Thought for Today

What do we make of Jesus and politics? The Left turns Jesus into a radical leftist, while the Right turns Jesus into a Jesus who fully endorses American materialism. Both versions are utterly false. Both versions lead one to eternal hell.

The real biblical Jesus presents a very different political picture. In essence, seeking to find the “political” Jesus is, in some ways, seeking answers to the wrong question. Biblically, it is worth examining who Jesus chose to become the twelve disciples as recorded in the four Gospels.

The New Testament tells us numerous things about a few of the twelve disciples, notably Peter, a couple things about three or four of the others, and almost nothing about the rest. One can infer that many of them had just been trying to live their lives, surviving in whatever position they found themselves. For example, we do know that many of them were fishermen by trade.

Our focus will be on two of the twelve, Matthew and Simon: not Simon Peter, but Simon the Zealot. What do we know about each of them? Mathew was a tax collector and held a banquet in honor of Jesus at his house that many “sinners” attended, raising the ire of the Pharisees. It is also understood that he wrote the book of Matthew. As for Simon the Zealot, we know he was a Zealot, and that is about it. While many stories exist about him, they are generally legendary.

Nevertheless, Scripture tells us enough. History provides some helpful cultural details. Politically, Simon the Zealot and Matthew the tax collector were as opposite as two people could be. In our day, a rough comparison would be that one would be a member of Antifa, the other a MAGA supporter.

Back then, culturally, tax collectors were viewed as sell-outs to Rome. They were hated traitors, aligned with imperial powers for personal gain. Rome required then to send a certain amount, whatever else they collected, they could keep. As a result, tax collectors became quite wealthy.

Probably no group hated the tax collectors more than the Zealots. The Zealots were a political movement that sought to expel Rome from Judea by whatever means necessary, frequently perpetrating acts of violence. Murder and assassination were common tactics. Some of them were even known as Sicarii, or “dagger men”. Collaborators, such as tax collectors, were marked targets. Sounds about the same as radical leftists today, doesn’t it? They were also instrumental in inciting the revolt that led to the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70.

What? A tax collector and a Zealot are both included as members in Jesus’s hand-picked twelve disciples? That tells us a great deal about Jesus’s politics, doesn’t it? Ultimately, one’s political background does not matter. Whether from the political left or right, whether a tax collector or a Zealot, whether a member of Antifa or a MAGA supporter, the solution is found through Jesus Christ, his death on the cross for our sins.

Through faith in Christ, unity is to be established, previous divisions cease. Christ’s love conquers and overcomes. How are Christ’s disciples to be known? As Jesus said, the world will know we are His disciples by our love for one another. That is scary, isn’t it? Simon the Zealot must love Matthew the tax collector, and Matthew the tax collector must love Simon the Zealot. Through Christ, the MAGA supporter must love the Antifa member and vice versa. Granted, both must lay aside those past preferences in favor of Christ.

Forgiveness prevails. That is why Erika Kirk could forgive Charlie’s murderer. The question is, will we hang on to our political divisions, or will we seek reconciliation? Will we treat others the same way that we want to be treated? One would not expect a non-Christian to behave in those ways. But as a Christian, that is immaterial. We answer to Jesus Christ, not a political party or any form of popular culture.

How will we respond?