Scripture Text: 1 PETER 3: 8-12.
What difference does it make? This is a common question. Sometimes it is heard as a challenge and as a defence at other times. When someone might insist on 'just so', they are challenged with, "What difference does it make?" When someone is being held accountable for failing to do something, or for doing the wrong thing, we often hear, "What difference does it make?"
Sometimes, the answer to this question is that it makes no difference. More clearly what it really means is, "I don't want to," or "I don't agree." And sometimes when it is against criticism of some sort, it means "I don't care." Our today’s text addresses the difference it makes when one becomes truly Christian and in the world's attitude toward them. Our theme, looking at Peter's words in today’s text, is "The Difference It Makes."
Peter is giving instructions in this portion of the Epistle. He is speaking about how a Christian should be: He says, Finally, all of you have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse, but on the contrary, repay with a blessing. This is the difference it makes. The people of God are harmonious, sympathetic, kind-hearted and humble.
f the victim needs retaliation, the option before the victim would be another evil. This is the logic that is working out in every society. Here the question arises, “What difference does it make?” Peter in this passage has something else to suggest. He exhorts, “Do not repay evil for evil and abuse for abuse.” It seems illogical to our discernments. Evil things happen in a society, which continues to permeate more evil practices. When we are about to repay evil by an evil, we are going further to create a greater evil. The efforts for a virtuous act for s
Our popular understanding is that a society becomes a just society, only when everything is remunerated justly. The state, law and constitution ensure that, not only services and virtuous actions are to be paid, but also each and every evil should be repaid. It is one of the primary functions of the state and judiciary, to make sure that, the evildoer is repaid with a punishment, which is equally evil. In this structure,
iome may be an evil act for others and vice versa. The only creative and positive reaction to such evil practices is to lead a life of blessing as referred in the text. What else could be a blessed life, other than the one which transforms the evil into blessing?
fe of these men and women who took this deliberate deviation from the existing notions of goodness and blessing became blessed, and a blessing to the society and to the nation. Mary, mother of Jesus was one such bold woman who took the stance to accept God’s decisions over her life, though it appeared as an evil before her. And later she believes herself as “blessed among all the generations,” and it is true that the whole Christendom believed and believes it so. These days we are meditating upon Christian responses to nation building. The father of our nation Mahatma Gandhi’s life engagements often lead us to such Christian responses in nation building. When the Independent India was on joyous mood, on the threshold of fThere are some characters in the bible who have foreseen that, their life journey eventually may lead them to immeasurable evil. They made a critical stance before this knowledge, and critically viewed the prevailing notions of good and evil. Over long years the l
ireedom on 16 August, 1947, the hero of Indian Independence movement was far away from these celebrations. Sabarmati, the ashram of Mahatma Gandhi was in a joyous mood of celebration. But the guru of the ashram, Gandhiji was at NavKhali, fasting unto death at the house of brother Issa, trying to bring the peace and joy of Sabarmati to NavKhali. NavKhali was on communal riot on those days following the Indo-Pak partition. Gandhiji chose the path to death to bring new life to the community at NavKhali. This was a deliberate step not to do evil and in turn do good. The path of thorns which he took might be viewed as painstaking but it brought forth flowers of peace and harmony. Well, now we say it did make a difference. Won’t we? As we move past 61 years of being republic we must evaluate where are our preferences lying? Are we in the celebrations of today’s Sabarmathis or are we in today’s NavKhalis?
So friends, we have the scope to transform evil into goodness. At the same time, it should be our longing, to keep the innate goodness, without being stained.
May God help us to have these earnest commitments to lead a blessed life and to be a blessing to all. Amen.
[Daiju K.Joseph, the leader of this sermon, is a final year BD student of Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute, Chennai, India.]
