The Jesus Post...

Over the last couple of weeks there has been an ongoing debate that has overflowed from ER's blog, to Mark's, to mine, and back again.

It concerns Jesus' political affiliation.

ER has asserted repeatedly that Jesus was a Liberal, and in His day, I guess that he probably was considered to be liberal. He was a pacifist, (not an appeaser, a pacifist...)He was clearly anti-establishment. He talked against the government, and the religious leaders of His day.

But that is where the similarities between Jesus and the modern Liberal movement end, as far as I can tell.

Some say that Jesus commanded us to help the poor, and the disadvantaged, and that using their vote to elect people who will use tax money to help these people is doing The Lord's Work.

I have done a pretty extensive search of the New Testament (because I want to get this right...), and I can find only one instance where Jesus told anyone to give to the poor.

"Matthew 19:21Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me."

The same story appears in Mark 10:21.

In this instance, Jesus told the "Rich Young Ruler", (as I have heard him called all my life) not necessarily to help the poor. That was a by-product.

What Jesus told the young man to do was get rid of his idol. To rid himself of the thing that was most important to him. The thing that would come between him and God.

Helping the poor was just an easy way to get rid of it.

Now Jesus did encourage general kindness and benevolence between us, His people.

Luke 3:11"He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise."

Matthew 25:35-36 "For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me."
Matthew 25:40 "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

But he never advocated putting Government in charge of anything, least of all, our Christian charity. Not that I can find. (He said to pay your taxes, (Matthew 22:21), but that's the only reference to anything dealing with Government that I have found.)

He encouraged industriousness and productivity, and discouraged sloth and inefficiency.

Matthew 25:27-29 "Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
28Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
29For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath."

Jesus fed 5000 hungry people at one time, but he never fed anyone twice in a row.

He never gave money to a beggar.

He did not want the political power that came with being a provider. He actively ran from it.

He cured the sick, healed the lame, made the blind to see. But in every case, he witnessed to their Soul in the process. His focus was on the Kingdom of Heaven, not the politics of the world, or the needs of the disadvantaged. He preached the Gospel everywhere He went, constantly. (Even if He happened to be in a Government Building.)

And in every case, He made the people whom he helped able to provide for themselves. He never did anything for them that could lead to any type of dependancy on government, or the Charity of others.

So where did Jesus weigh in on the "Left - Right" debate?

Matthew 25:41 "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." (Sorry. That one is grossly out of context. It was just too perfect to pass up...)

Jesus was NOT a Liberal, not in the modern context.

Nor was He a Conservative.

HE WAS THE SON OF GOD.

For me to beat on my chest and say "Jesus agrees with ME!!" would be blasphemous. I am nothing.

He is God incarnate, sent to save Mankind from the Bondage of Sin, not to help me prop up my own insignificant political arguements.

Or you with yours...



(All references from the King James Version of the Holy Bible, Courtesy of BibleGateway.com)