WHEN THE KING IS WRONG
We stand
at the door of a period of change in our government. A week from Tuesday, Barak
Obama will be installed as President of the United States and George W. Bush will leave that office he has held for the past
eight years. I know some of you have doubts about the ability of the incoming
man, and others of us question a lot of the decisions that the Bush administration have made.
I have read several articles as of late where some suggest that Bush and his people of influence should be charged
and tried for the direction they have led our country. They feel that he was
criminally wrong in some of the decisions that were made.
As a Christian,
what do I do when one who is in authority is wrong? What rights does the Bible
give me to protest or disobey when wrong doing occurs? Those rights are certainly
influenced by time and place in addition to Scripture. As we live in a democracy
in modern times, we certainly have more opportunity and freedom to protest against the wrong doing of one in authority, as
opposed to one living under the reign of an authoritarian or dictatorial type of government rule. And in any type of government one must be prepared to suffer any consequence if he or she chooses to actively
protest or disobey wrong doing by one in authority. John the Baptist gave his
life for protesting against the wrong doing of a king.
This morning
we are examining Mark 6 where John the Baptist is murdered by Herod Antipas the tetrarch of Galilee and Perea. John had accused Herod of not having a lawful marriage. He
had spoken against the king who was in the wrong. In this reading we notice several
wrong doings of the king and what we want to examine is what did Jesus do when his relative and forerunner was beheaded by
this wrong doing king.
Mark 6:
14-31
What
does the Bible say about the Christians relationship with one in authority? A
lot! Romans 13: 1 reads;
“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.”
Titus
was instructed to inform the church;
“Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good
work…” Titus 3:1.
Paul
would remind Timothy in 1st Timothy 2: 1-3 to inform the church in Ephesus to pray for the rulers and those in
authority;
“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving
of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all
godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God
our Savior.”
Peter
also addresses our dealings with those in authority in 1st Peter 2: 13f;
“Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether
to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise
of those who do good.”
These
are some of the key passages one needs to examine concerning our attitude and action against one who is in authority and is
doing wrong. We can see that it is not only presidents, governors, and kings
that have God given authority but also policeman, bosses, teachers, parents, and any other who has the responsibility to maintain
a peaceful and orderly life for mankind.
If I am
speeding down the highway and a policeman gives me a ticket, then there are certain things I can do and cannot do because
that policeman has God given authority. Even if I were not speeding and the policeman wrongly gives me a ticket, I cannot
question his God given authority but must follow the procedures for correcting the injustice in a lawful and respectful manner.
There are some exceptions when man’s authority and law go against the values set forth by God, and when that occurs
then we are to obey God rather than man, ever understanding that we still may pay the consequences of our protest against
authority.
In
the case of John the Baptist murder, notice that Jesus instructs those with him to get away and rest for a while. If you are
angered by the wrong doing of one in authority maybe that should be the first thing you should do also; get away and allow
some time before you angrily approach one who has authority given by God.
1. Keep
your head
2. Do not
be foolish
3. Get
away by yourself
4. Rest
awhile
5. Pray
for the one in authority
6. Remember
the one who has authority has it from God
7. Be very
patient when the king is wrong
8. Let
your real king be seen by your good works
