So, I have thought alot about the verse from Romans 13:1 that calls us as Christians to submit to governing authorities and there are a few things I would like to say on the subject. First of all, I know that the Bible is demonstrated in the life of Christ and so I want to examine the world Jesus lived in and his reaction to it. I also want to say for people to look at the word "submit." This is a word that is used in relationships between the husband and wife. In a marriage, a woman is to be submissive to her husband but not in such a way that we are to be a doormat. We can voice an opinion, especially one that affects the whole family, but when the final decision is made, it rests on the shoulders of the husband. I apply the same to government. The truth is too, I would argue that our "governing authorities" happen to be the Supreme Law of our land, the Constitution. The office of the President and even the offices of our congressmen and supreme court justices are bigger than one person. The ultimate power in the government that we have been blessed to live under belongs to the people. We are to hold our government officials accountable. I would also argue that I do not think it is right for Christians to break the law by not paying taxes and things of that such. I believe the Bible is very explicit in that regard. But, living in our blessed country, we can and should speak out. If we do not speak out as Christians, who will? We cannot expect non-Christians to speak out for us.
Now, what did Jesus do? First, remember what the Jewish world was like at this time. Yes, the Romans were ultimately over Israel but, for the most part, they were a self-governing people. Think of it in the way that Great Britain is over Canada, yet Canada is self-governing. The Jewish political world, first of all, was so intertwined with the religious world, that it is absolutely something that we cannot even fathom. We have nothing to compare it to. The Jewish political system was divided into three factions 1) the Sanhedrin-kind of like our Supreme Court (we really don't see too much of them until Jesus' trial) 2) the Saduccees- most comparable to our Senate. They wanted to be buddy-buddy with the Roman government and were a little more high-class. Then there were 3) the Pharisees- closely resembling our House of Representatives. They were known as the "people's party." The Pharisees knew the Law backwards and forwards and told the people how to follow the law and what the consequences were when they did not follow the law. These were also the ones that Jesus had the most run-ins with.
Remember when Jesus was tried and "convicted," Pilate was the one that "represented" the Roman government. Even though history has not been kind to him, Pilate tried to "wash his hands of an innocent man's blood." The Roman government wanted the Jewish rulers to decide what to do with Jesus because they did not feel he had done anything wrong. Remember also that one of the things Jesus was accused of by the Jewish leaders was inciting revolution against the Roman government. The basis for this accusation was the large crowds that followed him and the radical ideas he was espousing. Jesus was innocent! So why would they accuse him of this. He was threatening the Jewish leaders very authority!
We know the people that Jesus confronted the most were the Pharisees. Remember, these were basically the ones who interpreted the law for the people. He slammed the Pharisees all the time for two things. 1)Misleading the people on the interpretation of the law (the rules of the Sabbath for one) and 2) the Pharisees themselves not adhering to the Law that they expected the people to follow. I actually see parallels between what the Pharisees of Jesus' day were doing and what the lawmakers of our day are doing. Even though the Jewish people were looking for a Messiah to overthrow the Roman government, that is not what Jesus did. And I would argue that it is because you cannot legislate people to do right. Instead, he went after people's hearts and called on the church and the individual to affect change. Just because government promises to take of the less fortunate does not negate our responsibility to do so and yet that is what is being espoused today. I would also just like to point out that by going after the various facets of the Jewish religious system, Jesus was also directly going after the political system.
As Christians, we are to submit to our governing authorities, but that does not mean that we are to be quiet. We live in a Democratic Republic. We have a responsibility as a citizen of this great nation to speak out and let our voices be heard, either through peaceful protest, through writing our representatives, or through voting. And as voting citizens, we should always vote responsibly. How will we know who best represents our values if we do not keep abreast of what is happening in our world and hear what different people have to say.
Above all, yes we pray. But we do not use this as an excuse to keep our head buried in the sand.
"There is no greater tragedy than doing nothing for fear of doing too little." Anonymous.
