Devotions—I Peter
I Peter 5:12-14
BySilvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him,I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this isthe true grace of God.Stand firm in it.13 She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so doesMark, my son.14 Greet one another with the kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
Over the years I have spoken with many folks who were quite adamant that they were not theologians or philosophers. They were not concerning themselves with matters of deep theological discourse and just as soon stay away from discussions of the type as they tend to promote division and pride. That is certainly an apt observation. However, does one have to be a “theologian” or an “apostle” or a person whose life is visible, a “mover and shaker” as we like to call them, to be useful to the Lord. Absolutely not!
One of the characteristics about the Bible is the way it praises and highlights the average even undistinguished folks in her pages. You don’t find this in the holy books of other religions. One of the genuinely wonderful things about the gospel of Christ is the way in which it gives very ordinary people an extraordinary life to live and a legitimate path to genuine purpose. We are all very familiar with the “great persons” of the Bible: Abraham, Moses, Ruth, Esther, David, Paul etc. These were heroes to be sure! But around them and among them and in greater numbers, we ordinary people at least as the world measures such things. These folks do not take up a lot of ‘ink’ but without whom the glorious message of redemption would not have moved along as it did.
This morning, as we wrap up I Peter, let’s look at two such people that Peter mentions. First, there is Silvanus which is just the Latin form of the name Silas. We know Silas in connection with Paul’s ministry. Silas either functioned as a secretary for Peter, writing under Peter’s supervision, or he was simply the courier. Silas first appears in the New Testament in Acts 15 where he is chosen to accompany Paul and Barnabas to Antioch.
Silas is described as a leader in the church. He was also a prophet and was a great encouragement to the saints in Antioch through his preaching. He later became Paul’s companion on his missionary journeys, and was jailed with him in Philippi. I surmise he had a wonderful baritone singing voice as we read that he and Paul sang hymns that night in the jail! Paul would often leave a city but leave Silas in order to establish the church.
And now, years later we find Silas assisting Peter in his work and being given some credit for another letter that would find its place in Holy Scripture. Some think that Paul had been killed and that is why Silas found and served Peter at this time. If that is true, then we are all the more impressed with him; Your former mentor is murdered for doing the work and you go and find another person doing the same work? Silas was quite impressive. And, yet, there is no question that he lived it in the shadow of much greater men! He is a minor character in the Bible, like many others, but in that simple fact, is there not something important for us?
Then there is Mark, mentioned in verses 13. Mark is, or should be a great comfort to all of us. Perhaps you don’t remember much about him. Mark was in Gethsemane the night of our Savior’s betrayal. Some have conjectured that he learned of Judas’ treachery and had gone straight from home late at night to warn Jesus. This would explain why he was in the garden dressed only in a single linen garment, as we read in Mark 14:51. When the soldiers came to make their arrest, they grabbed him too. Mark was terrified and could think only of saving himself so he ran out of the soldier’s grip but lost his clothing in the tussle and ran away naked into the night fleeing for his life. I am sure he looked back on that night with a good degree of shame and guilt. And yet…he recorded all of that in the gospel that bears his name.
But that was not the only time that Mark allowed his fear to get the best of him. We read in Acts 13 that he was with Paul and Barnabas on the first missionary journey. When things got difficult, Mark quit. He went home. We know that Mark’s deserting Paul was a huge problem later when Paul and Barnabas got into a tiff because Paul refused to take Mark with them on their next journey. Barnabas wanted to give Mark another chance, but Paul refused. (Acts 15:38)
Barnabas and Paul separated because of this, and Paul took Silas, (mentioned here in I Peter) and went one direction and Barnabas took Mark and went another. Mark was the cause of separation between two of the most godly men in the New Testament! But Mark is found later at the side of the Apostle when Paul says to Timothy the young pastor: “Luke alone is with me. Get Mark bring him with you for he is very useful to me for ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:11) We are not sure how or even when the reconciliation happened, but it did.
The Bible is filled with great heroes but also with many men and women who, although not being a Paul or a David, nonetheless, are the glue of redemptive history. As we get older we might conclude that we will never be a Paul or an Abraham, an Isaiah or John the Baptist. We will not be the next Luther, or Calvin or St. Augustine. These men, for the most part, are beyond our reach. But perhaps a Mark or a Barnabas? Peter’s conclusion sets for us an encouragement to believe that true godliness and the hard work of being faithful in the small things even for us ordinary people, is both pleasing to our Father, AND, of great benefit in what He is doing in the world.
I must say that we have such people in our church…quite a large number, and I am more than thankful for them. We have many who quietly, cheerfully and faithfully are the undergirding of any ministry that happens through Sandhills Presbyterian Church. I would like to encourage you all to consider how we might be more like the so-called, “ordinary folks”, like Silas and Mark. One might think their names could have been left out, that they are not essential to redemptive history, but that is not what the Holy Spirit thought.
Perhaps our aspirations shouldn’t be to “lead the next reformation”, but to be instinctively called a “faithful brother…a steadfast sister in Christ.” The grace of God can make us such people, it has made multitudes of everyday people into such men and women. The question is: Do you aspire to be such a person? Listen to this author’s conclusion:
Whereas far too many of us are not really, not if the truth be told, following as hard after what we know is not yet in our Christian lives. There are things in our lives – and you know what they are – that we ought to have left behind long ago, and we have not done so. Maybe we think it isn’t that big a deal because our lives are small, and they don’t count for very much. Here’s a text to disabuse us of that excuse. We are not seeking it with tears daily from God’s hand. We are not practicing gospel holiness with a vengeance in our lives. We may have practiced it zealously at some earlier time in our lives, but we are not now. We are sullen and critical in spirit and we know we are, but we are not repenting of that pride and anger and instead putting on a cheerful spirit of compliment, appreciation, and kindness to others.
We are lazy and indifferent to the work that lies before us to contribute to, but we are not repenting of that indolence and selfishness and instead applying ourselves to any and every worthy work we can lay our hands on. We are lustful after the pleasures of this world but are not repenting of our lack of faith in a world to come and a judgment day and a very short stay in this world in which to love and serve our Redeemer.
We are angry and hard in our relations with others, perhaps even our own children, but we are not repenting of all of those ways in which we exasperate others when we ought to be devoting ourselves to spreading cheer and practicing kindness. We are glum and moody but are not repenting of our lack of Christian joy and seeking to be happy in Christ and to make others happy, which is virtually the same thing!
Brothers and sisters, there is much for us to do. Be a Mark…be a Silas, an Elizabeth or Phoebe. Be an ordinary man or woman who follows hard after the Lord, seeks to serve the church and finds joy in the simple truth that the King of Glory knows your name.
Prayer: Father, I would not have the restless will that hurries to and fro, seeking for some great thing to do, or secret thing to know; I would be treated as a child, and guided where I go.
I ask thee for the daily strength, to none that ask denied, a mind to blend with outward life, while keeping at thy side, content to fill a little space, if thou be glorified. Through Jesus Christ my Lord, Amen. (Anne Waring, 1850)
Hymn: Am I a Soldier of the Cross