Hi friends, It’s ‘Friday Friend Day’ again! This week I have the privilege of having a local Pastor, and friend as our guest blogger. Pastor Aaron Schappell is the lead Pastor at ‘Cross Road Assembly of God Church’ in Elmhurst. You can find the church and more information about them at; crossroadassembly.org Check out their website, they have a lot going on even with covid-19. There are many opportunities to stay connected online. Now here’s Pastor Aaron.
By Rev. Aaron Schappell
The greatest truth we can encounter is in the Holy Bible.
And, as you and I read the scriptures, a Christ-follower should be actively asking questions. Questions help us to learn, grow and gain a deeper understanding of what should be the most influential document we’ll ever read. Let me encourage you: do not be afraid to have questions! When you arrive at a question, seek an answer. There are great resources online to find the answers to your questions and your local pastor (speaking for myself) would love to help guide you to a deeper understanding of the Bible’s story.
Reading the introduction to 1st Peter in my Bible app sets me up for the ‘Who’ and ‘Why’ behind this letter. The O.G. Apostle Peter is writing to various churches in [modern day] Turkey; to both Jews and gentiles. Simple enough. However, after reading only one verse, we find something very curious:
1 Peter 1:1 “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,”
Peter is writing to non-Jewish Christians in western Asia. He writes to encourage them in persecution and to caution them concerning behaviors that are not Christlike. That begs one question:
Why does Peter greet the Christians as “exiles”?
A first-century (60AD) believer would be living in their home in Cappadocia when someone darts into their home – “Quickly; to Darius’ house! Silvanus has brought a letter from Peter in Rome!” Excited that the Bishop of the Roman church was sending them correspondence, they’d rush off to join a gathering of believers ready to listen to every word dripping from the scroll like sweet honey. They’d get two sentences into the greeting and think, “Exile? I grew up here. I started my family here in Cappadocia. I’m not exiled from anywhere!”
You see, Peter was tapping into a theme that starts on page one of the Bible and came to its physical realization 600 years prior to his writing this letter; the enslavement and exile of the Israelites in Babylon.
Exile, in the scriptures, is actually equated to death. God forecasts ‘death’ for Adam and Eve if they eat the fruit, but their immediate punishment is actually exile; they are forcibly removed from perfection in Eden. You see, the believers Peter was addressing were in no way forcibly removed from their homes – they still lived where they always had. Peter was cleverly drawing on this core Bible theme to make a spiritual point.
The believers’ homes were not their homes; their life was not their own. Their minds and attitudes regularly enjoyed the things of this world, but gave no thought to the way of the Creator. The earth they inhabited was in fact the “very good” physical space created for them, but it had been corrupted by death. The laws of man, created to promote peace and civility, were acted out in prejudice and immorality.
The Churches, Peter says, are living in “exile” from their true homeland. Those who accept Christ’s kingdom rule – what He says is right – should adhere to His laws. By default, man made establishments of government or creativity are inherently flawed and are therefore not our true guide; are not fully reliable.
What Does Exile Mean for Me?
The country to which we should swear allegiance does not have a flag, nor an office, nor a throne in this world. Jesus is our president. His cabinet has no term limit. His justice and his rule is always good. And He always acts for the benefit of all humanity… in a way that we can’t really grasp, because He intricately wove us each together with and for each other.
It’s not difficult to see what Peter is saying. I saw a meme the other day that read, “Two SpaceX astronauts left earth recently… Good call!” Family disagreements, neighborhood rivalries, statewide injustice, the division in our country and in the world – all resonate deep within us a feeling that “something isn’t right”. The murder of George Floyd, a global pandemic, underwater volcanoes, murder hornets; every headline you’ve read over the last year highlights the brokenness we feel on a global scale in this global world in which we live.
The corruption and death in our world is a sign to us that things are NOT right, not “very good”. There is a longing for something more perfect; something that makes sense: Eden. This is the picture seen in Revelation 21. The New Jerusalem, representing God’s dwelling, lowers down onto a new earth: heaven and earth in union.
Our Role
These tragedies that we witness are clear portraits of a broken, imperfect earth filled with human evil, sin, and natural disaster. This realization should first point us to the hope we have in Christ – for his coming and our new life in resurrection. The reason image-bearing people hate tribes of other image-bearing people is because of sin and selfishness in our hearts. The reason natural disasters and diseases occur is because death has invaded our natural order since Eden.
May the things we see as ‘backwards’, ‘unjust’, or ‘unfair’ push us to longingly seek after Christ.
But more than that, Christ’s command is to defend, stand beside, stand up for, and to fight for the rights of the orphan and the widow, the maligned, and those without a voice. Stand up for justice when people are treated unjustly – no matter their skin color, status, or religious background. In humility, show love and understanding; being ready to go the extra mile so as to shine Christ’s attitude on others.
Christ doesn’t just call us to pine for Eden and wait for perfection. He calls us to use the gifts He’s given us (the talents and passions we have) to CULTIVATE EDEN right where we’re at. Peter declares the first step to that reality in his first command to the exiles, “be holy in all you do”.
1 Peter 1:13-15 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children… just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do.
We live in exile today. Our current home is inexorably broken by death. But we should long for that other state of being, our true home: resurrected creation. Jesus came to show us what that life looks like and Peter sees it as living different, set apart for good; humbly loving God and our neighbors. Christ is the perfect example of a kingdom mindset.
May the things we see as ‘backwards’, ‘unjust’, or ‘unfair’ push us to longingly seek after Christ.
But more than that, Christ’s command is to defend, stand beside, stand up for, and to fight for the rights of the orphan and the widow, the maligned, and those without a voice. Stand up for justice when people are treated unjustly – no matter their skin color, status, or religious background. In humility, show love and understanding; being ready to go the extra mile so as to shine Christ’s attitude on others.
Christ doesn’t just call us to pine for Eden and wait for perfection. He calls us to use the gifts He’s given us (the talents and passions we have) to CULTIVATE EDEN right where we’re at. Peter declares the first step to that reality in his first command to the exiles, “be holy in all you do”.
May we look to HIS EXAMPLE and HIS RETURN to motivate us to do good to and for others today.
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