As Peter continues to frame our understanding of suffering, he underscores our privileged position as believers this side of the cross. While those who follow Jesus may be subject to difficulty and trial as elect exiles, Peter reminds us that the times we live in are actually the "good old days." We have it better than the prophets who struggled to inquire about the person and time of the Messiah, and we have it better than the angels who long to peer into the mystery of our salvation. What we have in Jesus and what we know in the gospel is a supernatural treasure that changes our approach to the everyday.