Thoughts on July 4th

BOTH PIERCED HANDS of JESUS

Every July I try to write an article for Zion’s newsletter related to our country in connection to July 4^th. I think that’s what makes an American – celebration of July 4^th, 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…

Both hands of Jesus were pierced that we can live in His kingdom. As a children’s song states it: this is my Father’s world. God through the sacrifice of Jesus reconciled us to Himself (2 Cor. 5:19). And now we can use this power of forgiveness to advance the Gospel that the petition of the Lord’s prayer “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” will come true. As Dr. Luther put it in the Small Catechism “we pray in this petition that it may be done among us also.” This “among us” is not advanced by a rebellion against the earthly authorities because our heritage is the Reformation not a revolution. As the citizens of both kingdoms, we act lawfully, we pray for the government and the authorities, and we present the reasons for the hope that is in us (1 Pet. 3:15).

picture: fragment of the altar stain glass from Lutheran church of St. George, Koltushi (Russia).