Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Psalm 123, Isaiah 6:1-7:9, 1 Peter 2:13-25 - Lectionary for 11/30/11 - Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle

Today is the Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle. Today's readings are Psalm 123, Isaiah 6:1-7:9, and 1 Peter 2:13-25. The idea of Christian submission to government is a difficult one, especially in the United States, and particularly in the past fifty years or so. We as a culture find it difficult to submit to authority. We like to think we are rugged individualists who shake off the bonds of tyranny and boldly blaze our own trails. And there's something to that philosophy. There's a right time to stand up for a point of view. And there's a right way to do it. Yet in our reading from 1 Peter we see that we are to submit to authorities placed over this. Does that mean that we lie down and let our governmental leaders trample on everything no matter what? Not in any way. When there are means by which we can take a stand for what we know is right as opposed to what our leaders may think, we take that stand. When our leadership commands us to do something which we know is opposed to God's Word we refuse to do so, and we accept the consequences of our refusal. When we have the opportunity to influence people toward what is good and right in the eyes of God we take that opportunity. And in all things we look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, the giver of all good things.

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