Show and Tell
(1 Peter 3: 13-22)
One of the things I most fondly remember from elementary school was show and tell. Excitedly, you would bring something to school to show your classmates and then tell them all about it. I don’t recall any of the things I brought but whatever it was, it was important to me, and I wanted to share it with the class because it told them something about me that I thought was worth knowing. And I am sure there were some surprises for our teachers as they had no idea what we wanted to share and why we thought it was sharable. I imagine with most kindergartners the sharable item was no doubt a favorite stuffed animal that was comforting, easy to talk to, confide in, and not judgmental.
And it is Christian show and tell that the Apostle Peter is talking about in our scripture reading for this morning. Peter is writing about those times when we can show by our actions or speech what it means to be a Christian and tell people what a difference Christ has truly made in our lives. It’s easy when you have a receptive audience of like-minded friends, but there are times that you may be criticized or ridiculed for your belief. How we react or respond is what Peter is writing about and how it may reflect upon God’s efforts to restore the kingdom where we hopefully are not a hinderance or a stumbling block.
Peter is writing this letter to the Jewish Christians who have been driven out of Jerusalem and scattered throughout Asia Minor sometime between 62-64 A.D. when the Roman persecution under Emperor Nero was in full effect. Christians were being tortured and killed for their faith and the church in Jerusalem was being scattered far and wide. Peter himself would eventually be arrested and executed during this purge.
Peter asks: Who will harm you if you are zealous for good? But happy are you, even if you suffer because of righteousness! Jesus knew what he was doing when he told Peter that he was his rock, that he, Peter, would be the one upon whom the church would be built. Peter was an action figure who, early on during Jesus’ earthly ministry, acted impulsively without thinking things out, to the point where Jesus would have to reign him in. But now, Peter was on his own, fueled and fed by the Spirit, zealous for the Word and anxious to spread it to anyone who would listen. His question about being harmed for doing good is almost rhetorical. The scattered Christians knew the answer. First, it was the Jewish religious establishment who felt threatened by the Followers of the Way and now it is Rome, particularly the paranoid Emperor Nero who couldn’t handle the fact that people within the empire were worshipping someone he couldn’t get to. Peter tells them not to be terrified or upset by these people and: Instead, regard Christ as holy in your hearts. Whenever anyone asks you to speak of your hope, be ready to defend it. Yet do this with respectful humility, maintaining a good conscience. Obviously, this was well before the internet and social media where if you dare post something even mildly controversial you run the risk of being trolled, vilified, and shamed for having an opinion. I know, as I am very careful when I post something and, more often than not, I usually delete my post before hitting send. But Peter tells us to act in this way so that those who malign our good lifestyle in Christ may be ashamed when they slander us. Again, Peter was never exposed to social media or unsocial media as the case may be, but he does have a point. He says: It is better to suffer for doing good (if this could possibly be God’s will) than for doing evil. Yeah, as we used to say when I was a Houston Police Officer: no good deed goes unpunished.
But Peter makes his point when he tells his readers that Christ himself suffered on account of sins, once and for all, the righteous one on behalf of the unrighteous and says: He did this in order to bring you into the presence of God. He reminds us that Christ was put to death as a human, but made alive by the Spirit and that our salvation comes through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is at God’s right side, and that now that he has gone into heaven, he rules over all angels, authorities, and powers.
For Peter, the journey from sufferings to glory is also a journey to suffering and holiness. It is a transformative experience because whoever suffers is finished with sin. In our transformation to active and engaged followers of the way of Jesus Christ Peter is encouraging us to be ready to give a verbal defense for the hope we cherish. This is particularly difficult during these tumultuous times we are currently experiencing when some in power are doing all they can to weaponize Christianity using a twisted and manipulated take on Christianity to oppress the marginalized and those Christ came to serve and save. People are angry and when they find our you are a Christian, they want to vent their frustrations on you which is why Peter tells us that our response must be done with humility while being mindful of God. As hard as it is, you must remain patient and let them vent being an active listener and when they are done you tell them that you hear them and understand where they are coming from. You empathize with them and then explain to them that you aren’t that kind of Christian. You’re not arguing with them, you are seeing and acknowledging their point which allows you to then explain the difference between the type of Christian they are angry with and the type of Christian who actively lives out the teachings and love of others taught by Jesus Christ. This is what Peter meant when he told his readers to act in this way so that when those who malign our good lifestyle in Christ, they may be ashamed when they slander us, and more importantly, they may come to understand the difference. You may not be able to keep people from slandering you, but you can at least stop supplying them with ammunition. As long as you do right, their accusations will be empty and will only embarrass them. We must keep our conduct above reproach and criticism.
John Wesley, the founder of our Methodist denomination said: “The gospel of Christ knows no religion but social; no holiness but social holiness. Faith working by love is the length and breadth and depth and height of Christian perfection.” He’s talking about our being zealous for good and ready to defend and explain the hope we have in our hearts. He also said: “If doing good brings suffering, then God—faithful and creative—is ever reliable, in whose truth, love, and power, ye may safely trust.” Peter and John Wesley are both urging us to actively and openly live our faith and to be ready to defend or offer up an explanation as to what we believe and why we are not ashamed.
To many this may sound all well and good, but they have enough going on in their lives to contend without being confronted and questioned about their faith and having to account for why some Christians act so un-Christlike. They may rationalize that their faith is a personal matter that should be kept to themselves, between them and God. It is true that we shouldn’t be boisterous or obnoxious in sharing our faith, but we should always be ready to give an answer, gently and respectfully, when asked about our faith, our lifestyle, or our Christian perspective. Nobody sees a candle burning under a bushel.
In today’s society the church corporately embodies the way of Christ, at least we hope so. And when we come under attack for being God’s people, we must double down, expressing our mutual love and humble willingness to sacrifice ourselves for the blessing of others, as difficult as that may seem at times. But doing good is always God’s will, even if it results in suffering, as Christ himself demonstrated. So, in all that we do on our daily walk we must show by our actions whose we are and then kindly and gently tell them why. We must gladly and joyfully show and tell.
Let us pray
Gracious and loving God, continue to show us your will and your way and keep us alert for those opportunities to humbly tell others what it means to have your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ in our lives. Keep us calm and controlled when we are confronted by those who take offense to our commitment to Christ and the work we do in his name. Guide us by your Spirit to actively listen, to empathize, and understand where they are coming from and may our response be a response of love and compassion which draws them in rather than drives them away. Move us by your grace to tell them the story of Jesus so that he may show them the way. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.
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5/10/26
Show and Tell
But doing good is always God’s will, even if it results in suffering, as Christ himself demonstrated.