The story goes of two young fish swimming along, when they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way. He nods at them and says, ‘Morning boys. How’s the water?’ The two young fish swim on for a while before one of them turns to the other and asks, ‘What is water?’ (David Foster Wallace)
They were living in the water, and swimming in the water, but they didn’t even realise it - it was just so natural and obvious. That story challenges us to think about what we take for granted - the culture and attitudes and opinions we swim in every day, without even realising it. And it’s helpful as a way of reminding us what Peter has been teaching us up to this point.
His letter is all about the fact that Christians are elect strangers; elect exiles; chosen aliens. We are God’s chosen people; but we also find ourselves as aliens and strangers in this world. We belong to another kingdom, another world, and yet we’re remarkably comfortable in the world. But because we are elect, and chosen, we are to live as aliens in the world - to stand out and be different.
Perhaps the best illustration I’ve ever heard was from a preacher from St Helen’s Bishopsgate. You’ve heard of how someone sticks out like a sore thumb. That phrase suggests that a sore thumb is noticeable, that it’s obviously different. But the preacher turned it around - that in a world of sore thumbs, we’re to stick out like a healthy thumb. That we’re obviously different, in a very good way.
Last week, we saw how that is worked out in relation to the state and to our employer/manager. And tonight we see how it makes an impact in our marriages and in our daily life. So let’s look first, at marriage from verse 1:
‘Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behaviour of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.’ (1-2)
Last time, we saw the word ‘submit’ in connection with authority and with masters. And here the word submissive is to characterise marriage. Now, let’s be clear that Peter is not saying that domestic violence or abuse is fine, and he’s not saying to put up with it. Rather, he’s saying that the wife is to submit to her husband, even if he’s not a believer.
It’s obviously better for Christians to marry Christians, but it might happen that the wife has come to faith and her husband hasn’t. What do you do in that situation? Well, what you don’t do is try to nag him into the kingdom - it won’t work! Rather, it’s by winning him to the word without words as he sees your life, characterised by ‘purity and reverence.’
A beautiful life - not skin deep, not focused on externals like braided hair and gold jewellery and fine clothes - but a beautiful inner self, ‘the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.’ (4)
Peter points to Sarah, the wife of Abraham, who was the prototype of this kind of wife. Trusting in God; not giving way to fear. Beauty that doesn’t come from a spa weekend or a salon, but from hope and faith in God.
Now, husbands, if you’ve been daydreaming, the Bible has some words for you too. ‘Husbands, in the same way, be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.’ (7)
Remember that Peter was writing in a culture where marriages were probably arranged, almost certainly not for love; where wives may have been seen as property. The Christian husband is to be different - ‘in the same way’ acting considerately (almost submitting, in a sense), loving and respecting them and caring for them. To fail to respect your wife is to hinder your prayers.
Now, maybe some have tuned out entirely, thinking that those verses have nothing for them. Well, here, from verse 8, everyone is in view - this is for you! ‘Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.’ (8-9)
This is how we’re to get on together. Do you see how it’s the same ideas of submitting, loving, being compassionate? We’re to live in harmony with one another. That doesn’t mean we’re all the same, but rather that we fit together, that we ‘gel’ It’s not that we’re all just on one note, but that our notes ‘sing’ together, as we love and care for each other.
Evil will come. Insults will come. The question is - how will we respond to them? Not by returning the same - evil for evil and insult for insult. Rather, we’re called to repay with blessing, seeking the other’s good. We are inheriting blessing, we’re have been blessed - and so blessing is to be our native language. That’s what Psalm 34 directs us to do, it’s how we’re to live out our days.
Why? Because the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their prayer. The Lord’s eyes and ears are on his people. He’s with us, and watching out for us as we live for him.
We’re living in this world, in this culture, but we’re to be different, we’re to stick out like healthy thumbs, eager to do what is good. And you’d think that everyone would support your efforts to do good, wouldn’t you? Peter seems to think that as well in verse 13 with that question. ‘But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.’ (14)
You see, when someone has a sore thumb that’s sticking out, or they’re in a support, or in plaster, or on crutches, the normal question is - what happened you? What have you done to yourself? Peter’s saying, though, that we’re to stick out like healthy thumbs in a world of sore thumbs, so that people ask us - why are you like that? How’d you get like that?
We’ll stand out in terms of what we fear. ‘Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.’ (14) People around us fear all kinds of things - like a bad diagnosis, or death. But we’re not to fear those things - rather we’re to fear God, to set apart Christ as Lord, to live for his honour and glory. And as we do that, we will provoke all kinds of questions.
‘Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behaviour in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.’ (15-16)
We’re to be ready to give an answer when people ask us about our hope. They’ll see we’re different, and they’ll want to know why. So are you ready with your answer? How come you aren’t afraid of death like everybody else? How come you’re always so joyful? How come you don’t lie and cheat and steal like everybody else in the office?
Now, in case you’re not sure of how you would answer, Peter gives us a reminder in verse 18. For the third time in the letter, he circles round to the cross again. Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. We’ve been saved, and changed. And it’s all because the only good person gave himself for us.
Now, I must confess, that the next few verses are perhaps among the hardest in the New Testament to understand. Commentators and scholars have come up with lots of different possible explanations. Some reckon that that Jesus was opening up heaven to everybody held in prison; or offering another chance. Neither holds any water. The best two options are that Jesus preached through Noah when he was building the ark; or else that Jesus proclaimed his victory (and therefore judgement) in hell between his death and his resurrection, when he descended to the dead.
What is clear is that Noah and his family were saved through water in the ark. And we too are saved through water, in the waters of baptism, when we take hold of the promise by faith. Because Jesus died and was raised, we too live with him. And this is our hope, the hope that sees beyond this life, the hope that affects us in this life; the hope that makes us stick out like healthy thumbs, so that others will be provoked to ask about our hope.
We’re swimming in water; living in a culture we’re very comfortable in, almost entirely unaware of its values and attitudes. But we’re called to be different - responding with blessing and not curse, setting apart Christ as Lord. We may be misunderstood; we may even suffer for it; but this is what we have been called to, because we are inheriting God’s eternal blessing.
This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday evening 30th June 2019.
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