“Everyone must submit to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are instituted by God.” — Romans 13:1 (HCSB)
Paul wrote this to people who had every reason to be bitter toward the government. Rome wasn’t friendly to the Jewish people. The taxes were heavy, their religious traditions were treated with disrespect, and the governors placed over them often lived in ways that were the opposite of everything Jewish teaching stood for. Many Jews were also expecting a Messiah who would throw off Roman rule by force. Jesus wasn’t like that at all, and then Paul writes that those same authorities are God’s servants. That was a hard teaching to hear back then, and it’s hard now.
Part of it makes sense to me. We all live under some kind of government, whether it honors God or not. If we skip paying taxes or live in a subversive way, we shouldn’t be surprised when the government responds. We can question what is done with our money and disagree with the policies our leaders support, but we are still subject to the rules.
The harder part is the phrase “God’s servant for your good.” What about when the government does things I find morally repugnant, or promotes a religion that isn’t Christianity? I don’t have a good answer for that, and I don’t think Paul is saying those things don’t matter. There are times when a leader’s commands collide with Christ’s, and a Christian has to take a moral stand. But taking a stand is different from actively undermining leadership. Paul’s point is that all authority ultimately comes from God, even the authority we don’t like. I’ll never fully understand his plan. But the trust (faith) resides in believing that he has one, and that it is better than one I’d come up with.
This is on my mind a lot as an American. It is far too easy for us to treat being Christian and being American as the same thing. It’s also easy for any of us, on the Left or the Right, to put our hope in a political leader as the one who will finally save us. No politician will. Only Jesus will. When I get that mixed up, I’m putting my identity in the wrong place.
So I keep reminding myself that the things of the kingdom of God are not the things of politics. People vote for all kinds of reasons, and as America becomes less Christian, Christian morality will matter less to a lot of voters. I can be sad about that, but I shouldn’t be shocked by it. My role here isn’t to be a settled American who expects the country to be Christian. It’s to be a missionary even in America, someone who lives in a place that doesn’t share his values, respects the authorities over him, and keeps his identity in Christ alone.