For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 1 Peter 2:21
Jesus aligned Himself with the will of the Father, and God calls us to do the same: “to this you have been called.” As a Christian, you have a distinct calling from God to follow the example of Jesus when you suffer.
We all suffer in many ways, but Peter speaks especially about times when we suffer injustice. “For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly” (2:19).
What might it look like to follow the example of Jesus when you suffer? Here are two temptations you will face when you suffer unjustly.
You will be tempted to revile. “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return” (2:23). The word revile is where we get our word ‘revulsion.’ To revile a person is to treat him or her with contempt, to renounce, or to view with disgust.
If you suffer unjustly, you will be tempted to revile the person who caused you to suffer. Anger and resentment will come knocking on the door of your heart; and bitterness, hardness of heart, and even hatred will not be far behind.
You will be tempted to threaten. “When he suffered, he did not threaten” (2:23). Think of how Jesus could have threatened the soldiers who nailed Him to the cross: “You are doing this to Me now, but the day of judgment is coming—you wait!”
But Jesus did not do that. He said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Jesus was repeatedly wronged. He suffered one injustice after another, and He was innocent, more than any of us could ever be, but He did not threaten and He did not revile.
Are you facing either of these temptations right now?
