Fifth Sunday after Trinity
Notes
Transcript
Grace, Mercy, and Peace be to You from God our Father and from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
My Brothers and sisters in Christ this morning we deviate from the normally appointed lesson to continue where the Epistle left off last week. If you remember St. Paul was urging everyone to love their neighbor and to not avenge yourselves for Vengeance belongs to the Lord, and that we are not to repay evil for evil, but overcome evil with Good. Immediately after saying this he begins to discuss Government, and where Government comes from and what its role is. Part of the reason I chose this lesson is because it is the Birthday of our Country. So let us see what the Scripture has to say about Government and why God has given it to us.
Now before we dig in to this text, you will want a little bit of background. We know that today things are politically tense, but I want to give you a brief idea of what is happening when Paul writes this letter to the Christians in Rome. The Christian religion at this point is illegal and is being persecuted, Christians cannot openly meet, for fear of being put to death. The ruler when Paul writes this is Nero. Who not only put Christians to death but also tortured them to death.
You might wonder how on earth does a man like that get into power? Well his mother married Caesar Claudius, and after Caesar started having some doubts about Nero being emperor, he mysteriously died. But Nero not one to miss a beat made sure not only to give Claudius full honors but for everyone to see him as a god, which made Nero, the son of god. I could go on, but I think you get the idea. Well how on earth could Nero be this crazy? His uncle was known as Caligula. If you know that name, it isn’t a good time.
I say all of that so when you hear the Word of God say, For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. This would cause a bit of stir. I want you to take to heart, what is said here, regardless of your political persuasion that this isn’t some off hand comment that was made or wasn’t easier for Christians to believe this back then than it is today.
So what this means for every Christian is that we are called to respect our governing authorities so long as they do not command us to sin. Whoever resists their governing authorities resists what God has instituted, and they will incur judgment. For why did God create the governing authorities? Rulers are a terror not to good conduct, but to bad.
He goes not to say, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. The word for avenger is the same word that was was used in the last chapter. When folks wrong you it is handed over to the government to punish the evil doer on your behalf. The reason that God ordered this was so that we did not take matters into our own hands and overstep our bounds and things get out of control.
This is why God gave parents to children especially when conflict arises that they might have an authority who can sort things out and serve as a final say between two warring parties. That is in fact the first Government that we meet. They are God’s authorities and so we are called to honor them, serve and obey, love and cherish them. That is why a good government does not replace the family, but supports and encourages it and protects it for it is through the family that societies continue.
Like parents who correct and discipline when wrongs are committed and things cannot be settled amicable or the offense is great. The government serves as a protector of its citizens and enforcer of its laws, even unto the point of death. The sword there refers not only to the military, but even to the death sentence where no other solution can be found.
This is why we as Christians ought to respect our governing authorities and understand the important role that authorities have in this life, it is why we pray for them, and that even though all who serve in these capacities are sinners, that they are to benefit those whom God has entrusted to their care. Most especially that they might carry out their vocations in accordance with what God has taught. Should they command us to commit sin, we refuse for we will not violate the Will of God who is over all Governments. However, we don’t rebel, but we call them to repent.
Now I know that things are divisive in our nation today, and there is no end of turmoil, but we as Christians ought to recognize the good things that God provides through Government, and how He blesses us with it in this life. For there is no better country in the world to be a Christian at this point in time. The government is not tearing down churches, it is not hauling Christians off to jail or re-education camps, it is not denying Christians the ability to own property, threatening them with jail if they teach their children the Christian faith. It is also not forcing upon Churches pastors who deny the Bible, or are only there to teach a political agenda.
This is a wonderful gift that God gives to us here on earth, and has blessed His bride the church with a place that we can gather together around Word and Sacrament, and singing praises to our God above. There is a reason that the Pilgrims left England came over here, it is the same reason that our Lutheran forefathers left their homeland in Germany and came over to the swamps of Missouri.
As Lutherans we have a very special and wonderful understanding of Government. It is different than how many denominations view the government, and the Church, this way we are very different from other Churches who long for a Christianized Government here on earth and imagine that with the right person in charge they can create
As Lutherans, we bring something quite special to the table to understand what the role of Government truly is. We know that Jesus’ Kingdom is not of this earth, and that is why we do not need a government that is run by Christians, nor do we think that the Church should be in charge of the Government. Rather there are two Kingdoms. The Kingdom of the Right which is the Church and is eternal, and the Kingdom of the Left, which belongs to this world and will pass away. God rules over both but very differently.
They both have different responsibilities,