[AI translation] By way of introduction, let me refer to last Sunday's sermon. We have been commanded by God to dress in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. We have heard what true worship is: it is not what we practice here in church on Sunday mornings or afternoons for an hour or so, and it is not so much worship here as it is worship of man, for God honors us by condescending to us in His Word. Our worship begins when we respond to this gracious descent of God into our midst by acts of obedience to His Word, by behaviour worthy of the Gospel. We prayed then that God would teach us to believe in such a way that we would be able to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ in every aspect and situation of our lives. Our Word today can also be understood as God giving us further guidance on how to behave in a way worthy of the gospel of Christ, in a particular case, in a very specific situation. If I were to summarise what I would like to talk about on the basis of the Word, I could say: what does it mean to behave in a way worthy of the Gospel towards our enemies?The Apostle Peter has already spoken about this in his letter, but it seems to have been such an acute issue, such a discouraging problem for the churches, that he returns to it again. From the text we can see exactly what hurt and grieved the readers of the letter: they were treated wickedly, they were reviled, they were subjected to various abuses, they suffered for the truth, they were slandered as evildoers, they were reviled for their life in Christ. In short, they were surrounded by all kinds of human intrigue, malice, insults, suffering, misunderstanding, and opprobrium as Christians. They had to suffer a lot from their environment. It is not physical suffering, not caused by illness or grief, but suffering that people inflict on each other, that one person can make life difficult, painful, unbearable for the other. The kind that is caused by quarreling, slander, gossip, suspicion, harsh words, scolding.
I think we are no strangers to this kind of suffering. It could almost be said that all other suffering is easier to bear than that caused by human malice. This suffering is in the background of many more people's lives than we think. Maybe yours too! Scolding, slander, abuse, vilification: what destructive forces! They tear apart good neighbours, intrude into family life, make office work burdensome, set continents against each other! How much suffering people can cause people! He says: even in such a situation, and especially in such a situation, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ! Yes: precisely in the face of your enemies!
The deepest instinct of every man is to be free from his enemies. Those who are against us, who hurt our feelings, who cause us suffering, are our enemies! And we instinctively try everything to get rid of them! But we usually fail - because we do not behave towards them in a way worthy of the Gospel of Christ. One very un-gospel-like behaviour is to harden ourselves against them. Many times, when I talk to someone and they tell me how much they have to suffer from this or that, I can sense in their speech, I can see in their face, how hardened their heart is towards the person who is abusing them. It's like water freezing over, trapped under a layer of freezing ice. It is the most human, the most natural behaviour: to close oneself coldly, icily, to someone who has behaved in a way that is unworthy of our trust. It's just that the most humane and natural behaviour is usually not evangelical behaviour.
It is in view of this temptation to hardening that the apostle says: "Finally, all of you, be clear, kindred in heart, brotherly in love, merciful, gracious." (v. 8) The apostle says all the things that are the opposite of hardness. For harshness is nothing but the absence of compassion, love, mercy and humility. "Do not be hard, do not be hard!" cries the apostle. This is precisely when compassion, mercy and humility are needed. Is it difficult? Of course it is! But think that you are trusting in a God who has compassion and mercy for you, even though you have hurt Him so many times! What would become of you if He hardened His heart towards you? Do you not live by His mercy, by His patience? Remember what Jesus said, "But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses" (Mt 6:15). What will happen to you if God does not forgive your sins? That is damnation itself! And you're taking it on yourself! By hardening your heart and not being able to forgive. If it is important for you to share in God's forgiving grace, then be merciful, be generous, be humble towards those from whom you have to suffer!
The other very natural and human behaviour in such a situation is to feel self-conscious and say: but I can't take this without saying something! I can no longer pocket this, I will give it back to him! Here again our human nature is opposed by the Word of God, which says: "Not repaying evil for evil, or scolding for scolding; but on the contrary, saying blessing, knowing that ye are called to inherit blessing, For whosoever will love life, and see good days, let him forbid his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit." (vv. 9-10) To pay evil for evil, and scolding for scolding: this is the system of moral law! And how often we experiment with this method! If we are civilized men, we want to decapitate our enemies with the edge of our tongue. Or we take the matter to court. We want to bring the enemy to his knees anyway! We think we can get rid of him, maybe defeat him. Well: this way we never get rid of our enemy, our abuser, we only increase the enemy's anger. For the unfriendly word finds an unfriendly echo, our own sharp tongue only sharpens the other. Lawsuits beget more lawsuits. War does not destroy the enemy, it produces him. So does a war of words.
Oh, that we would take seriously what the apostle says: "For let him that would love life, and see good days, forbid his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit" (v. 10). But now it has escaped your lips, and you yourself feel that you should not have said it. But now the word has gone its way in that other soul, and you can no longer bring it back! But God is right when he says, "For he who would love life, and see good days, let him forbid his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit." - Not only so, but he says more. To say blessing is to say good! Think now of the people who make your life difficult, who make you suffer! The people you complain about. God says: bless them, say something good about them, speak something good to them! There is only one possible way to get rid of your enemies: turn them into friends with your love. Whoever you can bless, at least you will no longer be his enemy! Enmity will cease, at least on your part!
Then there is a very serious warning: "Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and follow it." (1Pt 3,11) Obviously, what the apostle means is that this particular evil is not only on one side, but also on the other. We are not always wronged for no reason. We are not as innocent, as perfect, as we are wont to see ourselves - as in such sufferings. That is why the apostle says: seek peace and follow it! You complain about someone, but do you yourself do your best to seek peace? Can you admit and accept your own fault in such a case? Are you not in an unpeaceful, unhappy relationship with someone because you are always looking for the other side to blame? Have you not yourself made an enemy of the one who is hurting you? Is he not giving you back what you have given him? Well, just turn away from the evil in you and seek peace! Do not expect him to change his attitude towards you, but you change your attitude towards him! In a way that seeks peace. It is so strange when one changes inwardly towards someone whom one has considered an enemy, and approaches him with the intention of seeking and pursuing peace at all costs: suddenly one is astonished to find that the other has changed in him. Yes: the emotions within us, whether peaceful or unpeaceful, somehow emanate from us, and we see the other person in the atmosphere we have projected from ourselves, the emotions we surround him with. That is why what the apostle says is so significant: "Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and follow it."
And finally, the apostle asks a question that every believer should be able to answer, "And who is he who will hurt you if you follow what is good?" (1Pt 3,13) That is, who can hurt you, who can harm you? Are you still, as a believer, hurt when you are hurt, feel when you are hurt, are you still indignant when you are wronged? Only our old man is so sensitive. And it's only good if they don't spare him. They help you do what is most difficult in following Christ: deny yourself. I found a little poem among my papers, I don't know who wrote it, but it is very true. It is about people who hurt: misunderstood good friends through the eyes of faith.
All that the apostle says here remains good advice, which we would gladly follow if we were able. Therefore, that all this may be more than advice, more than another law that cannot be fulfilled, - therefore he says at the end, "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts." (1Pt 3,15) A (former) new translation says: "Sanctify the Lord Jesus Christ in your hearts." As if to say: look, you are unable in your own strength not to pay for evil with evil, and even to say blessing, to seek peace. Only Jesus could do that by praying on the cross and asking for mercy for those who tortured him to death. We are incapable of doing it - unless Jesus Himself disarms our tempers and fills us with His own! That is why the apostle says: "Sanctify the Lord Jesus Christ in your hearts." Let Him, ask Him, let His holiness, His Holy Spirit, work in you, in your hearts, so that you may feel a pressing desire to do good to people, yes, to your enemies! It is not enough to have good advice, you need strength! He alone can make what He counsels you to do also become strength in you!
It is the second Sunday of Advent. Advent is a time of preparation for Christmas. In our worship service last Thursday, we were reminded by the Word of God to prepare ourselves spiritually for a spiritual Christmas. Well, this involves taking stock of every disagreement, every misunderstanding, every grievance, anger, resentment in our dealings with people. You cannot have a real Christmas if you do not reconcile wholeheartedly with everyone with whom you are not at peace! May Jesus, who reconciled us to God, reconcile us to all men. For you know that "if you take your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has a complaint against you: Leave your gift there before the altar and go, first make peace with your brother, and then come and take up your gift." (Mt 5,23-24)
So let us now pray with the word of song:
O Love, shower your warmth on us,
Let us taste your sweetness;
Let us all love with all our hearts,
Let us live in unity and peace.
Have mercy.
(Canto 234, verse 3)
Amen
Date: 5 December 1954.
Lesson
Mt 5,20-26