1 Peter 2:11-25 “Aliens”

In the ocean this last week a small boy asked me “Can you swim good?” I had just finished swimming laps. “Sure, why do you ask?” “Can you go get that toy out there for me?” I turned to look where he was pointing. About fifty yards away in the deeper water was something colorful bobbing in the waves. “Okay, I will be right back.” I swam out and when I got to the object I noticed it was a little green alien on a toy surfboard! I swam it back into the boy, and he was grateful. So, I want to point out that this last week I actually saved an alien! No kidding.

The scripture today starts with “Beloved.” It is literally “those whom I love.” It echoes how we start wedding services “Dearly beloved we are gathered here today in the sight of God. . . “ We are in a loving community. Everyone is loved by God, but here Peter is saying “God loves you–and so do I!” What a great message. I could just stop right there: This is the Great Commandment of Jesus being displayed even in the way we greet one another.

I have to point out that if you are reading this in another version, such as King James, the text will not say “Aliens and Exiles.” It says “strangers and pilgrims.” One translation has a kind of negative connotation to it, the other does not. From the Greek, I will say that it is not meant to be negative really. In fact, Peter is trying to lift people up who have felt as if their lives are being denigrated by others. Early Christians were really looked down upon by society.

Peter recognizes that the church in the first century is made up of those who society would like to put down, side line, or even get rid of. He does not address his letter to the important people in government. He is talking to the underclass that is now overwhelmingly making up the church. Wow, he even addresses slaves! Back then, you could not get any lower than being a slave.

Just quickly, let us recall that back then you were not enslaved because you were a race of people. You were enslaved because you had no way to pay off your debt, so you voluntarily pledged your labor to one who would cover that debt. Unlike American slavery of Black Folk, the slave had the right to choose his or her master. You could just have someone else carry the debt for you, and then you belonged to that person. It was unpaid contracted labor or like working for a debt manager.

His message to all these underlings of society? You are my beloved! God loves you.

Then, Peter asks a kind of a favor from them: Don’t go off and get yourselves martyred! He says to go ahead and suffer a little injustice today, so that you will be on the good side of the all righteous judgment that is to come. Verse 24, “Die to sin and live to righteousness” is a command to us still today. So, you are an exile, an alien, a slave today! God loves you, and so do all of your Christian brothers and sisters!

Today we all feel sometimes like we just want to “stick it to the man.” We may not even know who that man is, but boy do we want to stick it to somebody in authority. Peter tells us instead that our witness needs to be to bow to civil authority–even when it is unjust–that is WHAT JESUS DID!

Jesus could have avoided his flogging. He is the Almighty God. He could have just stepped out. He could have completely avoided his mock trial. He could have sidestepped the carrying the Cross to Golgotha and the long death on that Cross. Jesus even during the height of his ministry took the coin with the emperor's face on it and told us to "render unto Caesar.” One could say that without the obvious and painful injustices of civil authority, we would not know Christ’s grace and salvation today!

In that sense, we should honor authority. We do not have to agree with it.

I love to share this sense in regards to when Helen and I were in Thailand doing mission work. In every church there is a cross, and above every cross there is a picture of the King of Thailand. What? Somebody put a human King above Christ? No. The cross is empty and is therefore a symbol of civil authority to dispose of malefactors–Christ is risen.

As an aside it is an open secret that the King of Thailand had accepted Christianity. So, Jesus really did win the Kingdom! So, we suffer the injustice, knowing that Jesus wins in the end.

Amen.