We have lots of political leaders in Tasmania
Tasmania is the second most over-governed region in the world per capita. We have 280 politicians which represents 48.6 elected representatives per 100,000 people. Iceland has 140.3. New Zealand has 23.6 The closest comparison would be Malta with 14.3. Nationally, the rate is 0.88. The U.K. is 1 and the US is 0.16. China is .21.
1 Tasmanian in every 2057 people is a politician.
We have had lots of political division in Tasmania
- Gordon below Franklin River protests in the 1970s
- Native Forest Logging
- Cable Car
- Salmon
- Maquarie Point Stadium
Some of our biggest divisions have happened over National and International Issues
- The Republic Referendum
- The Marriage Equality plebiscite
- COVID 19 Vaccines and Lockdowns
- The Voice to Parliament
In the broken world we find ourselves in, how are Tasmania’s Christians meant to respond?
Can you feel the tendency you have to want to believe that the problems of the world are created by bad people and all we need to do is take power from them and give it to good people?
The belief that violence ”saves” is so successful because it doesn’t seem to be mythic in the least. Violence simply appears to be the nature of things. It’s what works. It seems inevitable, the last and, often, the first resort in conflicts. This Myth of Redemptive Violence is the real myth of the modern world. It, and notJudaism or Christianity or Islam, is the dominant religion in our society today.
Walter Wink
The world Peter was writing to was also broken
- Extreme income inequality. About 68% of the urban population lived at or below subsistence levels.
- 25 – 33% infants died before their first birthday
- Only about 50% of the population survived to age 10
- 10-15% mothers died during or after their first delivery
- Infectious Disease, Poor Sanitation, poor work conditions, and Pandemics were all part of life
- The wealthy were much more likely to live longer
- Land and resources were controlled by a small class of wealthy individuals, leaving the common people landless and vulnerable to high urban rents and food shortages.
- Taxation was done by private contractors who frequently charged more to benefit themselves
- Between 10% and 20% were slaves
Peter is preparing people for a radically different response to the brokenness of the world than the normal way. He has laid the groundwork by asserting in the first few chapters that:
- They are chosen by God
- They are foreigners and exiles in this world
- There is a living hope they have that is not based in this world but based on the resurrection of Jesus
- There is an inheritance stored up for them in heaven that means their current suffering is only temporary
- Suffering is proof of their faith
- Salvation is a present reality and also a future hope
- We can take charge of our minds and our feelings and choose to put our hope in the one place that won’t let us down
- God, and not people, is the judge of their actions… and we are to live as Holy or “set apart” people
- We are to love each other and understand that we are living stones being built together… Faith is not a solo game
- Faith is also a process… as we get rid of the stuff that holds us back, we grow up in our salvation.
- Being chosen by God means we are his people, his representatives and our job is to communicate who he is to the world and bring the pain and suffering of the world to HIm
Peter is giving his readers a different story to live from, which he believes should produce different behaviour that people who don’t share the story will notice as being different.
With all that in place, Peter now gives his core principles of what it means to step into a dark and broken world:
Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
1 Peter 2:11-12
- Foreigners and exiles: Our lives are not measured the way that everyone else on the planet measures their lives. We belong to a completely different kingdom.
- Abstain from Sinful desires which wage war against your soul: We need to continually watch the temptation to focus on ourselves rather than God or others. Your feeling world will always be mixed.
- “Live such good lives” “They may see your good deeds”: Live in a way that people outside the church believe is good. This only works if you believe a different story.
- Though they accuse you of doing wrong: You will be misunderstood
- glorify God: The outcome of the way you live is that people should see God’s love and justice (His Glory)
- on the day he visits us: Live from the point of view of the hope that is stored up for you
Peter now spells out the implications of what verses 11 and 12 mean for our engagement with government, in a way that might be surprising for those who are enjoying a newly found freedom.
Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors,
1 Peter 2:13-14
Peter was not assuming a good govenment.
Nero was the emperor from 54-68 AD. Peter was likely writing between 62 and 65 around about the time that Christians were starting to be blamed by the emperor for the fire in Rome (64 AD)
Christians in Peter’s day could not have even imagined the option of to weild coercive power. That would happen 250 years later through the emperor Constantine, and now it is quite possible for Christians to be in places of power.
“Human authority” are the systems that use coercion to produce order in a broken world.
who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.
1 Peter 2:14
For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
Romans 13:4-5
The Biblical understanding is that we need government so that the society doesn’t fall apart like it did in the book of judges
In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.
Judges 17:6 NIV
In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.
Judges 21:25 NIV
A world where everyone does what they want to is dangerous because we all have desires that take us away from life and towards brokenness, which is what Peter is constantly warning us about.
The book of Nehemiah demonstrates that good government also helps us do things together that none of us could do on our own. A new governor helped them do in 52 days what had not been done in 141 years.
So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.
Nehemiah 6:15 NIV
So for Christians:
- Government is necessary because according to Peter, we all have evil desires and can’t fully trust our own impulses
- Government needs to punish evil and encourage Good
- Government needs to help us do together what we can’t do as indiviudals
Peter calls his readers to actively work to do good and that their actions will silence those who live from a different story.
For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.
1 Peter 2:15
What does “good look like”? People living God’s justice, mercy and compassion (his glory) create the frame within which families, communities, workplaces and nations flourish
“This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’
Zechariah 7:9-10 NIV
His readers will have been familar with the promise that God gave to another group of exiles
Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
Jeremiah 29:7 NIV
What does it mean for us to do good? To glorify God? To seek the peace of our city?
There are a lot of places where action can be taken that people would see as good
- About 1 in 5 Tasmanians experience a mental health condition annually, with more than one in ten living with a long-term mental health condition
- The percentage of young Tasmanians (under 25) experiencing mental health concerns increased from 10.6% in 2012 to 18.8% in 2018. Youth suicide rates in Tasmania are higher than the national average.
- We are the fattest (highest weight circumference) and have the worst Body Mass Index in the nation
- We have the worst rates of Arthritis, Back problems, Cancer, High Blood Pressure, Heart Disease, Stroke and Vascular Disease
- Tasmania has high income inequality, with residents frequently experiencing the lowest average incomes and the highest likelihood of being in the bottom 20% of earners nationwide. In 2021, 21.1% of Tasmanian households reported a weekly income of less than $650, compared to 16.5% nationally.
- 18,900 Tasmanian children (1-in-6) live in poverty.
- High inequality is exacerbated by a 36% rise in rental costs since the pandemic.
- There are 5,410 applicants for households (approx 18,000 people) needing social housing in Tasmania, marking an 11.2% increase over the preceding 12 months. Average wait time is 80 weeks.
- In March 2026, Tasmanians lost $17,356,478 to poker machines. $1,868,327 in Glenorchy, $856,573 in Clarence and $6,906,812 in the two casinos… Tax rates on the Federal group have been lowered from 25.8% to 10.9% (they own 12 of the biggest local hotels – they also own every poker machine in the state – and the states largest private employer
- Roughly 50% of Tasmanians aged 15-74 have inadequate literacy skills for daily tasks, such as understanding medication instructions. Only about 60% of Tasmanian students perform at the expected reading and numeracy level.
- 1 in 5 adults have experienced food insecurity due to cost, and 1 in 10 struggle to understand health information (low health literacy).
- Over 70,000 Tasmanian women (30%) have experienced violence, emotional, or economic abuse by a cohabiting partner since age 15.
- Young Tasmanian women aged 18–19 are nearly three times more likely to experience physical violence in a relationship compared to the national average.
- Approximately 32% of young Aboriginal Tasmanians (aged 15–24) are not in education, employment, or training (NEET).
- Aboriginal people make up roughly 5.4% of Tasmania’s general population but account for 23% of the adult prison population. In early 2024, Aboriginal young people made up 66.4% of the youth detention population, a record high.
- Tasmania has the lowest public transport investment per capita ($115) in Australia, while states like Victoria ($630) and WA/QLD ($700+) invest significantly more, highlighting a, “broken,”, system in, Tassie.
- Since 1910, Tasmania has warmed by 1.1 °C, and average annual rainfall has decreased.
- Sea surface temperatures are heating faster than the global average, increasing by 2.5–3.8 °C since 1944, causing massive loss of giant kelp forests.
- Native vegetation has decreased by over 3% since 2009. Over 70 Tasmanian vertebrate species are listed as threatened.
- 16 of 29 key environmental indicators (including marine life, native forest extent, and pest species) were reported as “getting worse” in 2024
Look again at the things going wrong in our community.
The mistake we make is thinking that government is the answer.The answer is people who are willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of others because they live from a different story.
Martin Luther King Jr. understood the Christian faith as something that could never be separated from justice, reconciliation, and the dignity of every human being. As a Baptist pastor shaped by the Black church tradition, he believed the gospel was not only about personal salvation, but also about the transformation of society. For King, following Jesus meant confronting systems that crushed people made in the image of God.
Serving as pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church and later co-pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, King drew deeply on Scripture, especially the prophets, the teachings of Jesus, and the vision of God’s kingdom. He regularly spoke about love, justice, and the “beloved community,” where people are reconciled to God and one another. His leadership during the American Civil Rights Movement flowed directly from these convictions.
King rejected the idea that the church should remain silent in the face of injustice. He argued that faith without action becomes hollow and disconnected from the heart of the gospel. In his famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” he challenged churches that preferred order over justice, calling Christians to courageous and costly discipleship.
His commitment to nonviolence was also deeply theological. Influenced by Jesus’ command to love enemies, King believed that lasting social change could not be built on hatred or revenge. Instead, he sought a society shaped by justice, mercy, truth, and reconciliation — a public expression of the kingdom of God.
Tim Costello has consistently modelled a form faith that connects with public responsibility. Throughout his ministry, he has argued that the gospel must shape not only individual lives, but also the way society treats the poor, vulnerable, and powerless. For Costello, Christian faith is not something confined to private belief or Sunday worship. It calls believers to pursue justice, compassion, and the common good in every area of life.
As a Baptist pastor, former mayor of St Kilda, and long-serving leader of World Vision Australia, Costello became known for speaking publicly on issues such as poverty, gambling addiction, homelessness, refugees, and global inequality. His advocacy has often challenged both churches and governments to consider the human impact of economic and political decisions.
Costello’s approach is deeply shaped by the biblical picture of God’s concern for justice and mercy. He regularly points to the prophets, the teachings of Jesus, and the call to love one’s neighbour as central to Christian discipleship. Rather than seeing evangelism and social action as competing priorities, he argues that they belong together as part of a faithful Christian witness.
Like many Baptist leaders before him, Costello has emphasised the importance of conscience, local action, and the dignity of every person made in the image of God. His ministry demonstrates how Baptist faith can lead Christians to engage actively in public life while remaining grounded in the life and teachings of Jesus.
Peter sums up his argument this way:
Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
1 Peter 2:16-17
- No matter who the emperor is, he is not in charge of you. You are FREE. But you are not free to do what you want.
- God is your king.
- The world has a story that will take you away from God’s story… “the worries of this life, the decietfulness of wealth and the desire for other things” choke your ability to follow God’s story. He is your king. Follow Him
- All human beings matter, so respect them.
- See through power to people
- The people who are hardest to see as people are those at the top and bottom of the status ladder. As you care for those at the bottom, you will be noticed by those at the top.
- Those at the top are often not seen as people, which is why things like the Parliamentary prayer breakfast are so important
- Love your brothers and sisters in the church… you need them.
- The church isn’t here to meet your needs, you together wiht them are here to represent God to the world
- God is the only one you need to worry about, but because you are worried about him honor those who are in government.
- If there is ever a conflict between following God and following the government, Peter is very clear hear on the order of priority.
Power won’t save you, but people who are sacrificing themselves to make a difference for others will get noticed by those who are looking for hope.
Redemptive violence isnt the answer. Redemptive Love is.
“To meet hate with retaliatory hate would do nothing but intensify the existence of evil in the universe. Hate begets hate; violence begets violence; toughness begets a greater toughness. We must meet the forces of hate with the power of love; we must meet physical force with soul force.”
Martin Luther King Jr.
Peter now seeks to apply verses 11 and 12 to the relationship of slaves to Masters and then to husbands and wives. The situations are different but the principles are the same:
Small Group Questions
- Peter says Christians live by a different story. What are some messages the world tells us that are different from the way of Jesus?
- The sermon says government is important, but government cannot save us. Why do people often put too much hope in politics or leaders?
- Peter says Christians should “live such good lives” that other people notice. What are some simple ways Christians can do good in Tasmania?
- The sermon says, “See through power to people.” Why is it sometimes hard to see people we disagree with as valuable human beings?
- The sermon says, “Redemptive violence isn’t the answer. Redemptive love is.” What do you think redemptive love looks like in real life?