GOD AND/OR CAESAR?

I believe that we, the modern American evangelical church have compromised (prostituted?) our message in our too cozy relationship with the political right. The words “conservative,” “Republican,” “patriotic,” and such, are perceived as being synonymous with “evangelical,” even “Christian.”

This borders on blasphemy. Where do we get this thinking? Not from Jesus! Not from the Old Testament prophets! Not from the New Testament apostles!

When Jesus said “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s,” (Mt. 22:21; Mk. 12:17), He was definitely not equating Caesar with God, nor was He equating their spheres of authority. He was simply recognizing that human government has a sphere of authority, but He was not putting the spheres on an equal level. As a matter of fact, at His trial when speaking to Pilate, the Roman governor, Jesus announced, “You would have no authority over me unless it had been given to you from above. …” (Jn. 19:11).

Human authority always operates in a limited sphere within the sphere of God’s authority and is not to usurp the prerogatives of God, as the Old Testament prophets reiterated over and over.

Daniel the prophet, for example, dared to stand up in the face of the arrogant world ruler of his day, to tell him that “the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes” (Dan 4:26), and informed him that God was going to humble him.

Nathan the prophet could point his finger in the face of David, the God–appointed King of Israel and point out his sin and its consequences (2 Sam. 12:7-14).

I cannot imagine any of our self-appointed evangelical “prophets” doing anything of the sort today. They are more like the sycophantic prophets who stood before King Ahab and prophesied nothing but success (1 Ki. 22:6, 10-12).

As a matter of fact, any evangelical teacher or preacher who questions our current political leadership, especially our president, is branded as a “liberal,” a “democrat” or “unpatriotic” (all three words regarded as synonymous). Well, brand me as whatever you wish to, but I do question our current administration as to its ethics. But that’s another story!

“Our country, right or wrong! When right to be kept right,
when wrong to be put right.” ~~ Carl Schurz, 1872

Bill Ball
March 29, 2006

SALT AND LIGHT

Jesus tells His disciples in His Sermon on the Mount, (especially Mt. 5:13-16), “You are the salt of the earth” (vs. 13), and “You are the light of the world” (vs. 14). He also in the same passage gives us some warnings and an assignment. His warnings are: “… if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again?” (vs. 13); and, “A city set on a hill cannot be hidden, “ (vs. 14). His assignment is: “Let your shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven (vs. 16).

But do people really see our good works and glorify our Father? I’m afraid the world looks at us rather, and laughs. I fear that in many ways, we American Christians have not heeded Jesus’ warnings nor carried out Jesus’ assignment very well. Although many of us are concerned with evangelism, and some are concerned with correct theology, and some are concerned with certain moral issues, very few of us seem to be concerned about being salt or light, and those who are, do not seem very concerned.

Perhaps our problem is not so much a lack of concern, but ignorance of how we should go about being salt or light, of how to let others see our good works and glorify our Father.

Well, how do we “shine”? What makes us different from our non-believing neighbors? Some would say it has to do with our habits of dress, or entertainment, or what we eat or drink, or don’t eat or drink. Others would say that it’s the political party we belong to. Or what “hot button issues” we are for or against.

I believe that one thing we must do is develop and adhere to a complete biblical ethical system if we are to be salt and light. Peter (echoing Jesus’ teachings) said “Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evil doers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation” (1 Pet. 2:12).

Bill Ball
March 27, 2006