Timely and So, So Difficult


1 Peter 2:13-17
13Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

Being subject to God doesn’t seem like a bad thing. In fact, I’m willing to embrace the whole concept. Being subject to the government, well, that just seems like too much. After watching 10 minutes of the news, I would just rather not. But as I read these words from 1 Peter today, it doesn’t sound like this is an optional exercise.

I’m not going to declare who is right and who is wrong on the political landscape. That serves no purpose and I am acutely aware of the fact that my opinions are just that – opinions. You are welcome to yours as well. But they remain as mine – opinions. No one’s opinions are sacred or ever 100% correct. So God does us a favor and solves the issue. He demands that we honor the people put in charge of our care. God is not in His heaven wringing His hands over who is in charge, for He placed them there, for His own reasons. I believe that sometimes those reasons are for our blessing and sometimes they are for our admonishment. Either way, God chooses our leaders. And at all times, we are to honor them. Unless – they tell us do things that are against God’s commands. Then I withdraw my respect and obedience. (I know, that pulls the lid off of the can and seemingly allows people the freedom to do whatever they want. But that isn’t the case if you want to be in compliance with God’s rules of submission.)

Ultimately, this passage is about submission to authority. We all answer to someone. And we all know how to be disobedient to our calling as God’s people. Martin Luther wrote about this tension in his famous 1520 tract The Freedom of a Christian: “A Christian is a perfectly free lord, subject to no one; a Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.” That puts us squarely in the center of God’s will, perfectly free and a servant to all. If more of us saw ourselves this way, perhaps the times would not be so stressful. Jesus Christ alone makes this dichotomous life possible through the power of His ever present Holy Spirit. Thanks be to God.

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