Christ Lutheran Church: Welcome

Cyrus, Caesar and ? - October 19, 2008

Cyrus, Caesar and ?

Isaiah 45:1-7, Matthew 22:15-22

October 19, 2008

Rev. Dave R. Garwick

So, in the Gospel Lesson Jesus talks about Caesar. In the Old Testament Bible Focus Isaiah talks about King Cyrus. And all of this right as we are getting ready to choose our next President of the United States, what the Secret SErvice calls POTUS. I myself have it all figured out. I'm casting my vote this week because I got an absentee ballot (I'll be away visiting our college students that day). So I already know who I'm going to vote for. And I'm not going to tell you.

I CAN'T tell you. If I did, this could cost our congregation tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. That would be a major violation of IRS tax law which could cost us our tax free status, as well as major financial penalties. Our annual budget would go through the roof. When a non-profit organization like us is not taxed, the public is having to pay for this. And many of those citizens do not want to be paying for us to work against them.

Now I AM allowed to do things as a private citizen. But since I am a pastor 24-7 and virtually everything I do in this community is BECAUSE I'm a pastor, I would still be putting this congregation in jeopardy.

There is another reason why I would hesitate to take sides in a political campaign. Unless a campaign rose to the level of the Nazi's in WWII Germany of the KKK in America, I want to respect the different political opinions of members in my congregation who can see a God's will being done in one way or another by opposing candidates.

Case in point: The Old Testament Lesson which was the Bible Focus read at the very beginning of the service. The forty-fifth chapter of the prophet Isaiah begins this way:

"This is what the Lord says to His anointed: To Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor ...I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge Me. ...I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged Me..."

God refers to this King Cyrus as His Messiah, His Christ! When God says that Cyrus is His "anointed", that is what "messiah" means, what the word "Christ" means - the anointed. Now Cyrus certainly is not THE Messiah, not THE Christ which only Jesus is, but Cyrus is the one God has anointed for a specific task for a specific time and specific place for a specific reason. And That is to free God's Chosen People, the Jews, from seventy years of exile in Babylon. Babylon is present day Iraq. So guess where Cyrus comes from? From present day Iran!

And here's the kicker: Cyrus is not even one of God's people - He is not even a believer in God! He's a total unbelieving outsider. And HE is the guy whom God anoints to free the Jews to go back home. So, GOD is the One who anoints this Iranian general to do His will. Let me put that in perspective for you: that would be like Americans believing that God is anointing Abinadinajab to do His will with Israel! But our Scriptures tell us that this is exactly what was going on. And why? God told Cyrus that He, God, was doing this so that Cyrus saw what God was pulling off, he would know that GOD is the Lord and that there is no other.

Think about that as you prepare to cast your vote for Barak Obama or John McCain or Ralph Nader or whomever. If you are supporting one and are absolutely convinced that the other buy would be a total disaster, remember what God did even with Cyrus. If God can work His will through Cyrus, even as God worked His will through Pharaoh, then believe it with all you heart that God can work His will through the one you think is the absolute worst candidate possible. The President of the United States is NOT the Lord and whoever wins the election is not the one who will determine your fate or your destiny...unless you are seriously mistaken about what is most important in life.

So then, why vote at all if God can work His will through any candidate? I have two answers to that. God has HIS role to play and we have ours. Even though God forgives all sins, we are to strive to do His will and repent when we fail. Even through God can feed all the poor by simply speaking a word, He has His reasons for giving US that task.

Here's my second thought on that question of why we should bother to vote. It's in the Gospel Lesson. Jesus told us to give unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar. Now I cannot believe for a minute that Jesus would have actually voted for this guy. But, in our society, not only the coins belong to Caesar, but so does our vote. The government with which God has blessed us asks two things from us in order for it to function: our taxes and our vote. Give unto Caesar that which belongs to Caesar - your taxes and your vote.

 And if patriotism means more to you than Christ's words, then remember that regardless of the outcome, hundreds of thousands of Americans have bled and died to give you that vote.

And again, if you are prone to despair at the thought of the worst candidate winning the presidency, consider that it was to Caesar that Jesus himself paid taxes. With his taxes, Jesus paid for the cross, the nails, the spear and the soldiers who tortured and executed Him. And even through that, God accomplished His will through Caesar and purchased the forgiveness of all our sins and our hope for eternal life in heaven.

So, as you prepare to cast your vote, do not confuse the presidency with your hope. Do your best to do God's will in how you cast your vote. But as you do, remember that God is casting His. And His WILL be done on earth as it is in heaven.