Subversive Accomodation

Our text today begins with the statement, "Servants, be submissive to your masters..." Many of us might feel a false sense of comfort, since the rest of what Peter wrote is addressed to a class of people that does not exist in modern American culture. However, Peter is focused on a broader issue than the servant/master relationship; he wants to encourage Christians to live gracious, holy lives even when they are under an unjust authority. He reminds Christians of how Jesus set an example of suffering unjustly, without sinning. Let us, therefore, approach this text as one that holds deep application to everyone striving for joy while suffering as a servant of Jesus.