Growing in Grace and Knowledge

A Reflection for Friday, December 12 by Melanie Myatt

Lectionary reading for 12/12/2025: Psalm 146: 5-10; Ruth 4.13-17; 2 Peter 3.11-18

Selected passage for reflection: 2 Peter 3.11-18

Read

2 Peter 3.11-18 NTFE

11 Since everything is going to dissolve in this way, what sort of people should you be? You should live lives that are holy and godly, 12 as you look for God’s day to appear, and indeed hurry it on its way—the day because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the elements will melt with heat. 13 But we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth, in which justice will be at home. That is what he has promised.

14 So, my dear family, as you wait for these things, be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him, in peace. 15 And when our Lord waits patiently to act, see that for what it is—salvation! Our beloved brother Paul has written to you about all this, according to the wisdom that has been given him, 16 speaking about these things as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them which are difficult to understand. Untaught and unstable people twist his words to their own destruction, as they do with the other scriptures.

17 But as for you, my dear family, be on your guard, since you have been warned in advance. That way you won’t be led astray through the error of lawless people and fall away from your own solid grounding. 18 Instead, grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus the Messiah. To him be glory both now and in the day when God’s new age dawns. Amen.

Reflect

Sometimes I try to look back and reflect on when I first felt like chaos was winning. I remember at the end of 2016, someone said that nothing good happened in 2016. But they forgot about the miraculous World Series win for the Chicago Cubs. That was a really big deal! I attended the parade downtown and the joy and camaraderie of the masses of people was contagious. For me, the Cubs win seemed to be the one redeeming event of 2016. Nothing seemed to get better from there, both in our world and in my personal life. 

Here we are, 10 years later, and it still feels like chaos is winning. I know we are all trying to do our part to accomplish good things in our world, but sometimes it feels like moving the deck chairs while the Titanic continues to sink. Thankfully Peter expected this day would come and has given us instructions for such a time as this. 

This second letter of Peter is all about patience: patience as we deal with one another, patience with God while we wait for God’s return, now Peter speaks about God’s own patience. We often talk about our own struggles with patience, but, if we are really being honest, how often are we feeling impatient about God’s own patience? 

Peter tells us to view God’s patience with us and with the world appropriately: it is salvation. God’s patience with us is the opportunity we need (and should really desire). While we wait for God to bring about justice, we can be working to accomplish God’s justice in the here and now. 

How do we know what to do to accomplish God’s justice? Peter has two instructions for us. First he tells us to be on our guard. Too many people are willing to tell us what it takes to carry out God’s justice. They can speak smoothly and glibly about what justice looks like. But Peter tells us to be on our guard. Which leads to the second thing Peter wants us to do: be grounded in grace and knowledge of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I think it is significant that Peter tells us to grow in grace as well as knowledge. We know smarty-pants people who use their knowledge to judge and to harm. That isn’t what Peter describes here. As we grow in knowledge of Jesus, Peter is clear that we will also find ourselves growing in grace. 

Respond 

In many ways, this passage seems written for our current cultural climate. Today, spend some time reflecting on Luke 6.20-26. What does Jesus reveal to you about the work of Jesus’ kingdom in this passage? Then, consider one act of grace that you can show someone today. What does it feel like to put your faith into action in this way? 

Rest 

Jesus, we so quickly and easily lose sight of the kind of people you want us to be amongst the noisy voices of our world. Everyone has an idea about who we are to be and what we are to do if we are serious about following you. Today help us to hear your voice above the noise and clamor. Still our hearts, our souls, our minds, to hear from you. Amen.

About the Author 

Melanie Myatt lives in Chicago and works as a Hospice Chaplain, and as program assistant for the C. John Weborg Center for Spiritual direction. She is a spiritual director, writer, mom of four, and a consummate procrastinator. When she isn’t procrastinating, she writes a daily Bible study on Substack.