September 26, 2024 

Today's Reading: Catechism - Table of duties: of citizens

Daily Lectionary: Malachi 2:1-3:5; Matthew 4:1-11

“Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.” (1 Peter 2:13-14)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. What kind of relationship should a Christian have with civil authority? Most of the answers given to this question tend to fall into the categories of fight or flight. In other words, Christians are told to withdraw from the civil realm and not take part in the public life of their community, or they are told to fight for their rights against an encroaching civil authority. This turns out to be a very American approach, and history is filled with examples of both approaches. There has to be more to the Christian life than the false choice between monasticism or activism. We are not called to live hidden behind walls, nor are we called to live on the march with protest signs in our hands and chants on our lips.  

In fact, you don’t find a lot of either of these extremes in the Scriptures. Instead, we find the same advice given over and over again in the passages that make up this section of the Table of Duties about submitting to civil authority and acting as good citizens. This advice does not change when the civil authority is hostile. Peter directly addresses Christians who lived under a government that believed they were bad citizens. Despite this, he tells them to be subject to the human institutions. This is similar to what Jeremiah tells the exiles in Babylon, “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” (Jeremiah 29:7) 

Ultimately, this is because no matter what kind of civil authority we live under, we are in exile from our true home. Each and every Christian, no matter where they live in this world, are actually citizens of the Jerusalem come down from heaven. Whether you live under the authority of an emperor, a governor, or a president, you are actually subjects of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. You don’t have to hide from civil authority, nor do you have to fight civil authority because, in the end, your true citizenship is elsewhere. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Lord, keep this nation under Your care. Bless the leaders of our land that we may be a people at peace among ourselves and a blessing to the other nations of the earth. Grant that we may choose trustworthy leaders, contribute to wise decisions for the general welfare, and serve you faithfully in our generation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

-Rev. Grant Knepper, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church Modesto, California.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

In Embracing Your Lutheran Identity, Author Gene Edward Veith Jr. will guide readers through that heritage, starting with the Early Church and moving through the Reformation to Lutheranism today. Readers will learn about key people in the history of Lutheranism, from two teenagers who were the first martyrs of the Reformation, through the Saxon immigrants who left everything behind so they could practice Lutheranism freely, to the Lutherans who have stood strong for the faith in our own day.