Today we turn to Peter’s first letter to the Church at large. Peter wrote two letters, and each was intended to encourage, challenge and correct. Peter’s pastoral side comes out in the letters, and he wanted to encourage those who were suffering for their faith in Jesus to persevere and to expect Jesus’ rewards for their faithfulness. We see he might be coming to consider Jesus’ return as something that won’t happen as quickly as the apostles and other believers thought originally.
In 1 Peter 1, Peter tells us he was writing to those who had been dispersed because of their faith throughout the known regions of the world. He encouraged them to maintain the hope of their faith, because as those who were born again to a new hope, they were assured of their ultimate rescue through Jesus. Peter also emphasized we are called to be holy, that is set apart for God’s purposes in our lives. While our “flesh” is temporary, we can be assured of our futures, because they are tied to God’s eternal word.
In 1 Peter 2, Peter calls the people “living stones,” and just as Jesus, the true living stone, caused offense, but ultimately overcame, so will we. Peter then moves to exhorting his readers to submit to authority. He mentions submission to the emperor and governors first and speaks of submitting even when it means suffering. Next, Peter challenges slaves to submit to their masters, even when they were treated improperly. Peter also points out there is blessing for suffering when you are doing right, but not when you suffer for doing wrong.
In 1 Peter 3, Peter continues his conversation about submitting, by telling wives to submit to their husbands. He reminds the wives their faith might be the means by which their husbands come to know the Lord. Peter tells husbands to live with their lives in and understanding way, and to treat them well. Otherwise, their prayers might not be answered. Peter closes out the chapter by reminding his readers to be willing to suffer for doing good, and always to be ready to give an explanation for the hope they have in Jesus. He reminds them Jesus also suffered for doing right, and in so doing brought them salvation!
In 1 Peter 4, Peter reminds his readers they are stewards of God’s grace and must not misuse it. He continues to write about the importance of being willing to suffer for doing right, and to remember when we have suffered in the flesh, we are done with temptation. The chapter helps us to recognize the world will not agree with our lives when we put Jesus first, and thus, we can expect some discomfort.
In 1 Peter 5, Peter exhorts the elders, pastors and overseers, who are all one group of people, to lead the people effectively and humbly. Peter reminds all of them to live in humility and to remember the devil is roaming around like a hungry lion seeking to devour them. The good news is when we trust in the Lord and live in His will, the lion has no opportunity to devour us.
As we return to Luke 16, Jesus tells an odd parable. It is odd in the sense that Jesus affirms a “shrewd” manager who was going to be fired, who used his master’s debtors as a means of finding a new job. He did it by cutting deals with each of them, so one of them might consider hiring him, because of his efforts of cutting their debts toward his master. Jesus’ point is the people of the world are wiser in using money than we are, so we need to be wiser in this area. Jesus closes the chapter with the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Both died and the rich man, who had never helped Lazarus who was poor, or thought of anyone but himself was sent to hell, while Lazarus went to heaven. The rich man begged Abraham to send Lazarus across the chasm between heaven and hell to give him a drink. Abraham responded it wasn’t possible. Then the man begged Abraham to send Lazarus back to warn his brothers about their need to change. Again, Abraham said it wasn’t possible. Even if it was possible, Abraham pointed out the brothers had Moses and the prophets to lead them to God. If they wouldn’t respond to that truth, sending someone back from the dead wouldn’t either. What a great blessing it is that we have the word of God, and the words of Jesus to instruct us about the matters of our life and salvation!