1 Peter 2:1-3 (ESV)
So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Notes
There were six of us growing up in a Pastor’s home—all boys. As expected, we had a predisposition towards mischief. Misconduct is a common characteristic of Pastor’s kids.
I crafted a strategy. First, I carefully observed my four older brother’s behavior. I built up a mental catalog of what actions made it onto my parent’s radar and which did not. Additionally, I characterized the behavior as to whether it resulted in a scolding from our mother or elevated discipline to a level requiring a late-night hot chocolate discussion with our father.
I used the rules above as a guide to my public behavior. Sometimes my initial strategy failed. When this happened, I went to my back-up plan – play innocent. If questioned, act surprised, say as little as possible, and think about a way to pin the blame on someone else if necessary. A visualization of playing innocent can be seen in the movie A Christmas Story. Recall Ralphie’s interaction with his teacher during the tongue-stuck-to-the-flagpole incident.
My two-stage strategy was quite effective. The only problem was that I was a hypocrite. I acted one way in front of my parents, but my motives were different.
I may have fooled my parents from time to time, but God was not fooled. See Hebrews 4:12.
About the Image
The image shown was inspired by Salvador Dali and M. C. Escher. At the top of the image, we see a swan. In actuality, several interlocking swans form the upper half of the render. The swans sit on perfectly smooth water. The low camera angle causes the swans’ reflection on the water’s surface to be almost a mirror image. Upon closer inspection, we see that the reflection is not made up of swans but made up of interlocking elephants that look very much like the swans. The main difference is that the heads of the swans are replaced with the trunks of the elephants.
At first, it isn’t easy to discern the difference between the swans and the elephants, but their appearance is evident once you see the elephants.
Symbols
Swan – The swan is a Christian symbol used in conjunction with hypocrisy. The hypocrisy comes from the myth that while their plumage is light, their skin is the reverse.
Elephant – Elephants are not a common Christian symbol. To my knowledge, they are not mentioned in the Bible. However, ivory is mentioned throughout the Old Testament. Ivory was considered valuable. Because of its appearance, ivory is a symbol of purity and moral fortitude.
Since elephants are not a traditional Christian symbol, I am taking a little artistic license to extend ivory’s attribute of purity to the whole elephant.
Hypocrisy and Pure Spiritual Milk
Malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. 1 Peter 2 gives quite a list! Let’s focus on hypocrisy.
Hypocrisy is everywhere. We find it at work, school, and tragically, within the Church. All of us in the Christian Church are inconsistent at some level. Jesus is the only individual to live out his message perfectly. His life, behavior, and motivation perfectly aligned with his message and the Father’s will.
Hypocrisy is in the Church; even the smallest churches may be infected. At the extreme, we see individuals driven by pride, prestige, and money. They seek their glory rather than God’s glory. Much like the Swans in the image, they are difficult to distinguish from the elephants.
As Pastor Charles Stanley once said, ”Probably the greatest hindrance to the Christian life is Christians acting other than who they say they are?” Ouch.
For most believers, behavior that is self-seeking or inconsistent with Scripture is diminished over time. As we grow in our faith, our thoughts, words, and deeds align better with Christ’s. We become more consistent. We are destined for eternity. God has put us here to be salt and light to the world. As a result, we behave differently than the world.
How? Peter tells us to long, to yearn for the pure spiritual milk, the Word of God so that we can grow up into salvation. The context of the passage assumes that the audience is born-again of the Spirit.
As Socrates reminds us, “The unexamined life isn’t worth living.” We hold up Scripture as a spiritual mirror, examining our souls and our behavior. Self-examination isn’t easy, but it is the path to Christ-likeness. We grow by feeding on Scripture, yearning for God’s Word, and working with the Holy Spirit. Read and reflect on Scripture. As Psalm 1 tells us, blessed are those who delight in the Lord’s instruction and meditate on it day and night.
You are the temple of the Holy Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 6:19.) Keep your temple clean. Make it a suitable place for the Spirit to inhabit – thought, word, and deed. As William Barclay puts it, “the degree to which we can possess the Spirit is conditioned by the kind of people we are.”