Every July I try to write an article for Zion’s newsletter
related to our country in connection to July 4th. I think that’s
what makes an American – celebration of July 4th, Thanksgiving Day,
President’s Day, Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day etc. Days when we remember what it
took to create the United States.
One can’t be a global Christian. God gave us a country to
take care of and beautify. Going from the very beginning the New World was
populated by people who wanted to enjoy the freedom of confession of Christ. We
are citizens of the Church – one, holy, Christian (or lit. world-wide), and
Apostolic church. At the same time, we are the citizens of the United States of
America. That’s why the Lutheran doctrine differentiates between the kingdom of
the right hand and the kingdom of the left hand. Kingdom of the right is the
kingdom of grace, forgiveness, and reconciliation with God for the sake of
Jesus. His sacrifice brought us back into the family and the kingdom of God.
Kingdom of the left hand represents the earthly authorities and provisions –
parents for raising children, different vocations (bakers, doctors,
technicians) for our needs, instructors for students, government for peace and
quietness of our lives (1 Tim. 2:2).
I often talk about the vertical pole and the horizontal beam
of the Calvary cross. Today I want to direct your attention to the hands or
arms of Jesus on the cross. Thinking about the Two Kingdoms we can’t but notice
that both hands were pierced. Romans knew how to torture people. They nailed
Jesus to the cross making sure to inflict the maximum pain. They couldn’t care
less for the Biblical or doctrinal convictions of the Christian theologians.
Yet, sometimes it is the most profound statement of faith made by the
adversaries of the community of believers. My favorite one is “it is better for
you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should
perish.” What a beautiful confession of substitutionary atonement! Made by…
Caiaphas (John 11:49-50) – the High priest who secured the sentence of Jesus to
the cross.
Both hands of Jesus were pierced symbolically reminding us
of the brokenness of this world, in all its aspects – relationship with the
Creator in kingdom of the right hand should be paid for and relationship in the
kingdom of the left hand with the earthly should be restored too. The rebellion
in the Garden impacted everything – Adam disobeyed God, but he also threw his
wife under the bus of God’s wrath…
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