MCLEODS, New Brunswick, May 12, 2024 – Jerusalem was a hot mess during the time of Jesus’ ministry. Under the grinding heel of the Roman occupiers, the majority of the locals had learned to adapt to their unhappy circumstances either by joining forces with the Romans, signing on with a rebel faction, or silently enduring the humiliation of paying obeisance (and taxes) to a pagan authority. Jesus chose to do none of those things but instead lived and moved as if he were neither the occupied nor the occupier.

We, as Jesus’ followers, are to do the same.

One of the most misapplied of all scriptures (and that’s saying something, given the seemingly endless parade of false prophets these days) – one of the most egregiously misapplied scriptures is the one about the need to obey governing authorities. Not only is this scripture liberally misapplied, but it’s also taken out of context, making it mean the opposite of what the authors intended.

We know that Jesus did not stay where his teachings were not welcome, and he instructed his followers to do the same. We also know that Jesus avoided places where there was a price on his head and that he submitted to the arresting authorities only when it was his time. There are only a few instances where Jesus advises us to heed governing directives, such as when he was asked to pay the customs tax, which he did by way of a miracle, or when he instructed people he’d healed to make the appropriate sacrifices stipulated by Mosaic law. As well, Jesus reminded his followers to obey the religious authorities that sit on the seat of Moses solely because they taught Mosaic law. At the same time, though, he cautioned his followers not to live as those teachers lived, as they were hypocrites.

As I mentioned at the outset, Jerusalem was a hotbed of intrigue, sedition, and rebellion during the time of Jesus’ ministry. This was nothing new, however, as it had been that way for hundreds of years already and continued to be that way right up to and beyond the destruction of the second temple. When Peter and Paul advised the faithful to submit to the governor and honor the king, they meant to steer clear of aligning themselves with any of the dozens of rebel factions operating throughout Judea at the time and whose mandate was the violent overthrow of the Roman occupiers. In cautioning believers to steer clear of aligning themselves with this or that political faction, Peter and Paul were reminding their flocks of their need to focus solely on spreading the Good News, not getting involved in political conspiracies. You can’t love your enemies and at the same time plot to kill them.

This context is conveniently overlooked by today’s religious powers-that-be, who themselves have aligned their churches with the worldly powers and so not surprisingly are misapplying and purposely misinterpreting Peter and Paul’s directives, to the benefit of their puppet masters. I’m not saying the local pastor down the street is purposely misleading church members (he or she may or may not be), I’m just saying that the heads of these church corporations work hand-in-glove with the political ptb and so are nearly always on the same page and taking their directives from whomever is directing the political ptb. This is no great mystery, as Jesus tells us outright that God has put the world under the authority of Satan, which means the worldly church is also under Satan’s authority.

Should we then submit to Satan? Of course not, but we should also not get in his way, as Satan takes his orders directly from God and can only do what he is enabled and permitted to do by God. Let Satan conduct his affairs, as enabled and permitted by God, and let us conduct our affairs in willing submission to God, as Jesus did. This is what Peter and Paul meant when they instructed us to obey the governor and honor the king. We are to live at arms-length from governing authorities, presenting no opposition to them but also not actively working with them or supporting them.

So, for instance, during the “pandemic”, I could not and would not wear a mask or be injected. For a time, I could circulate in society without these things, but when barrier after barrier to my free movement was erected via government mandates, it got to the point where I could no longer move freely and so I relocated to a rural area and let others bring whatever I needed to me, for a fee (which God provided in much the same way as he provided Jesus with the gold coin in the fish’s mouth). I didn’t actively oppose the mandates, but I also didn’t comply with them. Only when they were removed did I return to cities and towns.

We are to submit only to God, but we are also not to present, or align with, any kind of organized opposition to the powers-that-be, understanding that those powers are under the authority of Satan, who himself is under the authority and direction of God. So, if you work in active opposition to Satan (I don’t mean here turning down his temptations; I mean actively plotting against him), you’re actually working in active opposition to God, which is something you should never do as a born-again believer.

I’m quite happy to let the political realm move in whatever direction God enables and permits it to move. My job is to “watch”, that is, to be aware of what’s going on around me politically, culturally, etc., not actively engage in it. Rather, I’m to work around it all, finding workarounds, as God presents them to me.

In a nutshell: We’re to obey the local laws, customs, and directives unless they conflict with God’s, and if/when that occurs, we’re to find workarounds, and if/when those are no longer possible, we’re to leave. We’re not to protest or actively oppose the governing forces, we’re simply to leave, like Jesus did.

Until it’s our time.