Sermon manuscript:
Our epistle reading is the second half of Romans chapter 13.
Although our reading begins with verse 8, I’d like to also speak about what
comes before it. The context for our reading is important. Chapter 13 starts
out this way: “Everyone must submit to the governing authorities. For no
authority exists except by God, and the authorities that do exist have been
established by God. Therefore the one who rebels against the authority is
opposing God’s institution, and those who oppose will bring judgment on themselves.”
During quiet and peaceable times, this passage is rather
vanilla. It’s included in our Catechism’s table of duties for what is required
of us towards our rulers. It’s an application of the fourth commandment to
honor our father and mother and other authorities. Normally, these are not
difficult doctrines. However, never during my lifetime has there been talk like
there has been lately. Before this year I had never heard anyone talk seriously
about civil war being possible. This year I’ve heard people seriously discuss
this on various forums.
Now, to be clear, I do not think that this will actually
happen. But I think it is telling that such talk is not immediately dismissed by
absolutely everyone as being crack-headed. Even though it is still a very
remote possibility, the reason why the idea has been entertained by people is
that we are only becoming more and more divided. The legitimacy of our rulers
is called into question by various groups. The legitimacy of the latest supreme
court justice has been questioned. The legitimacy of the president elect has
been questioned. Both of these examples have been from opposing sides. Some
democrats have questioned one. Some republicans have questioned the other.
Questions of legitimacy are, indeed, one of the ways that civil wars can start,
even though I think our country is not in great danger of that right now.
Regardless, it might be high time for us to blow the dust
off Romans 13 and learn from it how we should think about government and our
relationship to it. So, as we’ve already noted, Paul says that everyone must
submit to the governing authorities, because no authority exists except by God,
and the authorities that exist have been established by God.
In a way, what Paul says is remarkable for what he doesn’t
say almost more than what he does say. For example, he doesn’t say that we
should only submit to those governing authorities who are good. He also doesn’t
say that we should only submit to those governing authorities who are godly.
Perhaps most surprising of all is that he doesn’t say we should only submit to
those governing authorities who are legitimate and who came into power in the
correct, orderly way. He simply says, “Submit to the governing authorities,
for those who govern do so by God’s institution.”
Normally an argument from silence is not very powerful, but here
I think it is significant. The Roman emperors during Paul’s lifetime were not
good or godly or what we would think of as legitimate. Several of them are
famous for debauchery and perversion. They all thought that they were divine
and were deserving of people’s worship. At least a couple of them came to power
by murdering their predecessor. Several Christians had already been put to
death by governing authorities by the time Paul wrote this letter. Eventually
Paul himself would be executed by the government too. So Paul couldn’t have had
a Pollyannaish view of the governing authorities, where he naively said that we
should submit to them because he was unaware of the political intrigue that
could be involved. No, with eyes wide open he says we should submit to the
governing authorities.
Now understand that what Paul says is dissatisfactory to
everyone with the possible exception of Christians. You are never going to find
a civics textbook or a political science book that says what Paul says. Paul,
at the same time, is demanding too much, and has his sights set too low. He
demands too much because he simply says, “Obey.” Obeying governing authorities
is obeying God who put them in their position. Ask any child, and you will find
out how difficult it is to simply obey. On the other hand, Paul is aiming too
low. It seems that in order for us to make any progress toward a more perfect
government we have to have insubordination. Otherwise we will be forever stuck
with what we have. That actually isn’t true. God, the author of history, is the
one who gives us good government. But it always seems that it’s up to us in
order to bring it about. Therefore Paul’s command for obedience seems like a
bad idea.
But the Bible was not written for the purpose of ushering in
a more prefect government, a kingdom of this world, a city set on a hill. It
has a different purpose—to bring about God’s kingdom on earth. The Kingdom of
God, though, is not of this world. It does not come about by governing
authorities exerting their influence to coerce people into doing good. It isn’t
brought about by the use of guns or even laws. It comes about by the preaching
of the Gospel of the forgiveness of sins for Jesus’s sake. When and where it
pleases the Holy Spirit he creates faith in those who hear this Gospel. When
they believe in Christ they are justified without any works or merits of their
own. They become children of God, heirs of eternal life. This means that they
are set free from the futile task of making their own little paradises on
earth. They do not need to organize grand projects and coerce everybody else to
do their will. They are set free to love, to serve, to do good, wherever and
whenever the opportunity should arise.
So what Paul says here is not by accident or because of some
kind of ignorance. Christians are meant to leave the government be. Submit to
it unless the government should ask you to do something against God’s will.
Then you must obey God rather than men. Perhaps that will mean that you will
face harsh punishment from them, like the apostles and martyrs did. But Peter
says that it is a blessed thing to suffer for doing what is good. That, after
all, is following Jesus, our master, who also suffered for doing good.
But, generally speaking, the government is not going to
bother you so long as you are dutiful, honest, and generous. The governing
authorities are God’s instruments for our good. It doesn’t matter if they are
personally good or evil. God uses them to maintain law and order so that we
Christians can lead quiet and peaceable lives, where we keep busy by loving God
and loving our neighbor.
Because the governing authorities are doing God’s work for
our good, it is also required that we pay them for that work. This is what Paul
says just before our reading this morning. Paul says, “Pay what you owe to
all of them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed,
respect, to whom respect is owed, and honor to whom honor is owed.” That’s
the verse immediately prior to our reading today. “Pay what you owe,”
Paul says.
But then our reading starts this way, “Do not owe anyone
anything except to love one another.” Did you catch that play on words? There
are a couple of levels to it. In verse 7 Paul said, “Pay what you owe. Pay
taxes. Pay honor.” In verse 8 he says, “Do not owe anyone anything.”
This seems like it is a contradiction, but he is making an important point that
I will explain in a second. On another level he is being a little playful and
ironic, because he follows up “Do not owe anyone anything” with “except
to love one another.” And, as you know, love is a very busy thing. It is
always paying, always doing good.
So what is Paul getting at when he says, “Do not owe
anyone anything” immediately after saying that we should pay what is owed
to our governing authorities? What Paul means by that is that we Christians, no
matter how lowly we might be, are free. We are children of God. We belong to
him. That means that we do not belong to the governing authorities.
But here is something mysterious about governing
authorities: they never seem to be satisfied with doing the job that God has
given to them of maintaining order and justice. They also want to colonize
people’s souls. They want to shape and form people into their own image. They
want fanatical followers because this enhances their power. They want people to
be devoted to their country with all their heart, with all their soul, and with
all their mind. This was why the Roman emperors wanted people to see them as
gods and to worship them as gods. A similar thing goes on today where people
give themselves over to one political party or another. Their very identity is wrapped
up in how they might vote.
This is unbecoming of a Christian. As Paul says elsewhere, “You
were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.” You were bought
with the blood of the Son of God. You belong to him. You must not sell yourself
to any party or platform. You must not be fanatical devotees. Only one is your
master, namely, Christ. Leave government where it belongs, which is beneath
you.
Contrary to what most people think, you have more important
work to do. This is what Paul goes on to talk about in our reading. The work
that you’ve been given to do is to love one another. Love your neighbor. Love
the one who is right next to you. Love the person at work who drives you crazy.
Love your fellow member of the congregation. Be honest, do your duty, be
generous with your resources. The really important things in life are contained
in the callings that God has specifically given to you.
Far from being at the pinnacle of human life, the government
is God’s instrument for the sake of these so-called little things in life—so
that they may continue to be done in peace and quietness. You do not exist for
the sake of the government. The government exists for the sake of your
home-life. The government isn’t as important, as divine, as people make it out
to be.
Recognize that one of the commonest idols since the fall
into sin has been the state. If you think about it, it is not surprising. When
people get together they can pool their resources. Together they are able to do
things that they can’t do individually. They can build up great systems. This
gives them power. They have the power to bless and the power to curse. They can
pick the winners and losers. They have something of the power even over life
and death, for they can establish armies. They can execute. Wherever there
appears to be some kind of power, you can count on us sinful human beings to sinfully
worship it.
But this is all an illusion, a lie. The history books are
full of people who thought that they were humanity’s saviors, but now hardly
anybody remembers their names. There is one God, the Lord. There is one
mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ. He gave himself as a ransom
for all when he was executed by the governing authorities. They did this
because they despised him. They thought that he was a kook or a nobody.
And so it goes to this very day. The high and mighty are
busy building a tower that reaches into the heavens. They are busy bringing in
a new day that promises justice and a paradise. There is only one way to bring
about paradise, and that is through the reconciliation Jesus has worked between
the real God (instead of any fake gods) and us. What is truly great is the love
that God has for us in Jesus—a love that goes unrecognized because it is so
lowly. To Christians he is great. To those who believe in other gods he is
small and ineffectual. They imagine that their gods are better.
But we will see about that.
You understand the present time. It is already the hour
for you to wake up from sleep, because our salvation is nearer now than when we
first believed. The night is almost over, and the day is drawing near. Jesus is
coming.
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