This month for the first time in 70 years there was a coronation for a new British monarch. This momentous occasion included much fanfare and celebration with people from all over Britain and even the world celebrating King Charles the third’s ascension to the throne.
A notable difference between this coronation and the coronation of Queen Elizabeth the second 70 years earlier, was the criticism of the new King and Queen. I saw at least one comment by someone who said he shouldn’t be king because he wasn’t chosen by the people (that’s not how the monarchy works my friend!)
Yet, it does bring up the question – is the monarchy a relic of the past and do we need it anymore? In fact should we have any power structure at all or can we move onto something new that would work better?
Authority Isn’t The Problem...We Are
Sometimes we can be tempted to think that all authority is bad and that in a perfect world there would be no need for it but as one of our pastors said recently, “The gospel is equally hostile to tyranny and anarchy!”
The solution to corrupt authority figures is not having no authority figures – that just causes a different set of problems for us. If we had no authority figures, no government, no police force or no justice system, we wouldn’t be better off. No, we need to have structure in our society.
God weaved authority and structure into creation when he made it and in Romans chapter 13, verses 1-3 it says, “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.”
We may think that it’s alright to obey authorities that are good and kind but that surely God doesn’t want us to obey corrupt authorities but that line of thinking doesn’t work when you understand the context of the above verses – they were written during the reign of Emperor Nero – who delighted in the torture and killing of Christians even doing such things as lighting them on fire and using them as human candles.
God Understands Human Evil
The Bible is not naive about human evil. God understands corruption, injustice, and suffering. Jesus suffered all that during his life on earth and in particular during his trial and execution. God’s heart for the vulnerable and needy is a constant theme weaved throughout the entire bible. God is a God who cares for the disadvantaged and hates them being exploited. Just because a leader is in power because of God’s sovereignty, it doesn’t mean he agrees with all their actions or polices!
We also see in other parts of the Bible that the human authorities are not the highest authority that we submit to. When we are told to do something that goes against God’s word we need to take a stand against it but also be prepared to accept the responsibility that comes with that.
In the book of Daniel, when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were told to bow down to the golden statue they took a firm stand and refused to but they also accepted the King’s judgement and submitted to being thrown in the fiery furnace. During the second world war, Dietrich Bonhoeffer worked against the Nazi government to save Jews and preached the gospel yet he also accepted the punishment when he was caught and executed.
Even though they often fail, governments are set up by God and the justice system is used to punish the guilty and help the victims. Now, in this life, that justice – even when dispensed justly – is always partial, but God also promises that there will be complete justice when he comes again. Regardless of whether justice is served on earth, it will be served in its fullness by God.
Even if the rulers we have are not tyrants, we may still chafe under their rules and requirements – perhaps the tax requirements in particular! This was again no surprise to God, as we see when he tells the prophet Samuel to warn the Israelites against wanting a ‘king like the nations have’ and outlines what that will be like – 1 Samuel chapter 8, verses 13-16:
“He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work.”
God understands that those in authority are not always fair or good, but we should still try to respect them, even if we disagree with them, for God has put them in power. Encouragingly – even though those in authority can seem to have ultimate power and control, Proverbs chapter 21 verse 1 tells us a different story, “The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.”
The Ultimate King
We can take great comfort in the fact that although we may be surrounded by flawed human leaders as well as our own flaws, we can look to the one who is the perfect King – King Jesus who is not only the most powerful but the most loving, merciful, and just. A King that cannot let injustice and evil mar his creation but a King so merciful and loving and overflowing in compassion and grace that he faced the greatest injustice – death on the cross – so that we could be forgiven and reconciled to God our father!
Jesus intimately knows what it is like to live in an imperfect world with flawed justice and flawed people, and points us to the hope he brings in his death and resurrection. This should spur us on to continue living Godly lives in a troubled world while we eagerly await his return – where he will make all things new and right – where there will still be authority, but only God’s good and perfect authority full of justice and mercy and compassion and love!