Tag: presidents

When Caesar Lives Rent-Free in the Christian’s Mind

Praying for Nero, Submitting to Authority, and Keeping Christ on the Throne

Brent Pollard

Roman Emperor Nero is a deeply fascinating core figure in ancient Roman history. Suetonius, an ancient Roman historian, included Nero’s life and deeds in his chronicle of the emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty: Nero’s father, Domitius, was of extremely poor moral character; when Nero was born, his father made an ill-omened prophecy, saying nothing good could be produced from his union with his wife, Agrippina. Nero lost his father at the age of 3; his mother, Agrippina, was exiled and only regained imperial favor after Claudius ascended the throne.

Via careful planning, Nero was adopted by Claudius, tutored by Seneca, and married to Octavia, Claudius’ daughter, to link his lineage to the imperial royal bloodline. He ascended to the throne at age 17 following Claudius’ death. In the early period of his reign, he governed using Augustus as a model, and according to Suetonius’s records, his acts of benevolence correspond to the timeframe of Paul’s Chapter 13 of the Book of Romans.

The initially promising start to Roman Emperor Nero’s rule collapsed abruptly. He indulged heavily in vain, ostentatious displays, public entertainments, and musical pleasures. The ancient Roman historian Suetonius recorded that Nero slid from youthful missteps into outright vice; the monarch who was supposed to uphold order was instead dragged into ruin by his own desires and the flattery of those around him.

The cruelty of Roman Emperor Nero earned him an unspeakably infamous legacy. According to records from the ancient Roman historian Suetonius, Nero murdered his adoptive father Claudius, his stepbrother, his mother, his wife, and his tutor; he plundered wealth to build his lavish Golden Palace, persecuted Christians, and was also accused of deliberately setting fire to destroy the city of Rome.

The Roman Empire then turned against Nero, and revolts broke out across its territory one after another. General Galba was acclaimed as the new emperor. Nero, who had lost all his trusted personal guards, fled and hid in the residence of a freedman. Left with no escape route, he committed suicide with the assistance of his secretary Epaphroditus. Having spent his entire life pursuing acclaim as an artist, he ultimately met a lonely, frightened, and disgraced end. It was a fate that stood in marked contrast to his harsh and oppressive rule.

Every generation has its own Caesar. People hold a range of attitudes toward him: admiration, fear, ridicule, hatred, defense, justification, or even excessive obsession. But the question is simpler and sharper: Is this illegitimate usurper of the mind, who holds no land deed and pays no rent, occupying territory that rightfully belongs to Christ?

The Apostle Paul lived under the rule of Nero, the Roman tyrant infamous for his vanity, cruelty, and persecution of Christians; yet he taught believers to submit to governing authorities and to pray for sovereign rulers. Therefore, today, we must never allow transient political figures to disrupt our personal peace, fellowship, and inner serenity.

Submitting to Governing Authorities Without Worshiping the Ruler

Paul wrote Romans 13 within the context of the Roman Empire’s rule. The opening verse of that chapter requires submission to the office of authority, rather than to the individual who holds that authority. This authority is a grace ordained by God, intended to curb chaos in the world.

Here’s a distinction the angry heart overlooks: We may honor the office without approving the officeholder. We can pay our taxes, obey just laws, respect public order, and soberly admit that the show of governance is often vain or corrupt, or cruel. Nero is the proof in the pudding. He was not a pious person, but Paul never let Nero become the focus of Christian identity. The believer bows to the structure God established, not to the sins of the one within it. That’s no failure; it is the calm strength of a soul whose genuine allegiance lies elsewhere.

Praying for Kings and Rulers Instead of Raging at Them

Then Paul makes the point, and his words indict our reflexes: “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority” (1 Timothy 2:1-2). He does not just say endure kings. Pray for them, he says. The first Christian response to a ruler should not be mockery, panic, or tribal applause. It should be intercession.

Think what such a prayer does to the one who prays it. It is a strange and holy difficulty to plead honestly for a man while nursing hatred against him; the two cannot long inhabit one heart. We can ask God to restrain the ruler’s power, to give him wisdom and repentance, to protect the innocent under his rule, and to open a door for the gospel in his land. The reason goes all the way to heaven, because it is pleasing to “God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4). The man you want to hate is the man God would save. Pray like that, and watch the poison ooze out of your own soul.

When Political Obsession Becomes Idolatry of the Heart

Now we need to speak plainly. The believer on the right who can’t stop talking about one president, and the believer on the left who can’t stop talking about another, suffer the same disease from opposite ends. The names are not the same, but the slavery is. When a Christian talks more of Caesar than Christ, fears the ballot box more than the judgment seat, and finds warmer fellowship in party than in the body of the Lord, politics has quietly become a rival religion.

A ruler who has only reigned for a few years should not occupy more of your heart than the eternal King. Your heart was made for a higher throne. “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we earnestly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). “Keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1). The true joy of believers has never been the rise or fall of earthly governments, but the unshakeable sovereignty of Christ, who sits above all parliaments and palaces. Caesar cannot fill your soul. Quit expecting him to.

Obeying God Rather Than Men: Submission Is Not Surrender

If you think submission means you have to be spineless, Scripture specifies the line. Peter answered, when the council forbade the apostles to preach, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Biblical submission was never blind obedience. When the state demands what God forbids or forbids what God commands, the Christian’s higher loyalty is spoken – and it is spoken unapologetically.

But listen to the warning from the other side. Not all political frustrations are Acts 5:29 moments. We are very good at baptizing irritation as courage, rebranding contempt as discernment, and stubbornness as conviction. Even Pilate, who held Christ’s life in his hands, was told, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above” (John 19:11). The throne above all thrones never threatened the seat of power in Judea. And today, no other earthly authority is in danger. So discern the difference between a hill worth dying on and a mood worth indulging in.

Christ Reigns Forever: Keep the King on His Throne

As recorded in Daniel 2:21, “It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings.” Solomon reminds us, “The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes” (Proverbs 21:1). Worldly rulers are merely clay in the potter’s hand, and He is “the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Timothy 6:15). Nero’s ignoble death and the fall of the Roman Empire are clear proof of this, and only the reign of Christ endures forever.

Each person’s heart is like a throne room. Believers should remove anger that has taken the place of Christ’s sovereignty, reaffirm His lordship, and avoid elevating secular rulers to the throne of their hearts. The lesson is clear: pray for governing authorities you disagree with, speak the truth without hatred, and express criticism without anger.

Seven Reasons We Fail To Give Thanks

Brent Pollard

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and I can’t help but wonder how many people in the United States will take a moment to thank God. While some reject the day due to its association with Plymouth and the “original Thanksgiving” celebration, the fact remains that all of our presidents have thanked God in their Thanksgiving proclamations. Therefore, I am okay with doing away with the pilgrims as long as we can maintain the day’s significance set forth by historical figures such as Abraham Lincoln. On Thanksgiving Day, we reflect on our blessings, express our gratitude to God, and ask for His continued beneficent providence in our national life. Thus, unlike Easter and Christmas, which carry pagan baggage from the standpoint of their traditions, Thanksgiving is the most Christian of all federal holidays.

Luke records an instance during Christ’s ministry in which He encountered ingratitude on a par with modern America. Only one of the ten lepers He healed returned to thank Christ for what He had done (Luke 17.11–19). Jesus even asked, “Were there not ten cleansed?” (NASB Luke 17.17) People do their best to spin the nine’s actions in a positive light. Emotion overcame the nine, and they longed to return to their previous lives. Besides, they followed Christ’s command to go and show themselves to the priests. And what if the Samaritan only returned because he lacked a priest to whom he could present himself as a foreigner? In any case, Jesus told the Samaritan that his actions had made him “well” (Luke 17.19).

What prevents us from showing gratitude like the Samaritan? Here are seven possible reasons:

We are too busy and distracted. Modern life can be busy and distracting, making it difficult to appreciate the present moment and count blessings.

We can be too materialistic. It can be challenging to be grateful for what one has in consumerist societies because materialism has overtaken the value placed on intangibles like relationships and experiences.

We compare ourselves to others. Due to constant comparison with others and the influence of social media, one may experience feelings of inadequacy or jealousy, which can prevent one from feeling grateful for their life and circumstances.

We may have a negativity bias. People naturally tend to dwell on negative rather than positive things. Instead of focusing on what we have, we will concentrate on what we don’t. That inclination is a negativity bias.

We are on a hedonic treadmill. This phenomenon of becoming accustomed to pleasure is known as hedonic adaptation. In simpler terms, we get used to things emotionally. For example, when I acquire a new and shiny object, it brings me happiness. However, this happiness is short-lived, as I soon become accustomed to it.

Similarly, when something terrible happens, I feel sad but adapt to the change over time, and my happiness levels return to normal. As a side note, we note that God offers us joy, not happiness. Joy is renewed from within, avoiding the hedonic treadmill. Hence, it can even be an implied imperative (see Philippians 4.4).

We forget to be still. This results from failing to heed Psalm 46.10, which says, “Be still, and know that I am God” (KJV). A similar root cause is that people are too preoccupied with their lives to stop and offer thanks. Luke 11.24–26 shows that refraining from one bad behavior is not enough to prevent the substitution of another bad behavior. We need to fill the void by starting something useful. New Agers and Buddhists would call this “practicing mindfulness.”

But Christians do engage in their form of mindfulness as well. A Christian sets aside specific times for quiet reflection, away from the distractions of daily life, rather than sitting in the lotus position and breathing deeply. Christian mindfulness is about creating a space to focus inwardly and become more aware of God’s presence. Praying and reading the Bible are two of the best ways to accomplish this. Those who commit to being still and knowing God will be grateful.

We feel entitled. Individuals may feel entitled in societies where success and happiness are highly valued. This thinking can dull people’s gratitude and lead them to take their blessings for granted. Gifts become their norm rather than providential occurrences (see James 1.17).

As Thanksgiving draws near, we must truly understand what this holiday is all about. It’s not only a time for food and family gatherings but also genuine gratitude. In our busy lives, full of distractions and the pursuit of material comforts, we often forget to give thanks for the simple things. However, this day allows us to break free from these tendencies. It encourages us to step off the hedonic treadmill, put aside our negativity bias and the sense of entitlement that clouds our perception, and instead embrace a spirit of thankfulness. By being still, as suggested in Psalm 46:10, we can truly appreciate the blessings bestowed upon us, recognizing them as gifts from God rather than mere entitlements or passing pleasures. Thanksgiving, at its core, is a day to emulate the gratitude of the Samaritan leper, acknowledging our blessings and expressing our heartfelt thanks to the Divine. In doing so, we honor the tradition set forth by figures like Abraham Lincoln and cultivate a more profound sense of joy and contentment in our lives. So, let this Thanksgiving remind us to pause, reflect, and give thanks with a full heart.