I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NIV)
In 1775, the American British Colonies were preparing for open war with Mother England. George Washington commissioned six schooners with the task of harassing British supply ships. They became known as “Washington’s Cruisers.” It was America’s first navy.
Betsy Ross had yet to stitch the stars and stripes as an official flag of the United States, and Washington’s Cruisers wanted a banner to sail under. The sailors turned to English philosopher, John Locke, who argued that when people live under tyranny and no appeal can be made to an earthly judge there is still “an appeal to heaven” that can be made. They stitched the words on a white flag with a pine tree representing the American pines that England tyrannically mandated could only be used for masts on British ships.
In today’s chapter, Paul urges his protégé and all the believers in Ephesus to make an appeal to heaven for “kings and all those in authority.” It must be noted that Paul’s command to pray for “all” in authority included the one man who was the highest human authority in the Roman Empire at the time: Emperor Nero. Paul had already been imprisoned in Rome once waiting for his appeal to Caesar to make its way up the docket. In a few years from the writing of this letter Paul will be imprisoned again. His appeal to Nero will never be realized and Nero will have Paul executed.
Paul, however, remains laser focused on his appeal to heaven. Paul appealed to Caesar back in Acts 25 knowing that, if successful, he would have an opportunity to share his story and Jesus’ message with the most powerful human authority on earth. Paul’s eyes were fixed on Jesus, and bringing God’s Kingdom to earth. His rights as a Roman citizen technically afforded him an opportunity to be ushered into Caesar’s throne room, and since the charges against him were rooted in his faith in Jesus and the riot it caused among his Jewish brethren, Paul would naturally have to testify regarding his faith as part of the trial. Paul is dying for the chance to share Jesus with Nero. In fact, the attempt will ultimately cost him his earthly life.
But that’s still a few years in the future. As he writes Timothy, he urges that everyone pray for all in authority, including the dreaded and debauched Emperor Nero who has murdered some of his own family members and had sex with others. Nero, who will cover Christians in pitch and burn them alive on stakes as entertainment and illumination for the orgy in his garden.
Pray for him.
When there is no other appeal to be made on earth, there is still an appeal to heaven.
In the quiet this morning, I can’t escape the current realities of our political divide, political hatred, political violence, political vengeance, and political retribution. I stand in the tension and have watched it on both sides of the political spectrum as it has progressively escalated in both camps over the past decade.
And so, Paul reminds me this morning along with Timothy. It doesn’t matter how dreaded and debauched, how deceptive and dastardly, I am called to make an appeal to heaven for “all those in authority.” Ultimately, God is the final appeal. So, I might as well make that appeal today.
If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.
