The Priority Isn't Politics

I'm a Christian.  I also graduated with a degree in Political Science.  As such, I often struggle with the line between politics and religion and what my involvement should be. But even though I have lots to say on the subject of politics and would be happy to talk to someone in person (read NOT FACEBOOK) about those opinions, the political is not my primary concern...the eternal is.

As I view American Christianity I sometimes worry that we have often lost sight of the eternal in favor of the temporal & the political.  Please don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying that political issues and decisions we make in that regard aren't important, they are. But they aren't primary (or really even close to primary in light of eternity). 

I have been reading a book called "Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes" which basically looks at the Bible in light of the culture in which Jesus would have lived. In Chapter 3 the author, Kenneth Bailey gives a brief history lesson of the Jewish Holy Land. He explains that the first-century Jewish community into which Jesus came was not victorious...it was oppressed. They were occupied by the Romans at the time, but had also been occupied formerly by the Greeks and the Persians. In Jesus' day, much of the land was owned by foreigners and locals were often treated unfairly. 

In this type of world, the Jewish people naturally want salvation...but from what? From their oppressors, of course! When the promised Messiah came, the Jews believed He would deliver them from their oppressors and bring about a New Kingdom that would bring justice and peace. So when Jesus the Messiah did come, it isn't surprising that they were at the very least confused if not angry.  Why?  Because Jesus didn't talk much about the political climate of Roman oppression.  Instead He talked about the need for salvation from sin. "An oppressed community perceives its own faults as dwarfed by the enormity of what it is suffering from others. Any discussion of its sins will be heard as belittling the harsh world in which they live.  It takes a brave man or woman to tell the community that it needs salvation from its sins."

This brings us to Luke 13. In the beginning of this Chapter, people came and reported to Jesus a story of how Pilate had killed some Galilean worshipers while they were offering sacrifices. "If translated in Christian terms, we would have to imagine terrorists entering a church and gunning down a pastor and his people in the middle of a communion service," writes Bailey.  With this atrocity before him, one would expect him to respond with rage and/or extreme sadness and mourning.  Instead Jesus replies, "unless you repent you will all likewise perish."  Why is this response important?

When an angel appeared to Joseph to tell him not to fear and to take Mary for a wife because the baby she carried was of the Holy Spirit, the angel says, "she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins (emphasis added)." THIS is Jesus' purpose.  THIS is why He came.  This also explains (in part, see note*) Jesus' response to the atrocity story in Luke 13 - he is focused on the primary problem - THEIR SIN!  "The Roman occupation is an important concern, but it is secondary." (Bailey)

This primary purpose isn't just reflected in the New Testament, but in the Old...

Ecclesiastes 4: vs. 1 and 3

"Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun:

I saw the tears of the oppressed—

    and they have no comforter;
power was on the side of their oppressors—    
    and they have no comforter.

But better than both 
     is the one who has never been born,
who has not seen the evil 
     that is done under the sun."

Again, the idea we see here is that both the oppressed and the oppressor have the same problem.  They are sinners in need of a Savior!

In today's politics, we tend to see the other side as the enemy in some fashion...(maybe even as "occupiers" and "oppressors" depending on the fervency of your views.)  But as Christians, those concerns are secondary to the need for salvation for all. There is no difference between oppressor and oppressed, rich and poor, male and female, or Republican and Democrat when it comes to the need for salvation!

This need for salvation from sin was Jesus' firm purpose (accomplished by His death and resurrection), as found in many biblical passages.  I'd like to highlight two passages in John that are worth a look. 

John 6 records Jesus' feeding of the 5,000 - a well known story for Christians.  But did you notice why he "withdrew by himself" after this miracle took place?  Verses 14 and 15 tell us...

14  When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” 15  Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

When the crowd tries to substitute a political purpose for an eternal one, Jesus withdraws.

And then there is John 12.  During the "Triumphal Entry" recorded here, we again see the crowd proclaiming Jesus as the "King of Israel" (in the earthly sense)...

12  The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”

Jesus' response? If we read on in vs. 27 & 28, we see that He maintains a clear purpose, even with His coming crucifixion in sight...

27 “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” 

Christ's heart was focused on what he came to do - to die on the cross for the sins of all!  He was not focused on any kind of political power for himself or even on replacing of the current oppressive power of Rome.  These issues are temporal and secondary.  The primary issue is of eternal consequence.

What can we learn from this?  As American Christians we need to re-evaluate our priorities to align more with the heart of Christ, not the platforms of party. Our primary concern should be winning people to the Kingdom of God!  When we don't make this primary, we hurt the cause of Christ.  

I think this point is best illustrated by the words of John Piper in one of his sermons in which he is pleading with the church not to press him into political activism ...

"The impact of the church for the glory of Christ and the good of the world does not increase when she shifts her priorities from the worship of God and the winning of souls and the nurturing of faith and raising up of new generations of disciples. It doesn't. It feels in the moment that it does. "Look at how many people showed up for the rally!" Or "Look how many signatures in that church they got!" Or "Look how that committee is functioning!" It feels powerful, but give it a generation. And little by little, that vaunted power bleeds away the very nature of the church and its power."

The church and its power rests in Christ Crucified (which Paul warns is a a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, so don't be surprised this is difficult.)  It does not rest in the current administration, whatever political persuasion that administration holds. Our job as Christians isn't to convince people of our right stance on some political issue, but to tell them about salvation through Jesus Christ. We are not called to make Republicans or Democrats of all nations, but DISCIPLES! 

Let's keep our priorities straight. 





*Note:  Beyond condemning Pilate and Rome, those reporting the atrocity to Jesus in Luke 13 also seemed to hold the view that the tragic and untimely death of someone is an indicator of great sin and God's wrath.  Hence, Jesus' rejection of this principle in vs. 2-5 - that those who died were not any more guilty than anyone else.