A History of Keeping Power

 The concept of the elite and powerful has always fascinated me.  Just the idea that there is a sub-section of the population in almost every country that can literally buy their way out of trouble, or use their status to sway any group of people to side with them is remarkable.  We saw this depicted clearly in a recent streamed television series called "Dopesick," which documented some real life accounts of a large pharmacuetical company manipulating their way out of legal trouble again and again.  The Opiod crisis spawned several lawsuits from people addicted to painkiller medication, and this docu-drama showed how the head family of the company was able to successfully avoid almost each court appearance by paying off certain people.  

Not all people in power are corrupt of course.  In the Bible we have the account of King David, for example.  In several areas the Bible refers to David as God's annointed leader, and a man after God's own heart.  But by and large, I believe it is safe to say we ought to have a healthy skepticism regarding the super elite.

Enter in the case of the Herod family in the New Testament.  Many in this family line were put into positions of power, and wielded that power with force and murderous intent.  They also often struggled to keep power, as the Roman government was the true authority in most first century middle eastern provinces.  

We remember the story about Herod seeking to kill the infant Jesus shortly after learning that a prophet had been born.  Matthew 2:16 says, "When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi."  

As evidenced from this Scripture (and others like it), Herod wasn't a good guy.  He was willing to use his power and office to murder children and try to kill God's son - all in an attempt to stay in power.  I wish I could say this doesn't go on today, but I believe it still does.  Take a quick look back at recent historical events like the holocaust and the civil war in Rwanda.  

Fast forward a bit to another Herod during the time of the apostles; Herod Agrippa I.  Scripture shows that this man was corrupt as well.  In fact, Acts 12 paints a picture of him murdering James, son of Zebedee in order to please the Jewish elites.  Herod Agrippa is also credited with imprisoning Peter, prior to the miraculous escape that happens later when God sends an angel to free him.

The repeating trope is evident: those in power often engage in both manipulation and wickedness to stay in charge.  This unfortunate fact permeates the twentieth century as well.  The record of events from World War I all the way through recent events in Afghanistan, often depict leaders engaging in national conflict over a power grab.  This is just the way things are.

Psalm 94:20-21 says: "Can a corrupt throne be allied with you -- a throne that brings on misery by its decrees?  The wicked band together against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death."  This held true for Jesus as well.  He was tortured and crucified as an innocent, perhaps the most innocent martyr of all time.

It is important to keep something in mind here.  The wicked will kill and destroy in order to preserve their way of life, but the righteous will fight to edify and protect.  It is two different ways of living out a leadership role.  The first seeks to punish and remove, the second way desires to build up and redeem.

Ruthless people often rise to power in our culture.  This happens in businesses, academic establishments, and even churches.  But know this: evil has it's day, but it never lasts forever.  Hitler had his moment in history and was eventually defeated.  Stalin had his reign for a while, and then his murderous tenure finally came to an end.  Only Godly things last forever.  Only churches and organizations build on His foundation will keep a lampstand lit for the kingdom of heaven.  The rest are only distractions - here today, then gone tomorrow.

The power of Jesus Christ is incorruptible and eternal.  There is no need to manipulate or coerce people to trust in Him.  We are free to accept or reject His gift of salvation and grace.  This is the exact opposite of how Herod and his family line used to operate.  They moved in the realm of fear and violence.  God acts with kindness and compassion.

But make no mistake; the Lord is not weak either.  Just because He left this Earth as a silent victim doesn't mean He will return that way.  The Bible says that during the second advent, the world will see His coming in the sky from the East to the West.  There will be no way to misinterpret who is in charge.  During this one moment in history, the right person will be in charge once and for all.  Sounds good to me.

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Take Me to Caesar

I can think of no greater defender of the Gospel message than the apostle Paul.  Prior to his radical conversion on the road to Damascus, Saul (as he was originally named) was on the forefront of the attack on Christ followers.  He was a Pharisee of the worst kind; both self-righteous and cruel.  As we know from later accounts however, Paul was forever changed by his encounter with the real Jesus.  And from that point forward, his life would never be the same again.  

Paul was no stranger to suffering and difficulty.  Often times he would find himself in chains or in prison, all to the glory of God.  On multiple occasions, he ended up defending Gospel truth by way of debate or exegesis.  In chapter 25 of the book of Acts, Paul even finds himself before a Roman procurator, attempting to defend himself against charges brought from the local Jewish ruling party.

Acts 25:10-11 says, "Paul answered: 'I am now standing before Caesar's court, where I ought to be tried.  I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well.  If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die.  But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them.  I appeal to Caesar!'"  

In this peculiar moment, the apostle Paul throws himself at the mercy of the court.  He knows that being a Roman citizen grants him certain rights and privileges, so he decides to use that fact to acquire a meeting with Caesar himself.  A bold move for someone in chains, with half of the nation against him.  But Paul is nothing if not bold.

As it happened, Paul would first need to appear before King Agrippa prior to sailing to Rome and meeting Caesar.  This was something that the procurator Festus had promised Agrippa.  Let the reader here understand also, that Agrippa was more or less a "client king."  This means that the government installed him as a leader and king, but only in so much as he kept the peace.  The moment Agrippa lost favor with his Roman big brother, I suspect he would no longer be in charge.  This created a certain amount of tension during that time and in that area, as this lifestyle promotes a certain level of struggle in order to feel important and stay in charge.  Please the people, but not too much so that there is a revolt or an uprising.  In other words, he is not a true authority.

This begs the question for us today: to whom can we appeal as a true authority for our own lives?  Who can you and I go to in order to be certain we are treated fairly and with care one-hundred percent of the time?  If there is a God up there, then is it true to say that He is the only god (or the one true god)?  

Keep in mind that for many people in our country today, the God of the Bible isn't their go-to authority.  In truth, many don't hold the words of the Bible in any authority whatsoever, and I believe the symptoms of this are everywhere.  Scripture says that as time goes on - especially in these end times - people will become more unruly, and the love of most will grow cold (Matthew 24:12).  

During times like this, I believe it truly behooves us to seek out someone or something that we can rely on as a singular truth in all circumstances.  Something in our lives that we can count on to help guide our ship into calmer waters when the storms are raging.  

Let's look for a moment at the Great Commission from Matthew 28:18-20.  It says, "Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Most will look at this passage and take from it the idea that followers of Christ are to go out into the world, and baptize people to make disciples.  This is absolutely correct, by the way.  But focus for a moment on the first sentance - it says 'all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.'  This is quite a statement.  If we are to believe this (and I think we surely can, or Jesus wouldn't have said it), then it sets up the son of God as the one true authority over all things.  

This means that not only does God command the Earth and the Universe around it, but that He has a calling on our lives as well.  We are not completely "free agents."  There are certain moral duties and obligations that we are called to live by.  Now you will note, that if someone or something calls us to behave a certain way, it also follows that it should be a two-way street I think.  Not necessarily that this being must also follow our desires, but rather that we can put our trust in this individual.  This is our reciprocation.  God is our superior ... our authority figure.  The one we can call on in times of difficulty, as well as times of great flourishing.

One more question remains, however.  Do we really believe this?  Can we throw ourselves on the mercy of the court like Paul when he called out to Caesar?  Will we allow God to be our superior?  It's an important question I think.  The outcome of our answer will either act to relieve us from the burden of thinking that we can't trust anyone, or it will enable us to relax and lean into a loving God.  

I invite you to lean in.  Take the leap of faith, and read through the Gospels again.  Take away from the Great Commission not only the concept that we must evangelize, but also the idea that we are helping convert people based on a real authority.  Not a power that comes from you and I, but from the throne of Zion and the prince of peace Himself.  God is no mere client king.    

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