Keys of the Kingdom 9 – Seek Peace and Pursue It

Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. For "He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." (1 Peter 3:8-12)

Some of the easiest passages of Scripture to understand are the hardest to live—and this is one of them.

One Nation, Indivisible?

We are taught the Pledge of Allegiance as children and recite it for years: "one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." Yet whether you are politically left or right, an election year reveals very quickly that we are most certainly not a people of one mind. We divide; we contend.

Can you imagine a society, a family, a workplace, or even a church that was truly of one mind, united together? The sad reality is that even churches do not always represent that unity. You might say that is simply not the reality we live in—and perhaps you're right. But could you imagine what it would be like? That, in a very real sense, is what we have to look forward to in the Kingdom of Heaven, where Christ is: complete unity, a uniting together of God and man.

Jesus Prayed and Taught Us to Pursue Oneness

On the night He was betrayed—just hours before He would be condemned by the religious leaders, condemned by Pilate, and crucified—Jesus prayed in John 17, "Father, make them one like You and I are one." That was His prayer for His church: that we would experience oneness and unity.

He also taught His disciples to pray, "Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Part of that will is the unity He prayed for. And not only are we to pray for it; we are to work toward it. Paul writes nearly the same words as Peter: "Be of the same mind toward one another" (Romans 12:16), and, "If it is possible, as much as depends upon you, live peaceably with all men." To the Ephesians he says, "Make every effort to keep the unity... binding yourselves together with peace" (Ephesians 4:3).

Within a marriage, a family, a workplace, or the world, unity takes effort. It does not just happen. Christians are called to pray for and work toward peace. The very passage before us says it plainly: "Seek peace and pursue it." Jesus said His followers would be peacemakers.

What Peace Really Means

Isaiah, 700 years before Christ, called the Messiah the Prince of Peace, using the Hebrew word shalom. In Israel they still greet one another with it. When we hear "peace," we usually think of the cessation of hostility—a ceasefire, an end to violence, "can't we all just get along?" But shalom means far more.

Cornelius Plantinga wrote: "The webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight is what the Hebrew prophets call shalom." That definition is remarkably close to our own mission statement—life in connection, the webbing together with God, one another, and the world through Jesus. The one thing missing from Plantinga's description is through Jesus. This life in connection is experienced only through the Prince of Peace.

When you watch the nightly news—international, national, local—you see that peace is missing everywhere. Yet the Christian has come into contact with the Prince of Peace and has been made an ambassador of His kingdom, called to be a peacemaker. The sad reality is that we Christians often have not done what we were called to do. So the obvious question is: how?

Peace Begins With Compassion

Peter starts in verse 8: "Finally"—a good preacher, he says that with a whole chapter still to go. "Be of one mind, having compassion for one another." Seeking and pursuing peace begins with compassion. The Greek word is sympatheo, the root of our word sympathize. It means to share in the suffering of another, and that requires a humble step down.

This is exactly what Jesus did in the Incarnation. The Prince of Peace, enthroned in heaven, stepped down into the chaos and mess of this world to bring peace. To mediate peace, He had to be in the midst of the mess with us. Hebrews 4:15 says, "We do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." He was bombarded with the temptation of this world, yet He did not respond as you and I are tempted to respond—because He came to bring peace. Matthew 9:36 says when Jesus saw the multitudes, "He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd."

If you follow Jesus, you are compelled by that same love. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:14 that "the love of Christ compels" the believer. His compassion moves us to pursue peace.

Extending Peace Through Brotherly Love

How do we extend that peace to others in this fallen world? Peter answers: "Love as brothers." The Greek word is philadelphos—the same root as the city of Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love. If we are going to experience peace and extend it, we must be moved by Christ's compassion to love others.

Peter defines that love further: "be tenderhearted, be courteous." Tenderhearted means to be gracious and merciful. Mercy is not giving someone what they deserve—when they have wronged you, insulted you, or simply been a jerk, you do not give them what is coming to them. Grace goes a step beyond: it gives a gift to someone who does not deserve it, after they have wronged you. And courteous simply means be kind.

If you are anything like me, the first thing that fires in the back of your mind is: If I live like this, I'm going to get stepped on; people will walk all over me. You might be right. But here is the amazing thing—because mercy, grace, and kindness are so not of this world, when you encounter them, you instantly respect them. When you brace for a smack-down and instead receive kindness, it stops you in your tracks. Even a stranger's "please, you go ahead," or a simple, gracious "hello," makes us notice that something is different.

The Hard Command: Repay Evil With Blessing

Honestly, I am a pretty merciful, kind, tenderhearted person—to people who are merciful, kind, and tenderhearted to me. But Jesus asks in the Sermon on the Mount, "What good is it if you love those who love you?" In Matthew 5:43-48 He says: "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you... For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?... Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."

My immediate response to evil—even evil not done to me—is retaliation. This past Tuesday, every news outlet led with the attack in Belgium, and the first thought through my mind, and through many people's minds, was, Someone needs to take care of these people. That is human nature in a fallen world. And when something is done directly to me, I do not only want to retaliate—I want to escalate.

God knew this. Four thousand years ago He gave the law, "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth"—not as a justification for vengeance, but as a limitation on it, a punishment that fits the crime. Yet our flesh twists it into permission to retaliate.

Peter says no. Verse 9: "Not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing." When someone insults you, do not return an insult—that would merely be mercy. Instead, return a blessing—that is grace. "Knowing that you were called to this." I didn't see that in the fine print. Repay evil with a blessing. This is harder than the previous three weeks on submission to government, employers, and within marriage. Yet it is also the teaching of Jesus—"do not resist an evil person; whoever slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also" (Matthew 5:38-44)—and the teaching of Paul: "Bless those who persecute you... Repay no one evil for evil... Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:14-21).

Why We Can Do This: Christ Did It First

Why should I do this when it seems I will only be stepped on? Because, as Peter says, "you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing." And because this is exactly what Jesus did for me.

Turn back one page to 1 Peter 2:21: "For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed."

That is the Easter story. The Prince of Peace, seated where there is no injustice and absolute peace, stepped into the mess to bring us back into right relationship with God, with one another, and with creation—true shalom. He suffered, was reviled, and hung on a tree for me. Why? Verse 25: "For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls." His compassion moved Him to pursue peace for us. He died on Good Friday, and He rose on Resurrection Sunday to show that His death destroys sin and death itself.

Extend the Grace You Have Received

Christians extend the same grace that they have experienced. We give what we have been given. We received grace, so we are gracious to those who are not gracious to us. We received forgiveness, so we forgive. Paul writes, "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you" (Ephesians 4:32).

Why? Peter quotes the Psalm in verse 10: "He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil... let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it." How many of you would like an enjoyable life and good days? There is no secret here—this is an algorithm for blessing. If you refrain from evil and deceit, turn from evil and do good, and seek peace and pursue it, then you will love life and see good days.

Five different versions—King James, New King James, ESV, New Living, NIV—all say essentially the same thing. You do not need to thumb through a Greek-Hebrew dictionary to find some nuance that lets you out of doing this. And often that is exactly why we reach for the dictionary on verses like this. We do not have a Bible understanding problem; we have a Bible doing problem. We know what it says—we just wish it didn't.

Good Awaits Those Who Do Good

Look at the last verse: "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." Do not miss this: salvation is not dependent on your works, but greater blessing in eternity is connected to them. God will reward those who do good now with good in eternity.

Matthew 6 says your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. When you do good and no one else sees it, your Father sees, and He will reward you in eternity. Exactly how that works, I look forward to discovering. But the call now is clear: do good, seek peace, and pursue it.

An Invitation

If you have encountered the Prince of Peace and become part of His kingdom by faith, you are now a peacemaker and an ambassador of the kingdom of God. We work in this world by compassion, brotherly love, mercy, and grace, giving the same grace we received. We who reviled Him and spoke evil against Him falsely still received His mercy; though deserving of death, He took our death on the cross and said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."

Perhaps you came today as a guest and have not heard this good news. You may wonder what good work you ought to do. A crowd once asked Jesus that very thing, and He answered in John 6:29, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." Put your trust in Jesus Christ. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." But it brings us into a new life: "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

If you are a Christian, you have good works to walk in—brotherly love, compassion, mercy, and grace—in a world that may step on you. Do it because that is the example Jesus gave us, and because He will reward you openly in eternity. If you are not yet a Christian, do the first work: put your trust in Jesus for salvation, and then find out what He will do with your life. You will be amazed.

Closing Prayer

Jesus, we need Your grace. I cannot in and of myself be gracious to other people without Your help. I cannot be merciful without Your help. I cannot be tenderhearted and compassionate without Your help—I cannot even be moved to be compassionate without You moving me. Jesus, help me to be a light to a dark world. Help me live after the example You gave when You came into this mess, and enable me this week, in the midst of the mess, to be an example of Your grace and Your mercy to others. Amen.