Under Whose Authority

When my late wife became too ill to run the kitchen I inherited several fridge magnets, two of which I have only recently read.  One said, “If at first you don’t succeed, try doing it your wife’s way!”  It made me smile, but behind the wit lies a common ongoing dispute about who makes the decisions in our households.  You are probably familiar with the statement by a husband that he makes all the decisions according to what his wife tells him.

We are all social creatures and determine how we live and what power and authority we are willing to give to others, rather than making all the decisions ourselves and running our lives the way we want.  If we failed to do so, life would soon become very chaotic.  Proverbs 29:18 is a popular verse, especially among many evangelical Christians, but it is also a verse that is often quoted out of context and misunderstood.  The Contemporary English Version renders it, “Without guidance from God, law and order disappear, but God blesses everyone who obeys his Law.”.  The role of prophets was not to introduce some new order, but to call people back to living God’s way.

In recent weeks in the UK we lost our queen, who is now replaced by her son, King Charles the Third.  We have a new king.  But what exactly does that mean?  Do you imagine that the king has any authority over your life?  What are you thinking when you sing “...Long to reign over us, God save the king”?  Like Her Majesty, His Majesty is a constitutional monarch, and it is Parliament that has the real authority.  But, it seems to me, most Christians do not think much about this.  Some even refuse to take part in the general elections because they believe that  we are not supposed to get involved in secular matters.

Whether we like it or not, if we are British citizens then we are under the authority of Parliament.  Decisions that affect our lives are made by the people we elect to represent us in the House of Commons.  In that sense, we retain some power since we can choose who we want to run our lives.  In the past, many godly men and women have served both in the House and in government.  These days, I hear many Christians bemoaning decisions they do not like, but not many committed Christians seem to be willing to serve God and the nation by standing for election.

I quite like the role of the kings and queen that have reigned during my lifetime.  I believe that our current King is a man who genuinely cares, and who will seek to act, and encourage our government to act, for the common good.  But I prefer the system of government we have through elected representatives.  I try to support my representatives in prayer and occasionally write to them to express my views and hopes.  After all, if we are giving other people authority over us, we should not wash our hands of personal responsibility.

On Saturday 6th May 2023 many of us are likely to be glued to the TV if we have not travelled to London for the coronation.  However, it is the Prime Minister who has decided that we will have an additional bank holiday that day.  But, no doubt, the decision will have been made after consultations and possibly some compromise.  From that date onward, our new king will rule, but will be largely powerless.  We will see him formally representing the state on many occasions - a role he will carry out selflessly and well.  But we do not appoint him to absolutely rule over us.

So, to whom do we acknowledge that right?  This was the hot topic in the days when Jesus walked the streets of Galilee, Samaria and Judea.  “Is it right to pay tax to Caesar or not?” the Pharisees asked, seeking to trap Jesus.  The tax to which they referred was not paid by Roman citizens, but was paid by all those in conquered nations.  The question went to the heart as to who had authority over the people. The wise answer that Jesus gave is relevant today.  There are those to whom tribute is due for the services they provide, but that was only half the answer.

What does it mean to give back to God, the things that are God’s?  Nothing that we have is really our own.  It comes from God’s good hand.  More than that, our very eternal life has been purchased through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.  As Isaac Watts put it “Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were an offering far too small.  Love, so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.”

You can choose under whose authority you are prepared to live.  You may honour the king.  You will probably, sensibly, submit to the authority of Parliament.  But I hope that from the start of 2023, you will recommit all that you are and have to the service of God, and do those things that please him.  We all need to ask, “Who has the real power over us?”

If, as part of that recommitment, you feel able to renew your support for our ministry in the spiritual wasteland that is much of rural UK, please send me an email or drop me a line at the start of this year.  We commit our lives and energies to the growth of God’s kingdom in rural UK.  May his kingdom come and his will be done.