What Jesus Actually Said About Politics
In an era when the “Christian Right” owns the mainstream dialogue about what it means to be a Christian and tries to define the place of followers of Jesus in the public forum, it’s time for a reset.
If I may be so bold, perhaps we might want to see what Jesus himself had to say about politics, because in his highly-charged political environment, everybody wanted to get the miracle-working teacher “on their side”. Jesus’ message about politics was very simple: it wasn’t his concern.
At one point, certain partisans wanted to draw him into taking a position on paying taxes to the hated Roman overlords. “Show me a penny,” he said simply, referring to the common Roman denarius. “And whose image is on the penny?”
“Why, the image is that of Caesar,” came the answer. “Fine,” responded Jesus. “So render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and render unto God the things that are God’s.” A clearer demarcation between things of the world and things of the spirit could not be made.
At a time when Jesus had been arrested and the Pharisees were screaming for his death, the Roman governor asked him to speak to the charges. Jesus answered simply, “My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight … but now is my kingdom not from hence.”
Not long before that, when the mob came to arrest Jesus in the garden, one of his disciples grabbed a sword and attacked one of the mob, slicing off his ear. A fine fisherman, perhaps, but apparently Peter was not much of a swordsman.
Jesus calmly reached out to the bleeding soldier and healed his ear, then quietly turned to his disciple and said, “Peter, Peter, put away your sword. Those who live by the sword shall die by the sword. You know that God could send legions of angels to protect me, but that’s not how it must be.”
It’s this enigmatic, counterculture, Jesus who draws our fascination with the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, a place where mercy triumphs over justice and where the great shall be called small and the small shall be called great. Swords and politics have nothing to do with the Gospel of Jesus.
The Mennonites have always understood this, as have the Quakers and the Non-conformists, all of whom try to live out the simplicity and mercy of Jesus, and all of whom reject any attempt of religion to meddle in the public sphere. With no irony intended, more power to them.
My roots were with a sect of Plymouth Brethren who back in those days refused to issue “tax receipts” because, well, God’s things and Caesar’s things were not to be intermingled.
The Pharisees of Jesus’ day tried to triangulate among their highly formalized religion, Roman authority, and personal wealth. Their spiritual heirs try to do the same. The Pharisees are long gone, and soon but not soon enough, will be the Christian Right.