My Bible reading this morning was from II Kings 5-6. Chapter 5 tells the story of Namaan, the Syrian captain who was delivered from leprosy after obeying the prophet Elisha’s instructions. It is an old familiar story and there is a lot to draw from it, but most of my thoughts this morning have been on the “little maid” whom the Syrians took captive and who was serving Namaan’s wife.

Probably most of us, if we had been taken captive as a child and we were serving in the home of the one who probably led some of the troops against our people, and we heard that our master was seriously ill, we would think, “Well, good! He deserves it!” But the little maid said, “Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.” That news got to Naaman, who then found his way to the prophet. He was not only healed of his leprosy, but he came to faith in the one true God.

This reminded me of Joseph, who was sold into slavery by his own brothers, then stalked by his master’s wife, falsely accused, and sent to prison. If that had been me, I am ashamed to say I would have been moping in the corner of the prison feeling pretty sorry for myself and asking God why. Joseph may have had moments like that, but they are not recorded. What is recorded is that he served God with such integrity that his masters noticed it and promoted him to greater responsibility and he was concerned about others in their need. It was years before he ever got any kind of “closure” or had any idea why God had allowed these things, yet he served Him faithfully all the while.

I struggle greatly when faced with what I perceive to be unfairness, especially when it involves an authority. There is just a part of me that chafes under the fact that it is just not right and needs to be set right.

But sometimes life just isn’t fair. We all have fallen natures, plus we all have different perspectives on what any given situation requires.

I Peter 2:19-20 says, “For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.”

If we do something wrong and suffer the consequences well, that is only the least expected of us (and many people, sad to say, don’t even do that much these days). But we’re called to go farther: we’re called to take it patiently even if we’re in the right and we’re suffering wrongfully.

Peter goes on to point us to the One Who is our example in all things, the Lord Jesus. “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” (I Peter 2:21-24). He Who never did any wrong, Who suffered more unfairness and mistreatment wrongfully than anyone on earth, not only suffered patiently without responding in kind, but He went beyond to accomplish the good of those who were wronging Him.

That is a very tall order. All we can do is, as He did, commit ourselves “to him that judgeth righteously,” let Him work out the details, get our focus off ourselves, do all that we do as unto Him, look to Him as our example and help, and seek His grace to react in a way that honors Him and seeks the good of those who wrong us.