Day 332

Daniel 5:1-31; 2 Peter 2:1-22; Psalm 119:113-128; Proverbs 28:19-20

IN 2 PETER TODAY, we experienced a bit of a tirade against false teachers. These were people who had come to faith and even prominence but were falling away from the core essentials of the gospel —and were leading others to do the same. It wasn’t only in matters of doctrine, either. These people were using their giftings to exploit the weak. As Peter wrote,

They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight. They are a disgrace and a stain among you. They delight in deception even as they eat with you in your fellowship meals. They commit adultery with their eyes, and their desire for sin is never satisfied. They lure unstable people into sin, and they are well trained in greed. They live under God’s curse.

We can see that Peter was far from fond of these people. Now, we should note that the kind of false teacher Peter described is not the same as the modern custom of mislabeling as a false teacher the person who asks important and difficult questions of our faith. Wrestling with our faith in pursuit of revelation and understanding has always been a part of our Christian tradition. Peter’s distinction was that false teachers were intentionally and maliciously deceiving God’s people for personal gain.

We finally found out why Peter was so upset as we concluded our reading today:

When people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before. It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life. They prove the truth of this proverb: “A dog returns to its vomit.”

Although Peter was speaking forcefully against false teachers who lead people into sin, he was concerned about those who fell into sin. In that context, we’re left with some very poignant imagery —a dog returning to its vomit.

We’ve probably all seen it happen. Rover barfs, then walks in a circle before coming back for a nice full-nostril inhale and lapping it up. Disgusting, right? When we return to our sinful past, it is like puking in a bowl and then eating it like soup. It should sound disgusting, because according to Peter, it is.

Let’s consider the starkness of today’s reading in the context of our own lives. What sewage are we returning to because we have been deceived into believing it is desirous? What influence do we have over those around us through which we might invite them to do the same? These are tough but important questions. Why would we choose sewage over the banquet God has prepared for us? Let’s invite the Holy Spirit into these questions, because we are a slave to whatever controls us.

MEDITATION:

You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope. Get out of my life, you evil-minded people, for I intend to obey the commands of my God.