The Import Of Image

Last Monday the world watched as Barack Obama was inaugurated into office for his second term as president of the United States. You can be sure that great care was taken behind the scenes to project a certain image of power and wisdom through all the proceedings. Armstrong Williams writes in his Townhall.com column these words about the importance of image for modern day politicians. 

Today, most voters grow up learning from television images, rather than words. The successful politician, therefore, must be more adept than ever at using images to solicit knee-jerk reactions from voters.

In the Gospels we find a most important story about how Jesus teaches his disciples to relate to earthly rulers. Throughout his public ministry Jesus was opposed by several important political parties. Three are mentioned in the Gospels: the Pharisees, the Sadducees and the Herodians. We know precious little about the latter group. It may be that they were friendly to the continued dynasty of Herod the Great and his family. Political family dynasties are well known also in American politics. I need only mention the Kennedy and the Bush families as examples. In any event, as these parties saw Jesus' influence grow they became alarmed, fearing that he and his followers would threaten their power. So they tried to entangle him in a paradox. They asked him about paying taxes, a subject at the very center of current American politics. The Gospel of Matthew records the story,  found also in Mark 12 and Luke 20. 

Roman Imperatorial Coin of Julius Cesar

Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"
But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, "Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax." And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" They said, "Caesar's." Then he said to them, "Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." - Mat 22:15-21 ESV

Newsweek available

The Jews had an extreme problem with the Roman Caesars' penchant to proclaim themselves as one of the gods. Consequently they would not accept Roman coins as offerings in their temple and they had a deep hatred for those Jews who sold themselves out as tax collectors. On the other hand they could not avoid paying taxes to their Roman rulers. Either way they felt that had Jesus in a noose. Were he to say it was lawful to pay Roman taxes they could nail him as a traitor to their nation. On the other hand, were he to say it was unlawful, they could report him to the Romans as one stirring up insurrection. It was a perfect plan. Jesus' answer is most intriguing. 

The challenge for us Christians remains. Our "caesars" would still like to think of themselves as gods. Note the controversial front page of the current edition of Newsweek. The image quite obviously alludes to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and suggests that we are or will be tempted to deify the current president. This in any event is an extremely dangerous thought. Together with the Jews of Jesus' day we must resist with all our hearts and lives any such ideas. 

The response of Jesus to the Jews does indeed remind us who are citizens of the United States that we are to pay our taxes to the established government. I'll not get into the current controversy about who should pay them and how much. Instead I would emphasize that we owe allegiance to our president and our nation. Our president has been rightfully and properly elected. We may agree or disagree strongly with his politics, but we will pay our taxes one way or the other. 

In addition to that consider again the second part of Jesus' teaching: "Therefore render . . . to God the things that are God's." Our God and Creator has indeed established His image in our midst. I quote again the Apostle Paul's words about Jesus Christ.

He (Christ) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. - Col 1:15-17 ESV

 In Jesus we find everything we need to know about the invisible God. He has made Him known. To Him, King of all kings and Lord of all lords belongs all power and glory forever and ever. 

The Authority Of Secular Government

Why do we Christians say that we live in two kingdoms? In my previous post we heard Jesus pronounce that he came to overthrow the reign of the devil, the prince of the kingdom of darkness. Are we then saying that we live in the devil's kingdom as well as the kingdom of Christ? The Bible clearly teaches that both the devil and Christ rule over kingdoms in this world. However there is another teaching about kingdoms, namely the fact that God rules over this world in two different modes. To help us in this connection, we return to Jesus' trial before Pontius Pilate.

He (Pilate) entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, "Where are you from?" But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to him, "You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?" Jesus answered him, "You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin." - Jhn 19:9-11 ESV

Pilate had authority. He had been placed by the Romans as governor of Palestine. His headquarters were in Jerusalem. Yet Jesus said Pilate's authority had been given to him from above. In other words, he was a representative of God's rule, not merely Rome's. How strange. Listen to the Apostle Paul.

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. - Rom 13:1 ESV

No authority except from God! The authorities that exist in this world have been instituted by God. He has given them power. They exercise their power under His authority. The Lord God rules over this world through His representatives. So Paul continues,

Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 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. - Rom 13:2-4 ESV

Pilate believed he derived his authority from the Roman senate and would have to answer to the same. Yes, but, said Jesus. These Jews under your authority are not merely resisting Rome; they are resisting God! And so it was that 40 years after Jesus' crucifixion God's judgment came upon the Jews and Jerusalem, together with its temple, was laid waste by the Romans under General Titus. Jesus foretold this disaster.

And when he (Jesus) drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, "Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation." - Luk 19:41-44 ESV

The Romans, acting as God's avengers—to use Paul's word—carried out God's wrath on the Jews. They had rejected their promised Messiah-King who had come among them in the person of Jesus. Thus we see the two modes of government by God, one inward at work through His Spirit and the other outward at work through secular governments. God ruled over the Jews, and all of Rome for that matter, through government representatives who had authority to bear the sword and carry out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. This authority and power was outward. Those who exercised it ruled by the sword and ultimately by the fear of death. So Rome came to exercise this ultimate authority when the Jews attempted to overthrow them. As a result, Jews died by the thousands and other thousands were carried off into slavery.

Jesus recognized Rome as God's authority. The Pharisees challenged him about the payment of taxes

And they came and said to him, "Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?" But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, "Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it." And they brought one. And he said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" They said to him, "Caesar's." Jesus said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they marveled at him. - Mar 12:14-17 ESV

There were things that are Caesar's. Caesar had his authority from God to render taxes, to demand money and to establish the rule of law.  Consequently, Jesus taught, the Jews were obligated to pay the taxes, like it or not, for the sake of conscience.

Why has God established such a government, ruling by fear of the sword in this world? Because of our rebellion against His rule over our hearts. So God has established outward rule to protect and care for us and to preserve outward peace and unity. This is why we have secular government in all its many manifestations.  This outward rule of God in the world is in contrast to God's inward kingdom established with the coming of Christ. In Christ's kingdom God rules by His Spirit working through His Word in men's hearts and minds. So Paul, in full accord with Jesus, teaches.

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. - Rom 8:14-17 ESV

To recap:

• There are two kingdoms in this world and they are locked in perpetual conflict. The kingdom of darkness is under the control and rule of the prince of darkness, the devil. The kingdom of God is under the rule and control of the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. 
• The kingdom of darkness and its prince is constantly at work to disrupt and destroy, to wreck havoc, bring chaos and death. To restrain this prince and to maintain some kind of outward peace, the Father in heaven has instituted and established the rule of secular governments.
• Christians who have been delivered from the kingdom of darkness joyfully and for the sake of conscience recognize God's rule in these secular governments. This is why they submit to these governments for the sake of conscience. 
• No one form of secular government is established by God's Word. In the course of history there have been and continue to be many forms, e.g. tribal, kings, senatorial, democratic, etc. 

Much remains to be said and taught about these matters, but that must wait for the next time.

Two Kingdoms and the Mystical Body of Christ

The questions I raised yesterday about Christ's eternal sovereignty persist. How is it that we can believe that in His ascension He received all authority in heaven and on earth and a kingdom in which peoples of all nations and languages serve Him? (Matthew 28:18 and Daniel 7:13-14)

When I return to Nazi Germany, as I have been, I see that while there was great apostasy, there were ever the faithful few. This is indicated by the Confessing Church, started by Dr.Martin Niemoeller in 1933-34. I'll not go into details here other than to point out that these faithful Christians—Lutherans mostly—rejected Hitler's move to create an Aryan church controlled by the state. Many Christians in Germany and in Scandinavia hid Jews and helped them to escape.

Many of these Christians chose to give their lives rather than back down from their convictions about the evil that had pervaded the German national church. Niemoeller was sent to concentration camp. Dietrich Bonheoffer was hung for his  complicity in the attempted assassination of Adolph Hitler. What I personally believe about Bonhoeffer's teaching will have to await another day. Suffice it to say that he died for his beliefs and opposed the Aryan Protestant Church of the Nazi state. Others went out of their way to hide or help Jews to escape Germany.

In discussing this issue I must again distinguish between the two kingdoms, church and state. When confronted by the Roman Prefect or governor Pontius Pilatus about His kingdom, the Lord Jesus replied, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world" (John 18:33-38).

Jesus had already taught us to distinguish the two kingdoms when questioned by the hypocritical Herodians about paying taxes. Jesus knew of their evil intent, so upon receiving a Roman denarius he said, "Render to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's" (Matthew 22:16-21).

These important distinctions had long before been muddled and muddied in Europe, especially with the state supporting the church since the days of Constantine, over 1,000 years.

The kingdom of Christ is one created and sustained by the inner working of the Holy Spirit. In fact, as Jesus pointed out to the inquiring Jewish ruler Nicodemus, one cannot even see or enter it without the creative working of the Spirit in baptism. To be in this kingdom is nothing less than having experienced a rebirth. Those who have been reborn have eternal life (John 3:1-21).

I can only point to these distinctions here. The task of maintaining the separation of the two kingdoms continues in our day. The church is not a political power player. She is the mystical, mysterious, inscrutable and yet very real presence of Christ in this world, working through men and women called by Him to millions and millions of vocations and responsibilities. She still suffers and dies on behalf of the weak and helpless throughout the world as she takes up her cross to follow her Husband and Master (Matthew 10:37-39 and Matthew 16:23-25).