WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO THE GOVERMENT ANYWAY?
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What is your responsibility to the government—the state? What do you owe the state? While you are contemplating that question, ask yourself this: What is your responsibility to God—the church? What do you owe the church?
Now, as we contemplate these two questions, you may be tempted to put all your eggs in one basket, as they say. In other words, you may be tempted to put all your trust, energy, and devotion exclusively in either the state or the church.
And so, if you lean towards the state, if the state says, “Jump!” you will then expect everyone—including the church—to jump! And if people do not jump, you will wave your finger at them and tell them to obey proper authority. Or if you lean towards the church, and the church says, “Sit!” you expect everyone—including the state—to sit. And if people do not sit, you wave your finger at them and tell them to obey proper authority. But there is a fundamental flaw in this kind of thinking.
You see, Jesus says that we are to give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that belong to God. And so Jesus does not choose the state over and above the church, and He also does not choose the church over and above the state.
So, what this means is that you, as a Christian, are not a secularist only reporting to the state. Also, as a Christian, you are not a monk who reports only to the church. Beware of being a secularist by exclusively looking to the state. Beware of being a monk by exclusively looking to the church. . . .
What belongs to Caesar? What belongs to the state?
The obvious answer is that it all belongs to God because God has established the state for the sake of keeping good order. However, because God has established the church and the state for the sake of good order and blessing mankind, what things properly belong to the realm of the state and what things properly belong to the realm of the church?
It should be self-evident that things such as money, possessions, property, taxes, roads, jobs, laws, mandates, and so forth belong to the state. And the things that belong to the church? Well… your soul, your faith, your worship, the divine services, the Sacraments, the Word, confession, and so forth belong to the church.
But as you know, this doesn’t always work very well. History has shown us that the church, has at times, called people to give Caesar’s things to the church. The church has wandered away from its proper calling and dabbled in the realm of the state in the past. We can obviously think of the many abuses by the Roman Catholic Church and the pope in the past—where the church gobbled up the state.
But today, what is perhaps a bigger concern than the church gobbling up the state is the threat of the state demanding Christians to give unto Caesar the things that belong to God. . . .
Both the state and church must be sharply distinguished while respecting their roles so that they are not opposed to each other. They both find their origin and authority in the Lord as they work together in harmony, side-by-side. Two separate kingdoms—two realms—but ultimately servants of the Lord for our benefit. (Click here to read more.)
The Rev. Dr. Matthew Richard is pastor of Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church, Minot, N.D.
Be Informed
Discover how the media portrays church discussions regarding same-sex unions in a recent podcast with Terry Mattingly of Get Religion.
Be Equipped
“Why would we hesitate to insist that a Christian economy is one in which a man can support himself—and his wife and their children—by the work of his own hands, independent of government or charity?” asks Senator Josh Hawley. Click here to read more about why “A Christian economy is one in which parents—and I mean everyday folks, not just the most talented and well-placed—can afford to have children and raise them.”
Be Encouraged
“The purpose of fighting to defend religious liberty is therefore not only defensive but also missionary: It is to allow the orthodox to meet their obligations, and to show the country a better way in practice.” –Yuval Levin
