Romans 13:1-7
1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct but to bad. Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive its approval, 4 for it is God’s agent for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for the authority does not bear the sword in vain! It is the agent of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be subject, not only because of wrath but also because of conscience. 6 For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s agents, busy with this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is due them: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.
Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive its approval, 4 for it is God’s agent for your good.
My first response, when I read today’s passage was, “I can’t write on this!!!” I had such a visceral reaction to that first reading that I had to walk away. Some of that response comes from my knowledge of the ways that rulers, even Martin Luther himself, have used this passage to suppress legitimate concerns. The bulk of my response comes from a deep and abiding belief that it’s just not true. We all know that innocent people are prosecuted, and persecuted, all the time.
So I stomped around and got it out of my system and then read the passage again. It’s not OK to skip the parts of the Bible we don’t like. Every passage has something to say to us.
I think the heart of the message is in the last verse. 7 Pay to all what is due them: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due. It may be that Paul is reminding us that, as long as we live in this world, we are subject to the laws and rulers of this world. We also know that we are citizens of the Kingdom of God and heirs with Jesus to the eternal Kingdom of Heaven. Those two things seem to intersect heavily in this passage.
Maybe, it’s one of those wonderful Lutheran “both ands”. We are obligated to obey earthly authorities, even while we are living in the Kingdom of God. When those two Kingdoms fall out of balance, we are compelled by the Gospel to stand with the poor and the oppressed. It may be that this passage is a strong reminder of the need to not just speak Truth to power, but to speak that Truth to power IN LOVE. It’s what put Jesus on the cross because it is terrifying to all who would use earthly power for personal glory.
Prayer: Lord Jesus: Your ways are hard. There are many earthly leaders that I cannot bear to see as your agents, but I can’t see things the way you do. May I always be a servant of the Gospel first and of earthly authorities through that lens. AMEN