“Christian and Citizen” 2012

Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7 Romans 13:1-8

Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7

These are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 4Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7But 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.

Romans 13:1-8

13Let 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. 2Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3For 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; 4for it is God’s servant 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 servant of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore one must be subject, not only because of wrath but also because of conscience. 6For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, busy with this very thing. 7Pay 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. 8Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

During my 3^rd year of seminary, I served as a student intern pastor

at a small Presbyterian church in Tenino, Washington.

Kathy and I packed what we thought we would need for that one year

and that we could fit into the U-Haul trailer I rented,

and put the rest of our stuff into storage

until we returned from our year away from home.

Since we knew our stay was just temporary,

I didn’t bother get a Washington state driver’s license,

register to vote, or change the license plates on my car.

Though we lived, worked and paid taxes in Washington that year,

we never really settled-in, at least not as true residents,

nor did we consider the state of Washington to be our home…

… it’s different when you are not planning to stay somewhere.

When Israel was taken into exile by the Babylonians,

many of the religious teachers assured the people

that it would only be for a couple of years at most,

and then God would surely bring them back home.

So with that expectation, of an early and easy return to Israel,

they didn’t really move in or accept Babylon as their home.

They didn’t make any long-term plans, or buy season tickets,

or participate in the life of the community.

They kept their hearts focused, longing for their return home.

Writing to those taken into exile, the prophet Jeremiah

wrote to warn them that the religious leaders were wrong.

According to God’s will,

they would be living out their one and only life in Babylon,

and their call was to serve and honor God, right there.

They needed to accept and figure out how to make the best of it,

to participate and build a real home & life for themselves,

-- right where God had placed them.

vs. 5-7

Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 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.

The word translated, welfare, is the Hebrew word, shalom.

The word shalom means to live within

the purpose, will, promises and blessings of God.

Your well-being, your shalom connects to where you live,

and is a call to live faithfully wherever God puts us.

The point is,

whatever our situation in life, wherever we find ourselves,

God is certainly present and with us,

calling, blessing and equipping us

to serve and glorify according to God’s purpose.

In the Romans 13 passage we read earlier,

the Apostle Paul’s concern is similar to Jeremiah’s ---

- that is, how to live as God’s people of faith

within the reality and context of their situation…

… how to live faithfully in Babylon, or in Rome, or in Las Cruces.

As we are approaching our nation’s election day,

though both Jeremiah’s words and Paul’s advice,

dealt with their specific and particular situations.

Paul raises and explains some general Christian principles

that may help us more faithfully participate and engage

in our political process, where God has put us.

The reality and context when Paul wrote Romans, was thatà

the Christians in Rome were an insignificant minority,

and at this time they were

not being persecuted by the Roman authorities.

But there was trouble brewing back in the land of Israel,

many of the Jewish people living in Palestine were moving

toward open rebellion against Roman rule, occupation & taxes;

and Paul didn’t want that struggle & political activity

to interfere with the proclamation of the Gospel.

The Apostle didn’t want to stir up unnecessary problems with Rome

or allow the politics of Palestine to divide

the Jewish Christians with connections in Jerusalem,

from their gentile brothers and sisters in faith.

So Paul writes, vs. 1, 6~8

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. For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, … 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. Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

Paul's point and position was

that God ordained civil authority for the good of society,

and even though that

government might not always be all that it should, it still deserves honor, respect and taxes paid,

and our political life has something to do

with our Christian love for one another.

In our context, I believe that means taking seriously

our responsibility to participate in the political process…

…for all of life, including politics exists to glorify God.

As those who seek to follow and walk in obedience with Jesus,

our faith must make a difference in all aspects of our lives

everything that we do, say and even the opinions we hold;

including our beliefs, values and political leanings.

And our hope and assurance according to Paul,

is that because God loves us,

even amid the most turbulent storms of politics

we know God is still at work and very much in control,

accomplishing God's good and grace in our world.

And as Christians, and as citizens,

the point is more than just getting into heaven when we die,

but we are here to serve now as God's salt and light,

we are called by Jesus toward transformation and justice

and to live out our lives as beacons of hope ---

-- for our God does care about what happens in our world.

As Christians and citizens,

with eyes of faith, hope, joy and trust, we’re to look à

for signs of God's glory, purpose and plan in our world…

… and being cynical or apathetic is not appropriate for us.

We cannot be God's blessing to anyone, if numbed into cynicism,

or if we will not connect and engage where we are,

and allow God to work in the world, through us.

Our call: embrace the present as the place where God has put us,

as the place where God intends to work in us and through us.

Therefore, in the context of this approaching election,

we are called to be responsible citizens of faith,

to use our vote and our political influence faithfully;

to glorify, serve and honor our steadfast loving God.

It is also one of my core and central values

that partisan politics has no place in the Christian pulpit;

for our focus here is the gracious love of God in Christ

calling us to be The Church, to proclaim the gospel

as a loving and unified family of faith…

… for as it turns out,

faithful and godly Christians come in all political flavors,

and they hold strong passions and heartfelt beliefs

all along the full breadth and spectrum of ideas,

of political perspectives, opinions and views…

… and yet all are equally loved and precious before God.

And we are called within this gathered body of Christ

to accept, welcome and even celebrate this rich diversity;

-- even as difficult as it can be toward election time.

And so, let us keep our political preferences and choices

on the bumper stickers boldly affixed to our cars –

but left out in the parking lot.

Important declarations,

yet decidedly separate from what we're doing in here.

Those of the church with differing opinions are not our enemies,

and they are not our advisories to be whacked with our Bibles,

to be bested in debate, or through political maneuvering…

… for having received grace, Jesus expects better from us,

for it is only through love, that we can glorify our God.

God isn’t calling Christians to a political world domination,

but simply to live in the world as who we are –

by reflecting God's love and to whom we belong…

…for to support the interests of our nation best,

is first to be faithful & obedient in our walk with God,

as visible signs of God’s gracious love for all.

As we come to the Lord's Table today, it is as a reminder,

though we are different and diverse in many ways

yet our shared faith in Jesus Christ

inseparably binds us together as one…

… for by God's grace we’re all made one… the one body of Christ.

Today we celebrate,

and we come to the Lord’s Table, a place of grace and family,

- for here, all are welcome and all are invited by God

into hopeful reconciliation and Christian fellowship,

to share in the kingdom, joy and mission of the Lord.