Our God Among the Heathen: A Meditation on Psalm 96

Our Psalm and Gospel reading from this week strike upon a similar subject, and one that is always present with the people of God.  The Church, having been established in the world by the Word of God, sustained in the world by the Word of God, and ushered into eternal life by the Word of God, exists side by side with peoples and cultures that do not respect the Word of God.  Our God makes Himself present in the world through His Word, and yet the world is always resisting Him, preferring the darkness of their sin to the Light of His holiness, grace, and redemption.

So what does the Christian do in such world?  The Pharisees attempted to trip Jesus up with their question, “Should we give tribute to Caesar, or not?” knowing that a simple yes or no would bring down either the wrath of the mob or the wrath of the Romans.  Jesus makes clear, in the face of their evil hypocrisy, just what it is our duty to do—to give unto Caesar what belongs to him, and to give unto God what belongs to Him.  It was an answer simple enough on the surface, but deep enough upon reflection to send the malevolent Pharisees off marveling and scratching their heads.

What was behind Jesus’ answer?  This truth that resounds throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, and especially in Psalm 96:  everything in all creation, including every king or Caesar that will ever walk the earth, belongs to God.  Be it the Caesar of the ancient world, or governments of our own day, whether they recognize this truth or not, they are still accountable to the God of the universe.  There is no one in heaven, or earth, or hell that can make good on their claim to be outside the authority of the One True God.  Everyone who will ever exist, will be created by the One True God.  Everyone who has been created by the One True God, will eventually stand before Him to give an account of what they have done with the life they have been given.  To the One True God, every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess.

So what does this mean for the Christian in this wicked world?  It means we are called to obey the authorities given by God to the world—be they our police, our judges, or our government.  But, it means that our governments and all our rulers, are accountable to God for what they do and say—and that if they ever run afoul of the God who gave them their authority, the people of God must obey their God rather than erring men.  Here the Christian observes our God present with us by His Word, which informs the peculiar duty of government as well as the peculiar duty of His Church.  The Church is sent forth by His Word to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, preaching Law and Gospel, calling all to faith and repentance, and exercising the Keys of the Kingdom which Christ has given to forgive sins through His Word and Sacraments.  The governments of men are called forth to execute justice according to the Law and to protect the preaching of the Gospel, using the sword given to them by God to restrain evil and encourage righteousness.  These are the peculiar duties of the Church and the State, both accountable to the God who created them, and both destined to be judged according to His Word.

In each sphere of life, the Christian is called by Christ to give what is due.  To the governments of men we give our loyalties, our taxes, our labors, and the honor due to them.  To God we give our whole lives as living sacrifices, sanctified in the waters of Holy Baptism, nourished on the Body and Blood of our Savior in the Holy Eucharist, and absolved of our sins when by faith and repentance we hear the words of Holy Absolution pronounced upon us.  It is God who has established the two kingdoms of Church and State, given to them their proper authority and means, and called them to exercise His Word accordingly… and those who exercise authority in both kingdoms shall be accountable to the King who endowed them with His authority, each according to their vocations.

And so must we hear the Word of the Lord, each in our time, place, and circumstance.  If we are guilty of speaking evil of either kingdom God has established under His own authority, we should repent—for when we disparage or call into disrepute the governments of men or the government of the Church, we are insulting the God who ordains and empowers them according to His Word.  But if we have granted improper license to either the governments of men or of the Church to dispense with God’s Word, to disparage the King of the Universe or hold Him in disrepute, of this too we must repent—for when we have failed to bear witness to the Word of God before kings or bishops, we have failed to be faithful witnesses of the One True God.

But to us, faulty as we are, ever given to fits of selfish pragmatism, the Gospel of Jesus Christ comes.  He has died for you, O Sinner, who has failed to bear proper witness to the wonderful mystery of His saving grace.  He has died for you, O Politician, who has failed to live out your duties under the Word of God.  He has died for you, O Bishop, who has failed to preach the Law in all its severity and the Gospel in all its sweetness.  Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has died and risen again for the sins of the whole world, that the whole world might be reconciled in Him—every man, woman, and child, every bishop, king, and citizen.

Whoever you may be, and in whatever calling of life you find yourself, give ear to the Word of the Lord which calls you out of darkness, and into His marvelous Light.  Repent of your evil and rebellion, and return in faith to the Creator and Savior of your soul.  Repent, believe, and live.  Amen.