1 Peter 2:13-17 - Accept the authority of the emperor?

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:13-17

Summary: Accept the authority of human institutions. Live as free people. Honor everyone and fear God.

Thoughts: It's Ash Wednesday.  The day we go to church, have ashes put on our foreheads in the shape of a cross, and try to think of something to give up for Lent. So on this Ash Wednesday, I find myself thinking about what I should give up.  I think of the young person who gave up Facebook last year for Lent and her testimony about how it served to show her how much time she spent on-line. Although I am tempted to do the same, instead I feel God calling me to be more intentional about getting into the Word. And so, I am going to attempt to blog each day of Lent, in order to remind myself to spend more time with Scripture.

But about today's scripture, I find myself returning to these words: "As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil. Honor everyone." God wants us to be free. But we need to live within the laws of our system of government. Don't use your Christianity as an excuse to break the law, saying that you serve God, not the government elected by mere people. However, what the writer doesn't say, is that if the law goes against God's law, then we need to fight against it. Just as the people in Libya are fighting against those in power in their country. That's what I hear when the writer says "Honor everyone." As Christians we must find a way to live within a system that is not Christian. Sometimes that means that we should accept the authority of the emperor, but sometimes that means that we should stand up against those in power in order to be in solidarity with the oppressed. Because we serve a God of love, not a power hungry God.

Prayer: Lord give me the strength to stand up against any system which does not treat people equally and help me to do what I can to support people around the world who are doing the same. Amen.

James 2:8-13 - Show mercy

Scripture: James 2:8-13

Summary: Love your neighbor as yourself. Don't show partiality. Keep the whole law, not just parts. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Thoughts: This whole discussion of the law makes me nervous. The scripture says that we should keep the whole law. That if we fail in one part of the law we are accountable for all of it. It's really easy to convince myself that I am keeping the most important parts of the law. I'm not killing anyone or stealing anything. There's a long list of what Im not doing, that is according to the law, which is all good. But what does God require that I'm not doing?!? The last line of this scipture has a partial answer: "For judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment." Although I may be following the letter of the law, I'm not showing mercy to everyone that I meet. To be a true child of God I need to be more open to showing mercy to all. This means letting other cars in to my lane at the last minute, forgiving the person who fell through on a promise to me, or accepting the person who is different from me.

Prayer: May I draw strength from the Holy Spirit today to show mercy to all that I meet in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.