Before
I forget again, please visit Mary Earle’s blog at http://mary-marysmoments.blogspot.com/ Thanks!
As of this writing it hasn’t happened yet,
but today is the inauguration as president for Donald Trump and as vice
president for Mike Pence. What makes this interesting, at least to me, is that
here we have a president who owes his election more to the disdain of his
opponent than to his own likability. The country is divided more than ever
before, protests are planned, celebrities have said they will leave the country
(Wait, that’s the good news. I forgot.) and destruction is imminent. At least
that is what we are told.
So,
it seems dark. It isn’t, of course. The end of the country may come, but it
will be God’s doing. The real question a Christian who is unhappy must ask is;
what do I do as a Christian? How do I live under this man rather than my first
choice?
As
always, the answer is in Scripture. The Jews lived under harsh rule. From
historical sources, we know that when Pontius Pilate first entered into Caesarea,
which was the city from which he would rule, many of the Jews were angry
because the standards that his Roman garrison carried had the image of Caesar
on them. The Jews, of course, allowed no graven images. This was considered
more than an insult. This was a far greater slap in the face than anything Mr.
Trump has said or is supposed to have said. This one event had the potential to
lead to civil war. Cooler heads prevailed, though, and a peaceful demonstration
was planned for the colosseum in Caesarea. The Jews occupied the floor of the
colosseum. The place was packed. Roman soldiers showed up. One thing led to
another, some rocks were thrown and the soldiers replied by drawing swords. Again,
something was said or done and all of a sudden, the soldiers attacked. The Jews
were unarmed. Hundreds were slaughtered. Records say that the blood was nearly
as high as a horse’s bridle. Jews responded throughout the Holy Land and the
Jews were put down. This all started within the first week of Pilates rule,
which is why he tried to walk the fence with Jesus. The Jews had to pay the
Temple tax and the imperial tax. They lived as second class people, just a
little above slaves. They were an occupied people.
So, what did Jesus say about these
oppressors? Matthew 5:43-48---"You have heard
that it was said, 'You shall love your
neighbor and hate your enemy. '
so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.
For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just
and on the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you
have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing
than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the
same?
You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
How does that set with our ‘feelings?’ Jesus said that
they were love these people who could kill at the slightest provocation and
pray for these people who were taxing them to death. Is it Godly for us to do
any different, especially toward those for whom we might simply politically
disagree? I have despised the politics of some of our political leaders, but I
have also prayed for them. For salvation, for health, for their families. God
loves them; can I hate them?
So what do
you say? Why don’t we act like Christians? Let’s really, honestly and fervently
pray for our leaders.
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