Respecting government leaders?

(Following on from yesterday…)

It was Peter who wrote “Honour the emperor” in 1 Peter 2:17, but how could Peter write such a thing when his emperor was Nero?  

Nero had Christians covered in tar, fastened to crosses and burned as torches to light up his garden parties; he dragged them behind his chariot through Rome until they were dead, had them killed by wild beasts in arenas, and dressed them in animal skins to be torn to death by dogs. 

But Peter included this perverted madman with the rest of verse 17, which began with, “Show proper respect for everyone.” You mean, show proper respect for a loathsome man like Nero? How on earth could God ask that of Christians? The man was evil, depraved, and he was murdering Christians in horrible ways. 

So what was God’s purpose in requiring Christians to respect their government leaders, and even horrible ones too? 

It would be nice to know the answer to that, because the idea of showing respect to some of the loathsome people in leadership positions today puts my entire mental make-up in resistance mode. But 1 Peter 2:17 brought me up short. God wants me to show proper respect for such people. But how? And why?

I admit to being out of my depth on this one. But what came to mind was Hebrews 5:7, because when Jesus was up against a situation that was humanly impossible for him to handle, and it was causing excruciating mental pain for him too, he expressed his agony “With loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death,” and “he was heard because of his reverent submission.” 

So the Father heard and helped him out because of Jesus’ deep respect for his will. That’s the starting point: God’s will, impossible and agonizing though it is to obey. So that had to be the starting point for me too. But what exactly did God have in mind for us respecting even loathsome leaders? What possible good thing could be accomplished by showing respect for Nero?  

But then I have to ask what possible good thing was accomplished by Jesus obeying his Father’s will, when it too caused him considerable mental pain? And again I was stuck for an answer. Unless there was something back there in Hebrews 5 again…. 

(More on this tomorrow…)