But that changed when LL Cool J recalled Muhammad Ali and his famous, and regular, pronouncement, “I am the greatest… the greatest of all time.” And indeed, when it came to the boxing ring he was probably the G.O.A.T. Never in the history of American sport has someone been stripped of his ability to do his job for 42 months, at the height of his prowess, because of politics and a miscarriage of justice. (On June 20, 1967 Ali was convicted of draft evasion, sentenced to five years in prison, fined $10,000 and banned from boxing for three years. He stayed out of prison on appeal, but it wasn’t until June 28, 1971 that the Supreme Court overturned his conviction. Howard Cosell famously called it “a miscarriage of justice”.) And now, almost everyone would agree.
But being banned from boxing wasn’t the only injustice Muhammad Ali faced in his life. Tomes have been written on the mountains of racial bias he climbed. And yet, it is well worth noting that he did it far differently than Malcom X, the Black Panthers, et al. He did it like Martin Luther King did it. He did it like Jesus did it. And that is why it’s so instructive to hear the words of his son, Muhammad Ali, Jr. Recently, speaking on the 4th anniversary of his father’s death before a congressional committee, Ali said, “My father would have hated the Black Lives Matter protests which pit black people against everyone else. All lives matter! My father would have said, ‘They ain’t nothin’ but devils!’ God loves everyone and never singles out anyone to hate. Killing is wrong no matter what.”
Now, whether you agree with the words of the father or the son, the sentiment of the Ali’s is affirmed by the Apostle Peter as he writes to Christians facing genocide as a result of their faith. Indeed, the entire second half of the second chapter is a call to obedience and submission in the face of withering racial and religious persecution. Look at what Peter says in verse 17, “Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” He then follows it up with this gem: “Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.” Now if you and I are tempted to think the conditions facing 1st century Asia Minor Christians were more tolerable and less racist than in the modern American Republic, a cursory examination of Neroian edicts and tactics will quickly disabuse anyone of such a notion.
Furthermore, we continue this Sunday where we left off last week, with a study of verses 18-25. Peter, no stranger to strong political convictions, elucidates not only HOW we are to live as bondservants of God (verse 16), but WHY. Simply put: Jesus is both the how and the why.
As a precursor to Sunday’s message “Gathered In”, here are some more lyrics from Larry Norman’s classic, “Only Visiting This Planet”. The title of his tune is, “Why Don’t You Look Into Jesus?” Its message is timeless, because we are always making idols of our own imaginations and passions.
“Why Don’t You Look Into Jesus?”
“Sipping whisky from a paper cup
You drown your sorrow till you can’t stand up
Take a look at what you’ve done to yourself
Why don’t you put the bottle back on the shelf
Yellow fingers from your cigarettes
Your hands are shaking while your body sweats
Why don’t you look into Jesus, He’s got the answer.
“Gonorrhea on Valentine’s Day
And you’re still looking for the perfect lay
You think rock and roll will set you free
You’ll be dead before you’re thirty-three
Shooting junk till your half insane
Broken needle in your purple vein
Why don’t you look into Jesus, He’s got the answer.
“You work all night, sleep all day
You take your money, throw it all away
You say you’re going to be a superstar
But you’ve never hung around enough to find out who you really are.
“Think back to when you were a child
Your soul was free, your heart ran wild
Each day was different, and life was a thrill
You knew tomorrow would be better still
Things have changed you’re much older now
If you’re unhappy and you don’t know how
Why don’t you look into Jesus, He’s got the answer.”
Peter would completely agree with Norman! In preparation for our study of 1 Peter 2:18-25 you may wish to consider the following:
1. How do you distinguish between the servants of verse 16 and the ones addressed in verse 18?
2. What does “be subject to your masters” mean?
3. Why does Peter add the description of these masters at the end of verse 18?
4. How does Peter define grace in verse 19 and 20?
5. Someone has said, “Suffering is the necessary condition for grace to be exhibited.” Do you agree?
6. How does Peter define our call in verse 21?
7. On what grounds does he justify this claim?
8. What are some other historic examples of redemptive suffering that come to your mind?
9. How do you suppose the hearers of verse 25 were straying?
10. How do the two titles Peter uses in verse 25 for Jesus reinforce his argument?
See you Sunday!
