Honor the Emperor?

Thursday, April 27, 2006 -- Week of 2 Easter

"Morning Reflections" is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117

An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this link -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html



Today's Readings for the Daily Office (p. 959)
Psalms 18:1-20 (morning) // 18:21-50 (afternoon)
Exodus 16:10-22
1 Peter 2:11-25
John 15:12-27

Today we read a set of scripture passages that I have issues with.

"Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him... Honor the emperor. Servants be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only the kind and gentle but also to the overbearing."

On the one hand, I can understand the context for these words. The young church was small, weak and vulnerable in a society that could easily become suspicious of a group who followed a criminal executed for sedition. There were rumors that these Christians were cannibals who ate the flesh of their leader Jesus and drank blood. Keeping a very low profile in the Roman world would be to their advantage. To be accused of some form of civil rebellion might bring violence upon them. So the advice comes, be good citizens; respect the law and the emperor; don't make waves. Especially you who are servants in an abusive household. Don't bring disrepute on the rest of us by being contrary. After all, we all might end up like Jesus.

But isn't that the point? To end up like Jesus. Easy for me to say. I'm not threatened; they were.

Using this passage and a few like it, defenders of the status quo have thrown the Bible at many individuals and movements who sought to expand the circles of freedom and justice throughout history. Against those who proposed more representative forms of government, monarchists developed an entire theology of the "Divine Right of Kings". Some comfortable Anglican clergy in the American colonies defended the same acts of King George III and the English Parliament that motivated others to declare these United States as independent. Southern slaveowners found Biblical defense for their institution when embattled by the abolition movement.

When is it right to risk conflict and maybe the threat of violence for the sake of freedom and justice? When is it right to suffer quietly or cooperate with oppression in order to minimize the likelihood of increasing the oppression? That's a critical question in so many contexts, and one that many Christians have answered differently. There were Anglicans on both sides of the American independence movement. Labor organizers struggle with the same fears and instincts from workers -- in which direction lies our greatest good? Some would quiet all protest of recognized authorities. After all, they are there because God put them there. (Romans 13) Honor the emperor. (1 Peter 2:17) Tomorrow's lectionary skips past the Epistle of Peter's next section -- "Slaves, accept the authority of your masters with all deference, not only those who are kind and gentle but also those who are harsh."

There is another great Biblical river that runs counter to these messages. It is the story of the Exodus and the passion of God to liberate God's people from slavery and oppression. It is the story of the prophets who challenged the authorities to administer justice, especially on behalf of the poor and vulnerable. It is the story of Jesus, who challenged the values of the Emperor and the economics of empire with his declaration of the Kingdom of God and its economics of compassion.

Maybe there are times when we should be quiet and compliant like the Epistle of Peter advises. But those messages are like incongruous blips on the great Biblical screen of liberation and justice. And I think it is a particular blasphemy when the comfortable and powerful use these scriptures to quiet and intimidate God's suffering people. The church of First Peter laid low and survived, thank God. But their strategy is not the primary message from scripture.