8 25 03

almost 12a

I Peter 3:1-7

In the first section of this passage, verses 1 through 7, we get instructions on how wives and husbands are supposed to treat each other.

Here at the beginning, wives are told to be submissive to their husbands �in the same way�. What way is that? Well, read a little earlier. In the previous chapter, verses 13 through 25, Peter tells us to respect and honor those who are placed in authority over us. We don�t have to like them, but we must be respectful and gracious and submissive to their authority� to the office. We are given the example of Jesus.

This is what Peter is telling women: Submit to your husbands the way Jesus submitted to the human leadership. It isn�t the submission that matters, it�s the attitude. Since God is the only true judge, He is the one whose behavior/attentions/judgment you have to worry about.

Now, there are six verses from Peter telling women how to submit, and only one verse telling men how to treat their submissive wives. I used to think this was an unfair, oppressive thing. However, I�m looking with different eyes today.

You see, Peter appealed to the emotional center of women. In those six verses, he talked about the attitude. He talked about how a woman�s value is comprised of her behavior/mentality rather than her appearance. He was encouraging women to be of high-moral character, respectful, dedicated and submissive in spirit/attitude/mentality.

I just get such a tender feeling from this specific passage today. It�s entirely possible that the tender feeling is a result of recent ponderings in my own head � which will be posted about in the near future � but I think this is a gentle instruction coming from Peter, geared toward women. In essence, he�s saying that it�s okay to be gentle of spirit; that we women are made more beautiful by our attitudes/mentalities than any wild hair do or dress or make up.

In the last verse of that specific section, he compares women to daughters of Sarah. He says that like Sarah respected her husband, she even called him master�

This is the thing. In six verses, Peter tells women that the true Lord and Master is God and that women are not to fear being submissive, that women can allow themselves to be gentle, weak, soft, delicate and respectful because even if the husband is not a good man, the true Master is God and He sees everything and will reward her.

Then, Peter spends one verse (about all a man would listen to. Heh) telling men to respect their wives, and to be considerate to them �in the same way�, so that the man�s prayers aren�t hindered.

Hey, what�s this? Men only get one verse? Sure, but men also get a powerful little verse. Men are told, by Peter, to be gentle and compassionate with their wives, because their wives are soft and gentle and tender creatures. Atop that, men are told that if they don�t treat their wives with deference, then the men�s prayers won�t be heard/answered/agreed upon.

That�s a big deal. Sure, it�s only one verse, but it�s a concise, perfect, loaded little info nugget. The daily multi-vitamin, instead of six different bottles of supplements.

Heh. Peter has got this little teaching thing down pretty well. At least, for me this week, this specific passage is exactly what I needed to hear.

Women, it�s okay to be soft, gentle, tender, compassionate� it�s okay to be weak. Your true protection/defense comes not from humans, but from God.

Men, be nice to women, treating them with respect, or your prayers will be hindered.

That was fun.