Sometimes scripture is so remarkable in it’s clarity that it can, in a single well-drafted sentence, completely simplify something that I make too complicated. 1 Peter 2:17 is just such a sentence: “Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.”
One simple, declarative statement that clears the fog on four key relationships.
To all other people on earth, I am to show proper respect. That doesn’t mean I agree with them or even like them, but regardless of the differences we have, every single person deserves to be treated with dignity and kindness. I should find ways to interact, whether that interaction is neighborly or transactional or some sort of conflict, that reinforce the basic, God-created value of every person.
To other Christians, I must show love. They might be too charismatic, or not give enough money, or too bossy, or want the wrong kind of music. It doesn’t matter; these are the beloved bride of Jesus and he he expects me to love all of them.
God is to be feared. While I love him as a Father and value him as a friend and provider, I must never lose sight of the reality that he is, in fact, God. If I make him a buddy, I lose the healthy respect I should have for his power and his holiness. The angels covered their faces when in the presence of God, and I’m supposed to retain that fear as well.
And I am to honor the emperor. Really, that’s what scripture says. Donald Trump, by virtue of his position, is to be upheld. Had Hillary Clinton been elected, the same would hold. What Peter is calling for here is that we stand in support of authority because God instituted political authority to provide order. The opposite is chaos, and chaos is where the devil does his work. So honoring the emperor is the way we respect God’s plan for ordering our societies.
There it is. Every relationship I have and will ever have, explained to me in just a handful of words. The lack of qualifications is telling; Peter doesn’t give us any exceptions. There are no cases where we can exclude someone. For every person on earth, we have a simple rule to follow. Every situation that screams for civil disobedience or confrontation or separation, as justified as those things might be, can therefore somehow be accomplished without diminishing the other people involved.
It’s a high bar, but then every standard given by Jesus is high. At least it’s not hard to understand.
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