Twenty-fourth Sunday after Trinity,
November 10th, Year of Our + Lord 2013
St. John and Trinity Lutheran Churches,
Fairview and Sidney, Montana
Two Governments, Two Lies, Two Promises
– Matthew 22:15-22
This morning we have a nice confluence of
events and Scripture. It’s Sunday, a
good day to be gathered in the presence of God.
And, it’s November 10th, Martin Luther’s birthday, an added
bonus. And, did you know Martin Luther
had the good sense to be born on the same day as the Marine Corps? Yes, on November 10th, 1775, in
Tun Tavern in Philadelphia, the United States Marine Corps began. One might even think today a good day for
regulation hair cut, although if my drill instructors were here they would no
doubt ask why a regulation shave didn’t come with the high and tight. Well, no need to get too crazy.
The intrepid Reformer Martin Luther and
those intrepid Jarheads share more than a little in common, Luther being all
about boldly protecting and serving the Church, while Marines are all about
boldly protecting and serving the nation, these United States. Speaking of the United States, last Tuesday
was Election Day. And, tomorrow is when
we Americans honor all our Veterans, most especially those who have sacrificed
their lives in service to these United States.
So, with all of this going on, when I saw today’s assigned readings, I thought “Perfect!” O.K., full disclosure: I thought I was looking at today’s assigned readings, but after celebrating the Reformation and All Saints Day the last two Sundays, I miscounted. Today is the 24th Sunday after Trinity, but the readings before you are actually for last Sunday, the 23rd. By the time I realized my error, I was too far down the path of this sermon to turn back. So, it’s only due to my mistake that we have this helpful confluence of birthdays, and Election Day, and Veterans Day, a helpful confluence because our readings, especially our Epistle and Gospel, are all about the distinctions between worldly things and churchly things, between the earthly and the heavenly, readings which offer a good bit of counsel on how we Christians are to navigate our lives, which are lived in both realms.
We get pretty bound up, sometimes, trying
to sort out how Christians are to act in regards to the government and the
nation, all too often confusing and mixing up the things of Caesar and the
things of God, misusing both in the process.
Lord willing, we will leave here this morning with a clearer
understanding, and joyful hearts, looking forward to our heavenly homes, and
also ready to live out our earthly lives in God-pleasing ways.
Two governments. One of Luther’s most helpful rediscoveries in
the Reformation is Scripture’s teaching about the two governments by which the
Lord rules things on the earth in this age.
Jesus makes reference to these two governments when He says: "Therefore render to Caesar the things
that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." Jesus did not come to establish a kingdom, or
government, of this world, but rather to inaugurate the Kingdom of God, a
spiritual government whose capitol is literally the heavenly throne of
God. However, earthly governments are
not outside God’s concern or control.
Just a few days after the encounter we heard in today’s Gospel, a bound,
suffering, and about to be crucified Jesus would teach Pontius Pilate, the
Roman governor, that he would have no authority at all if it had not been given
him from above.
As Luther rediscovered and taught, God
rules the affairs of this world, but indirectly, through earthly authorities,
kings and queens, presidents and legislatures, to whom God has given authority
on earth. Luther called this God’s
left-hand government. Not to insult the
lefties out there, but what Luther meant was that this Left Hand Government was
important, but not as important, as God’s Right Hand Government, which is the
spiritual rule of God in His Church, a rule that God exercises purely by His Word. God through His Left Hand Government provides
for peace in the earthly lives of men.
But God through His Right Hand Government provides the peace that passes
all understanding, the peace with God won for us by the blood of Christ, the
peace of knowing that your sins are forgiven and you are a citizen of God’s
heavenly kingdom, where God will eventually bring you, and all believers.
Earthly rulers may think they are pretty
important and powerful, but their power can disappear in a moment, and their
purpose, from God’s perspective, is simply to keep a lid on the wickedness of
the world, to maintain enough order and justice and peace on earth so that the
Church can gather and preach and serve one another and the world, as she awaits
the return of Christ. Good government,
from a Biblical perspective, is one that keeps order and allows Christians to
gather, preach, teach and love their neighbors.
This might be through a republic, a monarchy, a dictatorship, or a
democracy, through a government filled with Christians, or a government that is
completely atheistic. Through various
forms of government, God provides the order and peace His Church needs to
live.
The Pharisees, who came with their clever
and deceitful question about paying taxes to Caesar, were trying to trap Jesus
by mixing heavenly things, the things of God, into our understanding and
actions in the earthly realm. If God is
our king, the Pharisees imply, then how can any self-respecting Jew pay taxes
to Caesar, a question they ask with the Herodians, that is, the lackeys of King
Herod, Caesar’s local enforcer, standing by, just in case Jesus might actually
suggest that Jews should rebel, and refuse to pay Roman taxes. Jesus, teaching us to keep heavenly things
out of earthly government, easily avoids their trap, just as He had done
moments before, with another group of foes.
If you look just after this encounter in
Matthew 22, you will read about the Sadducees, another religious faction,
trying just the opposite trick to Jesus.
The Sadducees tried to make Jesus look ridiculous by applying
earthly rules to the heavenly realm, asking about the woman who, following the
law of Moses, had married seven brothers, who died one after the other, each
unsuccessfully seeking an heir for the first.
Whose wife would she be in heaven?
Jesus casts off their feeble attempt to trick Him just as easily as He
did that of the Pharisees, teaching us to keep earthly things out of the
heavenly realm, for as Jesus taught, marriage and bearing children are of this
life. In heaven, the faithful are not
married. But they are very much alive,
since the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the God of the living, not the dead.
In these two passages then, Jesus
distinguishes between God’s Left Hand Government on earth, the order He
maintains through kings and presidents and congresses, and God’s Right Hand
Government, which has only the Law and Gospel to use. God’s Spiritual rule over His Church is effected
by His Word, by which He delivers eternal life and peace to all who trust in
Christ. So far so good, a neat and
fairly simple explanation of our simultaneous life in this world, and life in
Christ’s Church. Give honor to the
king. But put your faith only in
Christ. However, satan, whom God has
defeated but not yet completely caged, still tries to confuse our
understanding, so that we mix up these two governments, like the Pharisees and
Sadducees did. The devil uses the same
trick that he originally used to drag down Adam and Eve, whispering sweet
sounding lies into our ears, lies which, sad to say, engage and attract
us.
Two Lies.
satan spews forth a dizzying array of reasonable and attractive sounding
lies, helped along by the world and our own sinful nature, which both prefer
his lies over the Truth of God. But in
the area of rightly understanding the Two Governments, we can narrow our focus
down to just two major lies from the devil.
The first lie is this: The Left
Hand, earthly Government and the life we lead under it is the most important
thing there is, much more important than God and His Word, so important that
you should be dedicating all your efforts to succeeding in this world. Now, when you hear this lie plainly stated,
it’s easy to reject. We all know faith
in Christ, which leads to eternal life and saves from eternal suffering, is
clearly more important than a good life on earth. We know this, or at least we say we know
this. But, oh, how we act just the
opposite. I could demonstrate this a
hundred different ways, but since we’re talking about governments, let’s just
consider the love-hate relationship we have with the Presidency.
Democrats have long looked at President
Obama as the one who will fix everything.
Recent struggles have shaken faith in the man, but no worries, we just
need to get to Hillary, because she’s the one, really. She will finally
make everything better. On the other
side of the aisle, Republicans, who once thought the world of George W. Bush,
slowly became disenchanted with him, and hoped for a new Reagan. Look, Mitt Romney, he’s the one. No?
Well, look, Marco Rubio. No, Ted
Cruz. No, Chris Christie. Americans of every stripe, Christians and
unbelievers alike, have a very strong habit of thinking fixing the government
is the most important thing we can hope and work for. I mean, doesn't it just seem like if we could
get the right people in place, America could be great again, maybe greater than
ever before? satan smiles, encouraging
us to think this way, because every moment we spend worrying and fretting about
finding a political savior is another moment we don’t hear the Word about the
One True Savior.
The second lie satan tells about God’s
Left and Right Hand Governments is for those who don’t get caught up in seeking
heaven on earth, those who still make Church a priority. This second lie goes like this: If you must concern yourself with God’s Right
Hand Government, if you insist on considering spiritual matters, just remember
that success in the Church, being worthy of God’s favor, works pretty much the
same way as things do in the Left Hand, earthly realm. So, continues satan, you better get busy and
make your way in God’s Kingdom, earn your place, so that you can be sure you
have that heavenly citizenship you think is so important.
Again, when this lie, that we must earn
our place in God’s Spiritual Kingdom, just as we must earn our place in the
world, is stated bluntly, we know to reject it.
And yet, this notion creeps into our hearts and our thinking, yours and
mine and every Christian’s. Pastors
think, oh, there is so much work to do, I must get busier, or else… Elderly Christians, robbed by disease and
frailty from serving others like they always used to, begin to question their
faith, because they can’t do anything, and they have always associated being a
Christian with doing things. Newly
baptized and newly confirmed Christians are drawn away from pure grace and free
salvation to “Christian” churches who say Baptism and the Supper are fine, but
if you really want to be sure, you need to master sin, or go door to door, or
scurry off to Africa, or wear special clothes, or something. You must, they say, do something more than
simply believe in the forgiveness Christ gives.
And when whatever list of things they give you, or whatever list you
think up yourself, when that list ends, another one soon comes along. These lists of things you must do will keep
coming, for just as long as you keep believing satan’s lie that you must earn
salvation, just like you must earn a living in this world.
Two Promises. Jesus responds to these two lies about
earthly and spiritual matters with two promises. First, Jesus promises, in this world you will
have troubles. God is not making the New
Heavens and New Earth by reforming this sin soaked world, He’s going to burn it
up and start over. But for now, God
keeps a lid on things, not trying to perfect the world, but making sure His
Church has just enough peace and opportunity to gather, and proclaim, and serve
the neighbor. It is fine to try and live
a decent life, and thank God for the earthly blessings you receive, including
the blessing of good government. And it
is fine to participate in government, as long as that participation does not require
you to deny Christ. But regardless of
how you make your way in this world, do not be fooled into thinking that you
are going to find your best life now.
In this world you will have trouble, says
Jesus, because the world, along with satan, hates Me, hates the Gospel, hates
the notion that everything depends on a God who died on a Cross. Even if your government isn’t actively
persecuting Christians, (and, by the way, God often uses persecutions to cause
great growth in His Spiritual Kingdom), even if the government favors the Church,
don’t expect too much from earthly authorities.
For they are all shot through with sin and error. They are only temporary, passing away. The poor you will have with you always in
this life, says Jesus. Sickness and
crime and drought and famine and earthquake and fire and flood are all
consequences of living in this fallen world, and will continue, until the
End.
Remembering that Jesus has promised life
in this world is never going to be all peaches and cream is important. Knowing not to put your hope in the potential
of earthly heroes will keep you from seeing your hopes dashed into pieces. Ironically, a lowered expectation about how
great this life is going to be will help you more fully enjoy the good things
you do receive. Even more, it will keep
you from transferring your faith from God to those earthly goods, which is
idolatry.
Jesus second promise is concerning His
Spiritual, Right Hand Government, that is, concerning His Church. The gates of hell will not prevail against
it. The Church, created and sustained by
the Word of Christ, will like that Word, endure forever. No matter how bad things might look on earth,
the Church wins in the end, and so by faith in Christ you are a winner already,
today, and every day. Jesus, the only
begotten Son of the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, is Almighty, all
Wise, all Just and all Loving. And He
has promised to maintain His Church, to do everything needed to deliver her to
His Father in heaven, spotless and radiant, a joyous and countless multitude
gathered around God in all His glory.
Jesus will do it, everything, working through His Word, even working
through His Word when it is spoken and sung and explained by sinners, like me,
and like you. Jesus, who has already
completely received and swallowed up the entire wrath of God against all human
sin, will go with His Word, will give His Spirit to all the baptized, will
pursue the wandering, and will comfort the downtrodden and those who
mourn. Jesus has promised. He will
do it.
The source of every problem in the Church is sin. And so, in order to fulfill His promise to
build and maintain and give the final victory to His Church, Jesus keeps one thing at the center
of the life of the Church on earth. Since it’s his birthday, I’ll say it the way Luther did:
“Therefore everything in the Christian church is so ordered that we may daily obtain full
forgiveness of sins through the Word and through signs.”
The world sees only weakness in forgiveness, but then the world sees only death and defeat in the Crucifixion. But God, and satan, and you also know better. By the forgiveness Christ
delivers to us, through Word, Water, Wheat and Wine, we are already citizens of heaven, free to live our lives without fear, loving our neighbors, in the Church and the world, because we have
been perfectly loved by Jesus, Amen.
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