“Render Unto Caesar …”

Scripture: Romans 13:1-7

One of the new social terms that we hear today fits fairly well with the series we have been discussing. We have been considering passages from Romans that deal with the Christian life – those things that the Lord has called his Church to be and do. Oh – the term? It took me a while to figure it out, but the word is “woke” – such as he or she is woke. It refers to the fact that a person has finally “woke” up to the truth, one who is now aware of reality, or so I understand! In a social context, it specifically means that we have become aware of social injustices, but in a Christian context, I might suggest that to be “woke” is an acknowledgment that we have come to an understanding of just what God would have us know about him, and to what he would have us be for him.

In our passage for today, it is one that has experienced a great deal of controversy over the centuries. But then, so have many verses in scripture.
- How about Luke 14:26 – that unless we hate our parents, our spouse and children, our brothers and sisters, and even our own life - if we don’t hate these, we can never be a true follower of Jesus Christ! How could that be God’s will?
- How about Matthew 5:43-44 – show love to the enemies who persecute us! Really! And the list of strange commandments could go on and on! And our passage for today, from Romans, is no exception.

Read Romans 13:1-2

And as odd as this passage may be, it is also one that has been used, through selfish means, to justify all kinds of unGodly activity. Keep in mind that “governing authority” isn’t confined to government – it refers to any leadership authority, including government, that we are subject to. It could be your boss at work, it could be the leaders of a local organization that you belong to, it could, certainly, be the many levels of government that set all kinds of laws in motion, and it could even be the church! Of course, rules, regulations, and requirements in each setting vary, and at times, they may even conflict. And yet, …

Most organizations, including government, have processes in place to make changes and clarifications to not only the leadership, but to the organization’s procedures and policies. The one exception to this, of course, are the laws of our Almighty God. In our nation, we can change leadership through elections, we can change laws through legislative action, we can change guidelines and programs, but when it comes to God’s ways, he alone set them in place, he alone has made them perfect, and he has no reason to change them. This authority is his, and it will never be ours.

For Paul and his time, “governing authority” meant Rome. Rome – one of the most oppressive, brutal, pagan, demanding, demeaning, and unforgiving authority of all time. He would spend more time in Roman prisons than we can possibly imagine, so the one thing he isn’t suggesting here is that Rome is good, that Rome is worthy of allegiance, or even that all who have received God-granted authority will always be obedient in Godly ways!

But another point that needs to be considered, is whether the word “subject” means to be obedient or not. In truth, human authority and laws not only specify the requirement, but the penalty for being disobedient. Submitting, or “subjecting” ourselves to secular authority includes being prepared to accept the consequences of not complying. For most people, we spend nearly as much time planning for ways to avoid the penalties as we do in making our way in disobedience!

We have to understand that Paul’s writing is complicated, and at times, may even seem to be contradictory. In this passage, he writes that rebellion against human authority is synonymous with rebellion against God. That in and of itself is a little strange, and in Colossians 1:15-20, he writes that Jesus is the supreme authority over all of creation, and is the sole reason that we can be reconciled with God – Jesus is far greater than the world. And in Colossians 2:6-8, we read that we should be wary of world authority, with verse 8 telling us “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition.” – the world can be wrong, while Jesus is not. He isn’t saying that we should ignore worldly authority, but that we should take care not to accept it as God’s truth. God’s plan is perfect, which no human being will ever be able to do by their own volition.

Read Romans 13:3-5

There is no terror for those who do right, there is no spirit of fear for those who put their trust in Christ. (1 John 4:18) That doesn’t mean that we will never suffer under the hands of human authority, but by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, we can do what is right without fearing the consequences of earth. But if we do wrong, Paul reminds us that “rulers do not bear the sword for no reason.”, and this IS a reason to fear – we are not only wrong, but we will also suffer for it. Of course, these issues of “right” and “wrong” are by God’s definition, not the world’s. When we are “right” in his ways, and when the ways of our human authorities don’t stand in conflict with God’s right, it is good, but when there is contradiction, we have to choose which way we will follow.

And verse 5 can also be a challenge for us. Don’t just obey human authority because we might be punished for disobeying, but because it is right to obey, to the extent possible, of course. The phrase “as a matter of conscience” means that obedience is ethically and morally right! I believe that the only time this obligation doesn’t fit, is when the human way stands in direct opposition to God’s way. And if we really think about it, the Lord gives us considerable latitude in how, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we work out his way for our lives.

Read Romans 13:6-7

“Give to everyone what you owe them.” Not what they deserve, but what we owe them. Not for what they have done, but for their position in God’s created authority. Pay your taxes, whether you think they are fair or not; respect human authority, whether you believe that they are leading in the way you think they should or not; honor authority, for it is God breathed.

It may be interesting to note that God gave authority, but didn’t exactly choose the people who now exercise that authority. So who did choose our leaders? People! The electorate! You and me! And are the choices by the majority always perfect? Nope! We can always hope and pray that those chosen for leadership will show themselves worthy of God’s authority, but we know that they never are. Some will do their best to do what is right, but they almost always fail. But that, as far as Paul is concerned, is no reason to ignore them, or to deny their responsibilities and orders.

We need to have people in authority to make decisions for the good of the order. We need referees and umpires in sports – we may not always like their calls, but we need them just the same. We need judges in our courts to make decisions regarding our laws – we may not agree with their rulings, but we need them just the same. We need police, and building inspectors, and highway superintendents, and teachers, and parents, and bishops, and presidents and governors, and any number of other authority figures in our lives. Sometimes, our most difficult task is figuring out which one to listen to, but when we always listen to the Lord first, then it will be easier to follow the rest.

Surrender to human authority the things they have authority over, but only after you surrender your life to Jesus Christ and his ways, and then everything will fall into place! (Luke 20:20-26)