Commentary on First Peter (81)
Second, Jesus did not retaliate. Our first point describes Jesus' condition as he entered the situation – he was without sin. This second point proceeds to describe the negative aspect of his reaction to unjust suffering, or what he did not do in response. Verse 23 says, "When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats." The "insults" refer to verbal assaults, and what he "suffered" could include physical torture. He did nothing to deserve these abuses from people, but in neither case did he respond in kind.
A man was filling out a school application on behalf of his infant son. Some of the questions on the application were directed to the parents, apparently designed to gather information about the child's character. Perhaps these were included so that the admissions committee could get a picture of what the applicant was like other than what they could piece together from his academic records.
One of these questions asked the parents to specify the one thing that, if it was done to the child, would have incited the greatest negative response from him. The man wrote that his child reacted most strongly whenever he was wrongly accused of something. Of course the parents never intentionally accused the child of doing something that he did not do, but as there were other children in the home, one could imagine how that might have sometimes occurred.
The child knew that he was not perfect, and at that time he probably took pride in his frequent unruly behavior. Yet he would react most strongly to unjust accusations. If he was going to be accused of something or even punished for it, then at least let the accusation be true and the punishment be just! Likewise, imagine a hardened criminal who, although he is guilty of many things, is falsely accused of something that he did not do. Oh, how indignant he becomes and how he longs to set the record straight!
Now consider how Jesus himself – altogether sinless, and the very definition of holiness and perfection – was unjustly insulted, accused, and punished. The most holy was treated as if he was the most vile. He was acutely aware of his own moral perfection and the injustice of the treatment that he received. He challenged his enemies, saying, "Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?" (John 8:46). But he did not retaliate, and he did not threaten.
This, then, is the second aspect of his example on how we should endure unjust suffering. He has left us an example of supreme restraint and patience in the face of the greatest injustice. To follow "in his steps," we must first make sure that we have done nothing to warrant the suffering that is being inflicted upon us, and then we must exercise self-control, so that we will not respond to insults with insults, to cruelty with cruelty, and to violence with violence.
July 19 2006 | Expositions