Who Are You Responsible To?

In the course of just over a month, citizens of the United States have celebrated three important civic holidays: Memorial Day on May 29, Juneteenth on June 19, and Independence Day yesterday, July 4. A church facility I drive by regularly had dozens of American flags across the front lawn, as well as a big flagpole that is always there, on the Sunday before Memorial Day and the Sunday before Independence Day. (It’s unfortunate they skipped June 19, if they believe the gospel is for all and they do the flag thing on the other two patriotic Sundays.) I’ve never been to a service at that church, but I do know that churches allow patriotism to push Jesus to the side occasionally, and a front lawn covered in flags is a sign of that sort of thing. A friend in ministry told me that a church at which he was a staff member sang “My Country, Tis of Thee” for its communion hymn one July the Fourth Sunday!

It seems like it might be a good time to ask this question: “Who are you responsible to?”

Miroslav Volf, along with Matthew Croasmun and Ryan McAnnally-Linz, have written a book titled Life Worth Living: A Guide to What Matters Most. It is a part of a very good series that begins with For the Life of the World: Theology That Makes a Difference. In Life Worth Living, the authors tell a story from a retreat where the book was being studied. A female student, identified as Leah, listened to a fellow student describe his approach to life. When he finished, she looked at him and said, “Who are you responsible to?” 

Her fellow student seemed to not understand the question. Leah, an Orthodox Jew, said that for her, “following or not following the Torah isn’t just a matter of personal preference.” She went on to explain that, “in principle, her failure to observe Shabbat or keep kosher would be a failure to hold up her responsibility to her community and God. . . that changes everything.” (pages 35, 36)

Is it possible that the invasion of patriotism in our worship raises this very same question? I don’t want to sound unpatriotic – I pay my taxes; I vote in nearly all elections, from town council to president; I am grateful to have been born in a place where freedom is valued, especially freedom of religion; and I do my best to obey “the law of the land.” 

Like you, I’m aware that Jesus, when asked about paying taxes to Caesar, said, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.” (Matthew 22:21; Luke 20:25, NASB) I know that Paul encourages believers – living in far worse governmental realities than I do – to pay their taxes. (Romans 13) At some level, I think I get that.  

But what happens when “Caesar” invades space only appropriately occupied by Jesus? In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” (Matthew 6:24, NASB) Just a few sentences later, He will say, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” I hope I’m trying to obey Him on these two ideas.

Like Leah, the young Orthodox Jewish woman, I want to live a life that says that for me, as a follower of Jesus, following Jesus isn’t just “a matter of personal preference!” Can I truly say that if I’m comfortable allowing Caesar – or any other thing – to intrude into space that only Jesus rightly occupies?

Maybe more so than any time I can remember, this may be a time when followers of Jesus ought to remind themselves of Paul’s words – the same Paul who tells me to “obey the government” and “pay my taxes” in Romans 13: “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.” (Phil. 3:20, 21, NASB)

“Who are you responsible to?” The only good answer to that question is Jesus, to whom “all authority has been given – in heaven and on earth.” (Matthew 28:18) He didn’t say “most.” He didn’t say “except on patriotic Sundays.” In fact, He said all!

I grew up singing an old hymn titled “My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less.”  Here are some of its lyrics.

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

On Christ the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

That sounds like a great answer to “Who are you responsible to?”

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