Thought for Today
Exodus 1:8 Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.
1 Samuel 8:4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, 5 and said to him, "You are old and your sons do not follow in your ways; appoint for us, then, a king to govern us, like other nations."
Luke 19:38 . . . "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!"
Luke 20:25 He said to them, "Then give to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's."
Two things were on my mind this morning. Since tomorrow, September 1, is state primary voting day in Massachusetts, I decided that writing about having a favorite number can wait for another day. Tomorrow is a very important day for all citizens of our state. All election days in all states are very important. Christian or not, all citizens have an obligation, a duty and a privilege in our electoral process. Christians also have a spiritual obligation to give to the emperor . . . Of course, part of our Christian duty is to clearly delineate between the things that are the emperor’s and those that are God’s.
Sadly, “ The overall turnout rate of eligible voters in Massachusetts in the 2024 presidential general election was 68.0%. The national average for the same year was 64.1%. The overall turnout rate of eligible voters in Massachusetts in the 2022 midterm general election was 48.8%. The national average for the same year was 46.2%.
From 2002 to 2024, the average voter turnout rate of eligible voters in Massachusetts was 58.5%. The national average voter turnout rate of eligible voters for this same period was 52.4%.” (Ballotpedia.org/Voter_turnout_in_Massachusetts)
I try to eschew writing about partisan politics in these Thoughts and in the sermons I deliver. My personal political ideas and opinions are merely that, my own personal ideas and opinions. I do have ideas and some very strong opinions about politics and politicians in the U.S.A. But they are ideas and opinions based on and influenced by many factors, only some of which are relevant to my being a pastor. I know that there are those within my family of faith with different ideas and opinions. We are all united within that family of faith by our faith, our belief in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God. We worship together and support each other because of our faith, not for any partisan political beliefs.
Irrespective of our commonalities of faith or politics, however, we should all find those quoted statistics an embarrassment. The truth is that whether we vote or do not vote, we get the government we deserve. If we do not vote, we fail to obey the word of Jesus in our not having given to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s.
It is true that kings and emperors have a very checkered past in scripture. It is true that in the U.S.A., despite the media obsession with the royalty of other nations and despite the desire of some politicians, we have neither kings nor emperors.
The word used in that verse above from Luke is, “Καῖσαρ, αρος, ἡ Caesar; originally a surname of Julius Caesar, later taken as a title by the chief Roman ruler emperor.” (Friberg, Analytical Greek Lexicon) Recent (?) world history is replete with Caesars, Kaisers and Tsars. Most nations and/or empires today have presidents, chairmen or leaders with some other euphemistic title. Jesus was not addressing the issue of titles; Jesus was addressing the obvious fact that God’s children live in societies where civil and spiritual rules, laws, commandments and obligations coexist and overlap. Jesus was and is telling us that we must get our priorities in order. We must understand and organize our lives to give to God the things that are God’s.
Thankfully our Founding Fathers left for us a nation governed by a Constitution. That Constitution wisely organizes our governance into 3 coequal branches of government, prohibits all 3 from interfering with or assisting with our exercise of religion or apostacy and guarantees our right to elect our government officials.
I believe it is my duty as a Christian to exercise my right to vote. If you are wondering, I have already voted by mail, but only after researching the candidates and carefully praying about my choices. I hope you either have done the same or will do so tomorrow. If you live outside Massachusetts, I pray you will vote in your own state’s primary. Wherever you live, I pray you will vote on November 3, 2026 in the mid-term elections.
Vote, vote wisely and prayerfully, trust God,
Pastor Ray