Passage: 1 Timothy 2:1-7

Pastor: Pastor Walther

Date: July 27, 2025

Is it a privilege or a right?  We don’t always like to think in those terms. “I have a RIGHT to protest whenever & wherever I want!…” “I have a RIGHT to bear whatever firearm however I want to bear it!…”  “I have a RIGHT not to wear a mask, or not get a vaccine!…”  “I have a RIGHT to insist that people use my pronouns and accommodate my needs!…” Do you?  Or, are some of those privileges rather than rights?

Don’t worry, I’m not here to give you my opinion on these matters.  As your new pastor I’m not going to be preaching politics from the pulpit.  But it’s this classic debate between rights and privileges that frames our look at God’s Word today as we consider a vastly more important topic than any I just mentioned: a topic that doesn’t just affect our lives here on earth, it affects our souls forever in heaven.

That topic is prayer.  Perhaps we’re tempted to think of prayer as a God-given right we’re born with, where we can ask God for whatever we want whenever we want it!… But under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul presents prayer more as a PRIVILEGE than as a right.  And far from that limiting our prayers, God actually uses it to give us more. Listen again to some of what we we heard earlier in 1 Timothy 2,

¹ First of all, then, I urge that that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made… which is really every kind of prayer!  Petitions: that’s asking God for things – often for yourself!  Intercession: that’s also asking God for things – but this time for others!  And (also) thanksgiving: don’t forget to thank God when he answers those prayers and pours out his blessings on you!  But notice what Paul adds: (Make such prayers) for ALL people—for KINGS, and ALL those in authority….  As you think back to some of the politically-charged topics I mentioned earlier, do you really want to pray for all people, including those in government?  God tells us to do so here, and for good reason: so that we may live peaceful and quiet lives.  Simply put, when things go well for those in authority, life under them tends to go better also.  That’s why it’s worth praying for them.  And there’s also this: ³ This is good, and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴ who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. Why wouldn’t we want to please God?  Not only does he want all people to be saved, he backed up his talk with action:  ⁵  There is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave himself as a ransom for all. It’s something we hear all the time, but we just continue to marvel…  God sent his own Son into the world to pay for the sin of every person?  Even that politician who had an affair, or who stole from others, or whose actions led to someone’s tragic death?  Even me, with the ugly thoughts that run through my mind or the wicked things these hands have done?… Yes, Christ Jesus gave himself as a RANSOM for ALL. And as Paul wraps up our reading, he makes it clear that’s what his ministry was all about… Mine too, as your new pastor. 

We all need to hear this. Like me, did you just bristle at some of those words?  Pray?  For the government!?!  Maybe that’s hard to do with the current local or state or federal leaders above you.  Maybe that was hard to do with previously elected officials.  And it just goes to show, we are tempted to treat prayer as more of a right – as something we’re born with, that’s all about what we should demand for ourselves

But prayer isn’t just some right we inherently possess.  Not when we were born in the sinful image of our parents, separate from God as the Father to whom we pray.  I mean, you want to talk about rights?  Our right is that God would absolutely ignore our prayers, just like you would ignore someone’s petitions who hurt you, hated you, and rejected what you wanted.  That should lead us in great humility to approach God on our knees, only in terms of what he wants.  Yet how often do we spit in the face of what he wants and continue to pester him only regarding what we want?  One way we see that is by failing to honor and respect the government he has placed over us.  We also see this whenever we reject God’s plans in any other area of our lives with our money, our relationships, or our possessions.

Finally, it’s why Paul said we need a mediator – a word that implies there is conflict between two parties. And make no mistake, our sin means there is war between us and God – or at least, there would be, had there not been a mediator who came in God’s perfect image as a proper son, who had every right to petition God as Father.  Jesus paid exactly the ransom we needed for our every sin against the government.  Remember those Sunday School stories where Jesus always perfectly obeyed and respected his authorities, whether they had earned it or not?  It’s just like he did for our every other sin through his perfect life and innocent death on the cross. 

With that price paid, God has now adopted us through his Spirit in baptism.  It’s why we can approach God in prayer – not with fear & trembling as his subjects, but with confidence & joy as his children, just like Jesus described in today’s Gospel – God has granted us that privilege.  In fact, you could almost say it is a right, but God defines this right not as we so often think of it – in terms of entitlements and what we’re owed.  Rather, it’s a right defined by the values of his family – in terms of grace and mercy.

For example, how about the “right” to quiet and happy living – not on our terms, but on God’s terms –by faithfully respecting & following & praying for our governing authorities?  We may think we have it bad – and to be fair, life will never be perfect here, this isn’t heaven! – but think of what God still gives us through the governing authorities in this country?… A few of you may be aware that my dad is a pastor who does Hispanic ministry over in Watertown.  And one thing he’s heard again and again from the people he serves is that they find life so “tranquilo” here: peaceful!  They love living here under our government, and it’s because of what they left behind in some parts of Mexico…. You consider that, and then you look at some of what we have – honestly great infrastructure & roads, more wealth than any people on earth has amassed, history’s most powerful military – and we have it so good.  Of course we do.  If the Almighty God loved us enough to give us his own son as a ransom for sin, we can trust that he’ll bless us in other ways too. 

So, trust the Lord.  Along with it, trust his will.  And as you do so, God urges you through your pastors to pray.  Pray as a privilege.  Pray not just for what you want, or you feel you’re owed; rather, pray for what God wants, to whom you and I owe everything!…  So yes, pray for your governing authorities.  Pray especially for those with whom you disagree!  Then lead quiet lives in piety, godliness, and submission, not because you always agree with those above you, but because you always agree with God.  That mans you trust God will always bless you through your leaders, no matter who they are.  Then thank God for those blessings when they come.  (And they will come!)

If that’s not enough reward for such prayer, how about one more: it pleases God… it pleases GOD – who loved you and me enough to give us his own Son, who has given us the privilege to come to him in prayer And he doesn’t just yank that privilege away whenever we sin, he just continues to forgive us in Jesus.  He even wants to forgive us in Jesus, as he reminds us today.  We don’t always want to forgive others when they wrong us, but he does!  I mean, why would we not want to make our God happy?  We DO!…  So, like Abraham in our Old Testament reading, see prayer as a privilege.  He knew he had no right to come before God, but still he appealed to him on the basis of his mercy & love, and God was pleased to listen.  God delights in listening to you as well, even though he owes you nothing.  Be amazed at his love for you.

That’s ultimately what it was about for Paul as he told his people what to do & how to pray.  That’s also what it’s about for me or Pastor Horton or any other pastor as we tell you to do things.  It’s not about what we want, but about what God wants.  More than that, it’s about his love for us which explains what he wants, even if we have trouble seeing it.  So see prayer as a privilege, not as a right.  Granted, Christ HAS given us the right to come before God the Father in prayer, but not as we so often think of rights: to seize things only to satisfy ourselves.  Rather, this is a right we’re privileged to have.  And how much better would politics and so many other things in this world be if we just remembered that?  God grant us strength and ability to be his instruments to bring peace and quietness to this world.  We start by praying for all people, including those above us.  Amen.