Are you disillusioned with politics? This may be a volatile subject. You may disagree vehemently with what Im about to say. But somewhere conflict brews in our nation. Amidst earthquakes and volcanic eruptions I am watching the news again and they are dolling on about how America is divided and angry and disillusioned. They fear riots, civil disobedience and schisms within our nation. What we are seeing is the epic,total failure of humanity to tame its baser instincts – our inability to regulate ourselves with any amount of rules and regulations. This is where politics fails. Did Jesus run for the Roman senate? Did he seek to become a prominent member of the Sanhedrin? He did not. He launched his revolution outside these things, among the poor and despised – in the hearts of everyman not the political councils of the privileged. Republicans blame democrats and democrats blame republicans but the truth seems to indicate they are all completely corrupt and self-seeking. Bailouts happened on both democrat and republican watches. Many call it a duopoly a republican and democrat dominated government, or republicrats. Now I look at Jesus. He was not a popular person by our societys standards. He was not an entertainer. He was not a musician or a comedian or a singer or a dancer. He was not wealthy by this worlds standards. Yet you would think different by the way we portray him to the masses. He was not a man of excess or extravagance. He chose to walk his path homeless: Then a …
I think what we are witnessing before our eyes that enrages us so is our own helplessness to solve our problems with politics. We have reached the limit of our abilities and find that our ideals of democracy have been short-circuited by our greed and corruption as individuals.
What we are seeing is the epic, total failure of humanity to tame its baser instincts – our inability to regulate ourselves with any amount of rules and regulations. This is where politics fails. Did Jesus run for the Roman senate? Did he seek to become a prominent member of the Sanhedrin? He did not. He launched his revolution outside these things, among the poor and despised – in the hearts of everyman not the political councils of the privileged.
Republicans blame democrats and democrats blame republicans but the truth seems to indicate they are all completely corrupt and self-seeking. Bailouts happened on both democrat and republican watches. Many call it a duopoly a republican and democrat dominated government, or republicrats.
Our great-grand children may not be able to pay off the debts incurred by the republicrat decisions of the last 10 years. It seems both parties used fear to control us, threatening martial law without corporate bail outs and making bi-partisan decisions at 3 in the morning when America slept. It seems both parties are consumed by compromise and greed and both continually erode individual rights and free speech. Both continually expand government and reduce the individual.
It seems political parties have become puppets, giving us the illusion of choice with a vote but in the end they serve the interests of their hidden masters, whether you label them republican or democrat. Disillusionment can be a good thing if it brings us closer to the truth.
I was naive enough once to believe that politics held some sort of answer for the issues that plague our society. I thought, perhaps, if enough people working as one agreed on the right things, something might be accomplished. Now I believe man-made institutions are utterly fruitless
It may be time to abandon politics like a sinking ship it is fatally wounded. Tainted. Maimed. Crippled. If you believe anything Jesus ever taught, you must believe that change can only flower from within, lasting change cannot be imposed from without. According to Jesus, not even God himself violates the free will he gives to each human being to choose death or life, good or evil, without coercion yet with ultimate consequence.
Now I look at Jesus. He was not a popular person by our societys standards. He was not an entertainer. He was not a musician or a comedian or a singer or a dancer. He was not wealthy by this worlds standards. Yet you would think different by the way we portray him to the masses. He was not a man of excess or extravagance. He chose to walk his path homeless:
Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go. Jesus replied, Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head. (Matthew 8:19-20)
The Bible has much to say that is contrary to what we believe and practice about possessions and greed, and yet this seems to me to go, for the most part, un-noticed by those who profess to be followers of the Nazarene the one true king. I wont elaborate on this now but if it interests you see “Jesus and Money” on this channel.
Jesus was not even desirable to others according to the Bibles description of him:
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Isaiah 53:3)
Jesus was nothing like the baby-kissing, people-pleasing narcissistic politicians and celebrities who live their lives to be seen of others that we give fortune and fame to today. Jesus despises those who do things only to be seen of others or to appear spiritual. He told those who did so that he did not receive praise from men and he criticized them harshly for seeking praise from one another rather than striving to please the One who sees us when no one else is watching (John 5:41,44).
The people, on witnessing Jesus power and wisdom, tried to make him into a political leader. They wanted to force him to be head of their political kingdom but Jesus flat out REFUSED it. He rejected mans kingdom. (John 6:14-15) He told Pilate if his kingdom were of this world his followers would fight for him but it was not – so they didnt. (John 18:36-37).
Jesus told the Pharisees once:The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, Here it is, or There it is, because the kingdom of God is within you. (Luke 17:20-21). Again it is spiritual, not political. Jesus came to start a revolution within the hearts of men, a war of words and ideas, not a war of blood and bullets.
Today we try again to force Jesus to be king of America. But the revolution is not political, it is spiritual. Every nation on earth is doomed to eventual extinction. Where is Rome? Greece? Persia? So too will be the fate of America and every other earthly realm.
Jesus did not command us to store up treasure and wealth for ourselves. He said the opposite: Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. (Matthew 6:19).
Jesus did not say we should buy guns and stock up ammunition to fight our enemies. He said the opposite: But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. (Luke 6:27)
Jesus did not say to resist with violence, he taught the opposite: If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. (Luke 6:29-30)
We are free to disregard Jesus he never forces anyone to obey him. But we cant be his followers if we dont do what he says. Why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say? (Luke 6:46)
Please dont change the words of the master. Dont hijack his message. Choose another master and follow another if you so choose, but dont try to bend the words of Jesus and warp his teaching into a movement that disregards what he teaches. People can be saved, nations cannot. America is doomed, but Americans are not.
His kingdom is NOT of this world, and when it is finally implemented in the hearts of every tribe and tongue and kindred and clan all earthly kingdoms will be OBSOLETE and dissolved.
Where does your loyalty lie? Within the fleeting moment or with eternity? Who are your brothers and sisters? Those who look and talk and act like you, or those who do the will of He who gave his life to set us free? For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother. (Mathew 12:50)
Only one kingdom is eternal, and it is eternal for the very reason that it is not a political kingdom but a spiritual nation made up of every tribe and tongue and kindred and clan of people who have lived, are living and will live on this earth.
I believe one day Jesus will do in the hearts of men, on the inside, what politics could never, ever do on the outside. He will make us ONE:
And they sang a new song: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth. (Revelation 9:9-10)