Over the years, we've had lots of people come stay with us at our house for various reasons. For the most part, these experiences have been enjoyable and rewarding. There have been a few, however, that were downright difficult--sometimes because of their actions and sometimes because of ours. Tracy and I know most emphatically that we are not perfect, and I can imagine there have been many times where living with us might have been difficult. These times have helped me to see my own innate selfishness and controlling behavior. I haven't enjoyed this, but I see how important it is for God to bring these things in to the light. Therefore, I take responsibility for at least a portion of some of the challenges we've had with different "tenants." However, there have been some times when the difficulty did not lay within my own sphere of responsibility, but it arose out of the choices of the person staying here.
In our house, we have determined certain rules that must be followed. We don't allow food upstairs, etc. These rules are in place for various reasons which sometimes we explain and sometimes we don't. You see, this house is ours and, because of that, we determine what happens in it (within reason, of course). Recently, I told some of my students about an experience where one of the people who lived with us repeatedly broke our house rules and even lied to us about it. Finally, it reached a point where they could no longer live with us. This was a difficult decision, but it ultimately came down to the point that this person would not respect our authority in our own home.
When I told my students the specifics of the story, they were outraged with me at the lack of respect. Of course, my husband and I could could make rules about what happens in our home and expect our guests to follow them. But then I brought up the bigger question--whose house do we live in? Ultimately, we live in God's house. This is His world and He created it. He has the right and authority to decide the rules. He also has the right and authority to bring judgment when those rules are broken.
The breakdown of the word authority reminds us what is truly at stake here. The suffix -ity means "quality of conforming to." Author literally means originator or creator. Put together authority means conforming to the author/originator/creator. Because He is the Creator, the Originator of all Life, and the Author of this story, He has all authority to lay down the rules. This is a common understanding.
Jesus told a parable illustrating this very point:
The Parable of the Tenants
"'Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants[a] to the tenants to get his fruit. And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.'"
Matthew 21:33-41English Standard Version (ESV)
His audience could easily see how this story should end. The owner had all right to return and be angry. I'm reminded of a similar theme in the epic, The Odyssey. While the great hero Odysseus struggles to return home from the Trojan war, suitors have camped out at his house pressuring his wife to remarry even though she is not interested. Things escalate as they drain the resources of his home and plot to murder his only son. Finally, at the end, Odysseus returns in disguise. He sees what what is happening at home, is abused by the suitors, and then finally he reveals his true identity and kicks some butt. As we read, we cheer Odysseus on, ready for the suitors to receive the punishment for their evil behavior.
However, we must ask ourselves if we have more in common with the wicked tenants or suitors than we would like to admit. God has made it clear in His Word what His standards and expectations are. Do we respect His authority to make these demands? Or do we try to explain away those expectations that are most uncomfortable to us?
Recently, I've been reading a biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's life. He was a German theologian who spoke against Hitler during the Nazi regime. Eventually, he was a part of the group who attempted to assassinate Hitler and was executed as a result (the movie Valkyrie was based on this though they do not mention his name). To the Christian community, he is well-known for his powerful book called The Cost of Discipleship (if you have not read it, you are missing out!). He was only in his twenties when Hitler came into power, and from the beginning he was wary of this new leader. It wasn't long after that the Nazi movement began to target the church:
"Popular culture has ignored the persecution of German Christians during the Nazi period, leaving many to assume that National Socialism was enthusiastically embraced by all German churches. The real story is more complex. Some religious leaders clung to the hope that, by extending a hand in friendship, their churches would be spared. Others felt that short-term survival was more important than protest.
Some attempted to merge Nazi philosophy with Christian teaching. This last group was known as the German Christian Movement.
The German Christian Movement was founded in 1932. Nominally Protestant, it endorsed 'positive Christianity.' Positive Christianity insisted that all Jewish influences should be removed from the Christian faith. It discarded the Old Testament and portrayed Jesus as a tragic, Aryan figure." ("Deafening Silence").
One of the first moves of this German Christian movement and Nazi government was the Aryan paragraph which forbid any person of Jewish descent to serve in the church (or in any government post). While Bonhoeffer was ready to speak out against this, many in the church weren't willing to cause trouble over a seemingly small infraction. They could not or would not see where this would lead. On this side of history, we know the cost of this compromise. The good news was that the Confessing church (led by courageous men ) emerged as a voice declaring the authority of God's Word and the German Christian movement failed--the Nazi movement revealed itself as decidedly anti-Christian and the veil was lifted.
Almost a hundred years later, the church is again under pressure to bow before the authority of man instead of God. Presently, we see this in the matter of sexual orientation. Our culture is demanding that the church accept the homosexual lifestyle even though the Bible is clear that this is not a part of God's original plan for humankind. You don't have to look far in the news to read of churches and church organizations who are changing their policies to accept all people regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. They are praised as true examples of God's love while conservatives are condemned as being homophobic and judgmental. While it may seem a small issue, the effect of choosing man's authority over God's authority will be far reaching.
We must look to the past to understand the future. Time and time again it is recorded in biblical and extra-biblical texts the ongoing battle between God's rule and man's rule. We should not be surprised that it is now our turn to stand firm. Ben Carson recently spoke saying that this present generation must be courageous, and he is right. We can be encouraged by the faith and bravery of the many, many who have gone before us who boldly proclaimed "We must obey God not man!" (Acts 5:29).
