Not Like Men In Trees

1 Peter 1:21-2:17

A couple weeks ago, I saw a story on the news about some students at UC-Berkeley who have been camping out in trees on campus for quite some time in an effort to protect the trees. The University has decided to cut down those trees and put up a new building there (and has promised to plant three trees for each one they cut down for the project). But a small group of students believe the trees should not be sacrificed for the University's plans for growth, and they have even attacked the police sent to get them out of the trees. The case went to court, and the students' behavior was defended as an expression of free speech. But the judge ruled against the students, saying that their tree-sitting protest is not a protected expression of free speech and that they would have to vacate the trees. In response, one of the students on camera said something like, "If they think I'm going to leave, just because some judge said I should, they don't know me. That's not how I work. This isn't over, yet."

Have you ever acted like this Berkeley student? Ever believed that the rules didn't apply to you, because you were following some higher standard? I know I have. Sometimes we disagree with those in authority over us because we voted for the other person. Sometimes, we convince ourselves that they have to earn our respect before we give it. Sometimes it's because we've been at our job longer than our boss, and we know his way won't work well.

God, through Peter, tells us: For the Lord's sake, respect all human authority - whether the king as head of state or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right. It is God's will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. For you are free, yet you are God's slaves, so don't use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Respect everyone and love your Christian brothers and sisters.

When Peter wrote this, he was living in a place ruled by a tyrannical dictator, and many of Jesus' followers were imprisoned or killed before "the ignorant people who made foolish accusations against them" were silenced. God doesn't give us a lot of wiggle room here. We are not to wait until the authorities in our lives earn our respect before we give it to them. We are to honor those authorities as servants of God, even when they don't act like it. It's a challenging thing for us, especially in a country where we have the freedom and responsibility to speak out. But as we speak and conduct ourselves in society, we are responsible to do so not just as individuals but as followers of Christ.

May the Holy Spirit guide and strengthen us, so that we might "Fear God, and respect the king" for God's glory.