Follow in Jesus' steps
JOE MILLER JR.
1 Peter 2:19-25

This is one of those scriptures twhere we do not want to do what it says, "…that you should follow in his steps." Jesus set the example, and he expects his followers to actually follow in his steps.

When I was a little kid, I lived up north where it snows. When there were several inches of snow on the ground it was hard to plow through because it came up well above my knees. If I was walking with my dad, I would walk behind him in his footsteps because that made the way easier. Similarly, Jesus has led the way and left his footsteps for us to follow. Why do I say that we do not want to do that?

This letter was written to churches in Asia that were surrounded by a pagan culture. These churches were being oppressed because of their Christianity. The churches disrupted society because they taught practices that were contrary to the accepted morals, behaviors, and beliefs of the majority.

Christians had the audacity to insist that people should be guided by love of their fellow human beings. This strange, new religion threatened the status quo of a structured and rigid society.

Individual Christians and the church were subjected to slander, persecution, and abuse. Many today are also slandered, and in some places abused, for standing up for Christ. But how should we respond to the slander and abuse?

According the scripture, Jesus' response was the following: "When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly."

If we are to truly follow in Jesus' footsteps our own response to violence is not violence but trust in God. Jesus could have avoided crucifixion in many ways, but instead he "bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed."

We love the story of salvation, but do we really follow in his footsteps?

Joe Miller Jr. is pastor of First United Methodist Church in Newton.