60: Working as resident aliens (1 Peter 4:10-11)

Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 4:10-11

Writing to a group of Christians who are being slandered, falsely accused, and perhaps physically abused because of their allegiance to Jesus, Peter explains how Christians are called to transform their suffering into service. Christ has called us to follow him in a world that does not recognize him. We are resident aliens in this strange land, which is not yet our true home. Therefore, we are bound to experience “various trials” (1 Pet. 1:6). Yet we are not victims of the world, but servants of the world, bringing God’s blessings. The job of the Christian, then, is to live in this alien land, blessing it until Christ returns and restores the territory to his kingdom.

What might it look like for Christians to exercise our calling as resident aliens and priests in the work environment? In practical terms, you are not free to disobey those in authority even in order to get what you think is rightfully yours. You will surely find yourself in situations where you don’t get what you deserve—a promotion, a raise, an office with a window, a decent health care plan. You may even find your employer actively cheating you, forcing you to work off the clock, punishing you for your boss’s errors. It might seem ethical to cheat your employer to make up what you were cheated out of—calling in sick when you’re not, charging personal items to the company, or goofing off on company time. But the fact that you lied to or cheated someone to make up for how they lied to or cheated you does not make your action less evil. Your call is to do right, even in a hostile environment.

Why? Because our vocation as priests is to bless people, and we can’t do that while defending ourselves. Other parts of the Bible—especially the Prophets—emphasize God’s call to resist oppressive and illegitimate authority. And submission doesn’t always mean obedience. We can submit to authority by disobeying openly and accepting the consequences, as Jesus himself did. Here and throughout the epistle, Peter draws us almost exclusively to the self-sacrifice of Christ as a model.

Prayer: Jesus, when I am tempted to repay evil with evil at work, help me resist. When I am called to resist oppressive authority at work, help me do so with grace and strength. Help me to do what is right, at work and everywhere. Amen.

For Further Exploration: Read 1 Peter: Serving the World as Resident Alien Priests from the Theology of Work Bible Commentary.