Royalty

“When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the half-shekel (Temple tax) came to Peter and said, ‘Doesn’t your rabbi pay the Temple tax?’ ‘Of course he does,’ said Peter. but when he came into the house, Jesus spoke first: “Simon, what’s your view? The kings of the earth—from whom do they collect duties and taxes? From their sons, or from foreigners?’ ‘From foreigners,’ he answered. ‘Then the sons are exempt,’ Jesus said to him”

What if you had been born a prince or princess, the son or daughter of a king? How would your life be different? Would you be exempt from many of the laws of normal citizens? If so, why?

Let me ask this a different way. Do you think Jesus would have said the Pledge of Allegiance to the Roman Flag? Why not? Because he was the son of a different king, that’s why. YHWH’s kingdom is above every other kingdom.

Yet, you and I have been born into royalty. In the Old Testament, priests would sacrifice bulls and goats to cover men’s sins. But when Jesus died, it did something more. You were not covered because of Jesus blood, you were changed by his blood. The book of Hebrews makes it clear that an bull or goat is not sufficient to redeem mankind. We did not need covering for our sins, or else the Old Testament priestly sacrifices would be enough, but those sacrifices did not change you. Jesus blood REDEEMS you. Jesus blood covenant includes something more, more than forgiveness. Jesus blood provides adoption.

If men and women who have turned to Jesus (not just said ‘I’m sorry’) and walk toward him have been adopted. This gives each of us high standing with the King. We are not earthly beings far from YHWH, but children with a new name, and new heritage. But what does that mean for us today?

I abide by the laws of America out of respect for YHWH, not out of loyalty to America. The moment we forget that and become loyal to the earth in any capacity, we are in danger. We pray for America because our Father' loves people, the earth, and wants to see all come to repentance. When we do the lawful things in this country, we do it out of loyalty to our Father, not an earthly city.

We also sometimes lose sight of this by remaining loyal to a body, when God’s called us elsewhere. God sometimes wants to move you, to do something different with you, to make you reach what he desires for himself, be we remain loyal to an earthly building, or even a people. But Abraham had to choose between his family, not once (when he left his father’s house and city,) not twice (when he had to separate from Lot,) but three times (when he was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac.)

Loyalty to the king may look like faithfulness to your family, city, country for a while, but if God is calling you to move, then you have to move. The moment our families move outside what the covenant of God is, we have to move on (any who loves father, mother, son, daughter more than me is not worthy of me.) The moment our country, church or anything else moves outside the Word/Will of God, we must move. We are not bound by the rules of the earth if they do not align with YHWH.

Pray for America, pray for our homes, churches, cities. But remember, these are temporary, and we are doing this out of loyalty to the One who is eternal.

You are a king’s kid. You are exempt from having to abide by anything that does not align with the King of Kings. As Jesus said, ‘Then are the children free’