The teachings of Jesus ultimately found their way into the pen of the Apostle Peter. He not only heard the words of the Sermon on the Mount, but they also became embedded into his life. In his first epistle, Peter does more than recall Jesus’ teaching—he enfleshes it. As you read through this wonderful little book, if you listen, you can hear the echoes of Jesus’ words in the spirit of Peter’s application.
Jesus speaks of blessing upon the poor, the meek, and the persecuted. Peter writes to scattered exiles in Asia Minor who are being oppressed, and he reframes their suffering as a refining fire that makes their faith more precious than gold. Jesus says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness,” and now Peter points to this refinement of faith and says that this is the blessing.
Like Jesus, Peter encourages believers to endure grief joyfully because their hope is anchored beyond the current conflict. This paradox—joy in suffering—reflects the kingdom ethic Jesus proclaimed. It is not merely endurance but a deep-seated assurance that God’s favor rests on those who suffer for doing good. Jesus’ blessing of the marginalized becomes a lived experience for Peter’s readers.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus challenges his followers to turn the other cheek and love their enemies—anyone can love those who love them, even tax collectors. Peter adds to this non-retaliatory ethic: “If you endure it, this brings favor with God.” The Apostle exhorts believers to endure unjust suffering, not reviling in return but entrusting themselves to God, who judges justly. Peter strengthens his exhortation by using Jesus as our pattern. Christ, who suffered without sin, becomes the template for us.
This is not passive resignation but living faithfulness. It is a refusal to let the evil actions of others dictate ours. Peter’s words, “not paying back evil for evil or insult for insult but, on the contrary, giving a blessing, since you were called for this, so that you may inherit a blessing,” almost sound like a beatitude.
“Yet do this with gentleness and reverence, keeping a clear conscience, so that when you are accused, those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will than for doing evil.” (1 Peter 3:16-17 )
This is the Sermon on the Mount written into the margins of a hostile world. Turning the other cheek and going the extra mile, not in defiance, but in a refusal to be conformed to the world.
Jesus tells his followers to be salt and light. Peter tells us to “conduct ourselves honorably so that when we are slandered as evildoers, others will see our good works and glorify God.”
In the Sermon on the Mount, holiness is described and defined; Peter goes one step further and shows us how holiness is missional. Do not do it to be seen, but take note people are watching, and the watching people are not enemies, so don’t hide your light under a basket.
Our observers are not our competition. They are poor, lost souls who need Jesus. Therefore, we must never forget that we “are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
In 1 Peter 3:8, the Apostle writes, “Finally, all of you be like-minded and sympathetic, love one another, and be compassionate and humble,” which is undoubtedly an application of Jesus’ instruction to be peacemakers who seek reconciliation before offering gifts at the altar (Matthew 5:23-24). Peace is not the absence of conflict but the active pursuit of reconciliation. Internal fractures would be natural in a community under pressure from the outside.
Peter insists that their unity is a gospel testimony to the authenticity of their love, writing in chapter four, “Above all, maintain constant love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins.” The kind of love Jesus taught absorbs offenses, transforms relationships, and fuels forgiveness.
The love Peter calls for is not conditional on the worthiness of the other but rooted in the mercy they have received. It is the same love that led Jesus to the cross—the same love that now binds his people together—a necessity for the church at all times, especially in seasons of persecution.
Peter’s call to biblical obedience is not legalism but loyalty. It is the embodied response to the grace they have received. Their lives, built on the rock of Christ’s teaching, will stand when the suffering storm crashes against them. They are not merely hearers of the word but doers—living testimonies to the Sermon that once captivated audiences on the shores of the Galilee.
For those with ears to hear, the Sermon on the Mount is not just remembered; it is lived out in Peter’s first epistle. Here, the Word becomes flesh again in the lives of those suffering who follow the suffering Servant.
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