As a Brother in Christ.
Peter doesn’t stop here. His final urge to the scattered Christians is that they “live in harmony” with each other, that they “love each other deeply” (reference 1.22), to be “compassionate” and “humble.” Peter implores us to shrug off the opposite of these virtues: revenge. Rather than revenge, our every intention must be to bless everyone we meet. This requires honesty (“…must keep his tongue from evil, his lips from deceitful speech…”); being a do-gooder; one who seeks – even pursues – peace. Does this description yet sound familiar? Read on, true to form Peter will provide us with the Excellent Example!

It is important to remember the readers’ situation in life. Many believers are undergoing strong persecution, often leading to death. As we have seen earlier, there is evidence that many Christians were being dragged into court on false testimony. Indeed, Peter requests that when suffering comes, let it be because of good behavior, the living testimony of their lives.

Now, here in verse 18, Peter returns to the King/Master/Husband of our souls once more to exemplify submission and servitude. Notice the pattern of Peter’s argument: We must submit to kings and masters, even as Christ did. We must submit to our spouses and to each other, even as Christ submitted Himself to us.

Certainly doing the laundry for oneself is not the most enjoyable of tasks, but doing an extra load for one’s spouse is doubly difficult. In fact, if done repeatedly the task becomes a drudgery, perhaps even dreadful. However, the Lord of the Universe, wrapped a dish cloth around his waste, grabbed a basin of water and proceeded to wipe the dust, grime and dirt from the feet of his disciples. As with everything Jesus did, he wouldn’t have done this job only halfway. Jesus worked over those twenty-four smelly, dirty feet. It was not merely a quick once over, but an all-out under-the-toenail scrub.

Though one of the more graphic portrayals of Jesus’ submission, He submitted to and served his disciples at every turn. In response, they slept when He asked them to pray for Him, they denied knowing Him the night of His arrest, and they fled the day of His crucifixion. Jesus knew they would fail Him in the end. His submission and service was not dependent upon their response. Neither should our submission be dependent upon a wishful response from the one being served.

It was through His submission that He became the King of Creation, “with angels, authorities and powers in submission to Him.”