Finding Abundance in Politics
“Jesus understood that they were about to come and force him to be their king, so he took refuge again, along on a mountain.”
John 6:15 CEB
The image above is from Act 1, Scene 2 of Shakespeare’s play, “Julius Caesar.” Shakespeare takes liberties with the actual history, but the general plot is that Caesar has returned to Rome after a dazzling set of military victories with the intention of defeating the current head of state, Pompey. The crowd is whipped into a frenzy celebrating the mighty and popular Caesar, and Marc Antony – one of Caesar’s loyal officers – seeks to seize the moment and crown Caesar as the king of all Rome.
Which Caesar refuses.
Maybe he’s pretending to be humble?
Maybe he’s waiting for the Senate to give him the crown because their approval matters more to him than the crowd?
Maybe he knows that Rome has worked ridiculously hard to build a Republic where no one person has too much control?
For those who know their history, this seems absurd. Caesar crossed the Rubicon TO gain power and was assassinated by the Senate because they believed him to be seeking too much power (which he totally was). The mix of disdain and neglect that the Senators had for common people, an overly proud person seeking to rule everyone, and a violent response leaves a chaotic vacuum that is ripe for…well…chaos. Marc Antony seeks to replace his mentor at the top, but Octavian ultimately defeats all interested parties and proclaims himself Caesar Augustus, the very first Emperor of Rome.
Historical scenes like this one make me even more fascinated with Jesus’ legitimate refusal of the crown. Jesus wasn’t being modest in John 6:15. He literally runs away because they are so hungry for leadership that cares about them that the crowd is going to force him to be their king. However, it’s a similar crowd – maybe even the same people – who see him battered and beaten alongside Pilate and pledge their loyalty to Caesar.
After all, everyone loves power.
Power equals abundance.
After multiplying loaves and fish, it seemed Jesus had all the power.
After getting arrested and beaten, it seemed Caesar had all the power.
Who got the last laugh in Resurrection?
But why would Jesus deny the crown?
Why didn’t Jesus raise up an army and cross the Jordan River into Jerusalem? Or better yet, the Rubicon into Rome?
Why didn’t Jesus use his miracles to charm the crowd and sway their allegiance for his own gain?
Why wouldn’t Jesus use all of his abundant power to take charge of our world and crush the bad guys?
John 18:26 :: “Jesus replied, ‘My kingdom doesn’t originate from this world. If it did, my guards would fight so that I wouldn’t have been arrested by the Jewish leaders. My kingdom isn’t from here.”
The political situation of our current moment certainly seems the most partisan many of us have ever experienced, but it’s not completely unique in history. For millennia there has been a human inclination to divide and dominate, whether it be over food resources, land, or moral superiority. Inherent within a desire to divide and dominate is the need to differentiate your movement as special and superior, which normally takes shape in a charismatic figurehead – whom all to often is happy to take on the crown. It’s so predictable that Deuteronomy 17:14-20 tells the Israelites it’s going to happen and what to watch out for (check out vs. 16-17).
But Jesus’ politics don’t originate from this world (I love the way the CEB translates this). As a pastor said this past Sunday, “Jesus is political, Jesus is not partisan.” To be partisan is to be drawn into the idea that one person, one way is the truth – generally with the necessity that the other side is evil, hurtful, and damaging. But Jesus is the one “king” who doesn’t seek the crown to the detriment of others, because Jesus came to save the least and the powerful among us. Jesus is the type of leader who knows there is enough to feed everyone and willingly gives it. Jesus is the type of leader who knows there is room at the table for everyone and invites freely. Jesus is the one who frees a woman from the death penalty but still commands her to sin no more.
These are the politics which seek to build up rather than tear down. These are the heavenly virtues that don’t exist within one party’s platform or one candidates’ charisma. Surely Christians should be active in politics to, in the words of Micah 6:8, “Seek justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God,” but we should never, ever assume that any one candidate or any one party is completely in line with God – nor that a candidate from the opposing party could never be used by God.
God is too abundant for our idolized boxes.
God is too abundant for the crowns of world government.
What would it look like if we took God’s abundance into the polls with us, to be political – but not partisan?
Peace,
David Lessner
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