The Second Sunday after Christmas

1 Peter 4:12-19

January 4, 2026

Today is the eleventh day of Christmas. But even the readings in these twelve days of joy don’t let us get too comfortable. The birth of Jesus causes Herod’s horrific malice to explode. This malice is a power at work in the world, malice which will never end and never weaken until the day of judgment [Schmemann].

The Epistle for the Second Sunday after Christmas prepares the disciple of Jesus to face this malice. “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.” St. Peter is writing to the newly baptized. He’s saying, “Don’t be surprised when trouble comes! The demons, and those captive to demonic desires, hate Jesus, and they hate those who follow Him.”

The term fiery trial refers to the purifying fires used for refining metals. Demonic attacks and the world’s hatred are like this fire. The Lord allows us to go through the fire in order to burn off everything impure in us, to get rid of everything not fitting for a disciple of Jesus. The fires come, the Apostle says, to test us.

Our first response to such testing is to complain. But God’s Word calls us to the opposite: Don’t be surprised when the fiery trial comes, “But rejoice.”

Why? Because we are sharing Christ’s sufferings. That word for sharing is the same word the New Testament uses for communion, κοινωνέω. That’s the verb; κοινωνία is the noun. If we are joined to Christ in His body and blood, we should not be surprised to be joined with Him as targets of the world’s animosity. Jesus tells His disciples, “If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” [Jn 15.20]. “And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake” [Mt 10.22].

Nevertheless, we are compelled to speak the truth. The lies will vary somewhat from generation to generation, but they always attack this one great truth: Jesus alone saves – works do not save, saints do not save, Islam does not save, Hinduism does not save, good intentions do not save. Only Jesus saves. The Child born of Mary is the incarnate God, in whose name alone is Life.

We dare not confess this in a spirit of triumphalism. The liturgy begins on our knees. Someone who left our church awhile ago had this complaint: we talk too much about sin. After careful consideration, I’ve decided to talk about it more. Because the fiery trials are going to keep on coming until we die. Our only hope is in the sin-bearer, the Lord Jesus. The Gospels are at pains to tell us that the Child of Mary is called Jesus, “YHWH saves,” precisely because He saves us from our sins.

So we do not confess Jesus to alone be the Way, the Truth, and the Life, in a spirit of triumphalism. We confess Jesus because He is the only hope for sinful men. God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Therefore, it should also be our desire.

Some will reject this confession, calling it hate. No matter. The Epistle continues, “If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.” We are called to be faithful, not to be popular. If someone hears and believes, praise God. Some times it will be in season, and others out of season. God has put us here, in this time and place, to be faithful. One sows, another waters, but it is God who gives the growth.

“But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler.” We Christians are saved by God’s grace alone. But grace is never alone. The disciple of Jesus loves the Law. The Psalmist writes, “I love Your commandments more than gold” [Ps 119.127]. Therefore St. Peter tells us today that if we suffer in the world, it shouldn’t be because of our commandment-breaking. He mentions two of the ten commandments, murder (the 5th) and stealing (the 7th). But then he mentions two broad terms, evildoing and meddling. The word “evildoer” is a general term for any law-breaking, often in the civil sense. So after two very specific crimes (murder and theft), it seems he’s saying, “or any other crime - Christians don’t commit crimes.” And then he follows it up rebuking a sin that won’t land you in jail, yet is loathsome: meddling. It’s a big compound word that only appears once in the entire New Testament: ἀλλοτριεπίσκοπος. Let’s take the second part first: episkopos. It’s an overseer, a manager. We get words like episcopal, episcopacy from it. Episkopos often is translated as “bishop.” So that’s the second part of the word. The first part, ἀλλότρι- has to do with someone else, “another.” ἀλλοτριεπίσκοπος is making yourself another person’s bishop, you take it upon yourself to “oversee” someone else. “Meddler” I suppose isn’t bad, but it misses the ecclesial connotations - you get involved in someone else’s business where you have no role to judge.

If you wanted to commit this sin I suppose there’s no better way than to sign up for a social media account. You can be someone else’s bishop all day long. But it certainly happens in churches, where people take it upon themselves to judge and condemn others, often without doing the basic thing that Jesus commands: go and talk to that person, just you and him alone.

So the epistle starts the list with murder, and ends with the saints judging each other. To all these sins, God’s Word tells us to stop. These things have no place in our personal lives, or in our life together as a community of disciples.

Make no mistake! We all must give an account before God even the things done in secret. “For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God;”—that’s the church—“and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” It’s a strange expression, to “obey the gospel.” Gospel means good news; and the good news is that Jesus the sin-bearer was crucified for us, is risen from the dead, and in Him is our forgiveness. That’s a free gift, not by works, lest anyone should boast. So why does the epistle speak about it as something to obey?

It works like this: the gospel is about forgiveness. What’s happening when you murder someone, steal his things, commit evil against him, or meddle in his affairs as though you are the bishop? You’re rejecting the Gospel. You’re not living at peace with others, you’re not forgiving, but instead harming. It is as though you say, “Our Father, who art in heaven, forgive me my trespasses, but not the way I refuse to forgive my brother. Let me meddle in his affairs, for mine is the kingdom and the power and the glory.”

We are called to be righteous. God makes us righteous, declares us righteous, justifies us on account of Jesus. Yet the Lord describes this salvation as a scarce, close-run thing:

“If the righteous is scarcely saved,

what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

Those words should cause us to pause. We must always live in repentance. Our life is wrapped up in contrition for our sins, confession and forgiveness, then a turning away from sin. This process is repeated throughout our life, as we pray to grow in holiness.

Then Peter wraps up the whole thing with this concluding verse: “Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.” In other words, Be faithful. If you’re a Christian, don’t be surprised that the world hates you, and you go through many trials. Hand your situation over to God. He’s faithful, He’ll take care of you. You just keep doing good, keep following the Commandments, believing the Creed, praying the Lord’s Prayer.

Merry Christmas! Christ the Savior is born. Be faithful to Him through every trial. Commit yourself to him. He will deliver you, and you shall glorify Him. +INJ+