited in some way. These injustices are, to us, very real and very painful. However, what Peter says to these Christian slaves is equally relevant to all of us. We, too, must turn to the cross.

As Peter points them to the cross, there are three 'steps' he takes his readers through

Whose example?

Firstly, he reminds them of Christ's example on the cross (verses 21-23).

Here was the single greatest injustice that the world has ever seen - an injustice that made all their injustices pale into insignificance. Here was the totally innocent One, now tried, tortured, mocked and humiliated. But what was his response?

Negatively, Christ refused to respond in kind. While it would have been entirely normal for a crucified man to hurl abuse at his torturers, this One did no such thing. There was no retaliation and there were no threats. To quote the Old Testament reference that Peter clearly has in mind in this whole section: '... as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth' (Isaiah 53.7).
Positively, Christ committed himself to the perfect justice of his Father. In complete confidence he was willing to leave the whole matter of his vindication to the One whose judgement he knew to be absolutely certain and absolutely fair.

To a first-century Christian slave this must have been extraordinary teaching! Faced with daily abuse and injustice, it must have seemed almost impossible to remain silent, and really believe that however much injustice seemed to prevail, in the end perfect justice would be done. But it can be just as hard for us. We live in a society that constantly encourages us to do the very things forbidden here. We call it a 'compensation culture', which means that we are taught to always retaliate, and always seek instant satisfaction for any perceived injustice. It takes great faith even in our day to buck the trend and imitate Christ instead.

Whose responsibility?

Secondly, Peter reminds them of their share in the responsibility for the cross (verse 24).

This is a mighty verse about the achievement of the cross, but we must ask why it is here, and how it is relevant to this theme of enabling these Christians to cope with injustice. The answer is surely that it is designed to stop them in their tracks by reminding them that the cross happened because of them as much as anyone else! In effect, Peter is asking whose sins really drove Christ to the cross, and by using the personal pronouns he shows that they were equally to blame. They complain about undeserved burdens placed on them by their masters - but they placed the supreme undeserved burden on Christ! They complain about punishments they do not deserve, but they were responsible for 'punishing' Christ. Many of them may have borne literal wounds as a result of injustice, but it was actually their sins that wounded Christ. The point Peter is making is that none of them can inflame their sense of injustice against their masters by saying they could 'never be like that'. In the end, they are as much sinners as their pagan masters, responsible for this unparalleled injustice as much as anyone else.

Our society is not only a 'Compensation' culture, it is also a 'No fault' culture. We want to pass the responsibility for all our failures to someone or something else, thus making it all the easier to absolve ourselves and rant against the injustices of others. But the Christian who understands the cross can never do this. He knows that the event of the cross exposes him for what he is. In the end, when the world's worst crime was committed, he was as much a criminal as those who were there at the event itself.

Whose benefit?

Thirdly, Peter reminds them of the undeserved blessings they have received because of the cross (verses 24b-25).

These again are great verses, condensing in a few succinct phrases the blessings of the cross. But their place in the context of teaching about injustice is very profound, because here we are being shown that non-retaliation, and even an acceptance of personal blame, is actually not enough. That is the first part of a Christian response to injustice, but it is not the whole. When on the cross, Christ did not merely refrain from taking revenge - he continued to endure the shame and suffering because of the blessing it would mean to his persecutors! Those blessings are spelled out here. Christ died for sin so that they could die to sin. He became 'unrighteousness' so that they could live for righteousness. He was wounded so they could be healed. He was cut off from God so that they could return to God's fold. In place of all their sin and evil Christ poured out one blessing after another.

What we are being shown here is the ultimate working out of what Jesus himself had constantly taught and expressed in his life. 'Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who ill treat you' (Luke 6.27-28). It was something Jesus expressed clearly on the cross as he prayed for the forgiveness of those who were mocking him. And it was something that Peter himself noted soon after the Day of Pentecost when he proclaimed to the Jerusalem crowds that though they were the ones who had rejected Jesus and sent him to the cross, God had chosen them to be the first to receive the blessing of forgiveness (Acts 3.26)!

And this is the high point of the Christian's response to unfairness and injustice. In place of retaliation or self righteousness there is to be a firm re-solve to do good to whoever it is who is causing the suffering. Naturally speaking, this is the last thing we would, or could, ever do. But we are not speaking about our own nature. We are speaking about the new nature given to us by the One who so clearly expressed these things in his own life - and supremely in his death.