Silence
5 min read
19 For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. 20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.
— 1 Peter 2:19-20
Obviously, Peter is not condoning injustice. Nor is he condoning turning a blind eye to injustice or tolerating injustice. In fact, as Christians, we should speak out against injustice. And if we do, we might experience some backlash—even some punishment. And if we do, that is commendable before God.
The bottom line is that, as followers of Jesus Christ, we ought to speak out when others are suffering injustice. But should we experience unjust suffering, we are called to follow in His steps of nonretaliation and entrust ourselves to God as the ultimate judge of all things (verses 21, 23).
I can hardly think of a more difficult teaching in all of Scripture. Basically, it is the ultimate demonstration of faith in God and also the command to love our enemies, even as we love ourselves.
One of my favorite movies of all time is “Silence” directed by Martin Scorsese—maybe within the top five. It is a movie adaptation of a book about 17th century Portuguese missionaries to Japan. One of the reasons I love this movie is that I still don’t know how to answer the question that this movie poses. And the question is: Would I publicly renounce Jesus—not to save my own life—but to save another person’s life.
The question of whether I would renounce Christ to save my own life is difficult enough. But in my heart, I do not hesitate to say, no, I would not renounce Jesus to save my own life (Matthew 10:32-33). But if the lives of innocent people are threatened, if the lives of people I love are threatened, then what?
I have a feeling that Scorsese filmed several endings to the movie because he struggled with that question himself.
Seriously. Praise God that we live in a society where we are able to worship God and call on the name of Jesus freely!
Still, there may be occasions where the evil and injustice of this world throws us into a moral dilemma that has no clear-cut answer. And if we find ourselves in those situations, what principle will we hold on to in making our decision?
For me, I will hold on to the purpose for which God has created me and called me—to fill the earth with the glory of God in Jesus’s name through God-fearing, God-honoring, God-worshiping, God-loving communities and families, the church.
Based on this principle, whatever way my decision should land, I believe that God will commend me for it.
Father, sin makes this world so complicated. But it is Your sovereign grace that governs all things. You will turn evil up on its head and bring salvation and redemption. But give me Your Spirit in those moments of decision to speak and act according to Your will. In Jesus’s name. Amen.