The Politics of JesusSaturday, August 18, 2007
Jesus as a freedom fighter: Jesus fought against the oppression, slavery, and anything that enslaved human souls to set mankind free from bondages. "You will know the truth and the truth will set you free." This mission statement is inclusive: freedom from fear, hatred, ignorance, wants and freedom from anything that takes away human happiness and peace of mind, by setting mankind free from the enslavement of Satan.
Jesus as an activist: He fought for human rights, social justice, and equality against all kinds of discrimination and injustices. He fought against the hypocrites, law makers and law keepers (Pharisee and Sadducees), who preached the laws but being violators of the laws. (He fought against the hypocrites who preached democracy but being violators of the basic principles of democracy). He fought against racial discrimination that he tore down the wall between the gentle and the Jews (black and white). He even reached the leprosy and beggars on the street. He fought corruption and improper treatment to the public: he made the tax collector shame of his deeds and change the rest of the course of his life. He showed no professional favoritism: he called tax collector, fisherman, lawyer, etc. to be his followers.
Jesus as a revolutionary: He fought against the socio political evils of the day. He explored the cruelty of the rulers of the society and decision makers of his days. He made plain of the existing social order and its decaying structural foundation and challenged for change. He revealed the injustice in the society. He made plain the equal status of all humans regardless of race, color, and social condition that all men were created equal before the laws of God-the president of the Universe. He fought against the principles and practices of the rulers and decision makers of the evil society who oppressed the poor and lower class of the society. He challenged the existing social order and introduced a new order.
Jesus as a hope giver politician: He gave hope to the hopeless and helps to the helpless. He never bypasses victims of the social political evils of his day on earth. He extended the opportunity to the lowly members of the society and offered recognition even to the poorest person in the society.
Jesus as an authoritative leader: He proved to the world his power and authority above nature and the laws of the society. He commanded the wind and waves, raised the death, and forgave sinners and law breakers.
Jesus as a compassionate leader: He even allowed a traitor to be his follower. For three years, none of his followers recognized if Jesus ever made a different look at Judas Iscariot (the traitor), although Jesus foreknew what he (Judas) would do against him; Jesus even called him (Judas) “friend” when he brought the Jews and Law makers who were approaching to Jesus during the last hours.
Jesus' moral fitness: Jesus never had to defend himself. He never committed sin, never breaks laws or there is no law above Him, and never had to defend himself. People reacted against him, based on his preaching, messages, family background, his way of life, eating drinking, and association with sinners. But Jesus never had to defend himself before anyone. Jesus never reacted bad words and weapons of his enemy the same way and never used the same weapons.
Jesus as a peace maker: When attacked he did not confront. When he was attacked, he allowed his enemy to use the total force and took the opportunity to show how much he loves them and to prove that the maximum force of the enemy is simply defeated without even the use of his divine might and power. Death is the final weapon of the devil one, Satan, but Jesus simply defeated by rising from the death. Curse, humiliation, injustice, all human sufferings were placed upon him, but showed his peaceful life principles to the world.
Jesus to establish his final kingdom: After defeating the maximum enemy, death and all evils, Jesus is to establish his final kingdom where and when he will reign as the Permanent President and King of the Universe, not limited by political boundary, human races, and principles.
Challenges to all those who follow after Him: The Politics of Jesus:
Christians on socio-politics! During their stay in the Kachin land, the Chin students used a label "God is our strength." There were a lot of amazing stories how the newly trained Chin students escaped from deadly attacks and incidents for which the Chin students paid credits to their God. In every society around the world, religious beliefs plays a major role in public policy and in setting up political system, regime values, social order, etc. One might recall, one of the most famous religious interventions to the world social order-the crusade war-the war between Christians and Muslims. In setting up the underlining principles for the moral foundation of the society, for example in the US, the basic fundamental principle of democracy, what the American founding fathers laid down the principle, "All men were created equal" was said to be descended from the European Christian School of thoughts. During the last two US presidential elections (before 2007), it was said that the importance of moral values and religious belief play a pivotal role in the President Bush’s victory, which was credited to the victory of conservative Christian in a midst of decaying moral values in the US and the west. And now the major contemporary global political conflicts, some scholars and thinkers believe, which may lead to third world war, will be the result of the clash of the moral principles, the regime values, or the clash of civilization.
The ministry of Jesus, the mission of reconciliation is handed down to his followers, in which ministry every Christian shares life mission. Although "separation of Church and state" (religion and politics) must be clearly drawn for public administrative guideline, the ministry of reconciliation reaches to every corner of society and to every individual that is reconciling individual to their God and transforming their way of life to the principles laid down by the author of human life. In other word, the mission of Christ's believer is not only to reconcile men to God but also to transform the world order in accordance with God's principles of human relation revealed in the Bible. In more detail, Christ's followers also have the responsibility and duties to participate, correct, contribute, and intervene to the social engineering, reconstruction and restructuring of world order, the proper execution of power and authority, and fair and just distribution of public resources and opportunities and the management of public good as God's good stewards.
People, sometimes, appeared to be assuming that politics should be played as dirty as how pigs play mud. In every position and place, whenever and wherever, Christ's follower is to practice and promote the Biblical principles of human relation and the principles of proper decision making process and managing whatever the good he is entrusted to handle including his own self, time, power, authority, relationship and possession. It is easier said than done. But it is also good to be aware of that a person's success in life, contribution to the good of mankind and his level of happiness depend on his faithfulness and truthfulness to his belief on God and to the trust that has been put on him.
For it is said that a person who is not sure about his belief cannot be trusted to handle public interest. At personal level, every mature Christ's follower must have a clear and clean relationship with his God and smooth path of belief system where he can find means to forgive himself in times of mistake and failures, learn wisdom of dealing with daily interaction with the environment and for his own self discipline, and to sustain hope and vision for his own future and of the people he serves and relates. In relation with others, one's sole mission is to lead and help others reconcile with God and live a life worthy of the Lord, the principles laid down in the Bible. It is often confused between the means and the end goal of Christian life on earth: the means to produce and be provided and the end goal of those means.
The basic underlining principle of human relation for Christ's follower is grounded on the statement "God created men in his own image." In every thing, Christ's follower is to do things for the sake of glorifying God. Can a person in politics glorify God? Yes! Can a man from business glorify God? Yes! Can a man in refugee camp glorify God! Yes!
It is also often confused among Christ's followers, what is socially constructed truth and permanent truth in the Bible that socially constructed truth evolves time after time along social evolution and is relative and contextual. For example, hair style for women, dress code, etc. At minimum, in every place, Christ's follower is to live with a respectable, humble, and trustworthy lifestyle. In confronting the evil principles of the world social order, Christ's followers are to stand steadfast, peaceful and calm.
Christians are called "soldiers." The Enemies of Christians are not unbelievers, Muslims, Buddhists, or any other religious believers or atheists, but the principles of darkness, lies, immorality, cruelty, corruption, hatred, injustice, discrimination, wickedness, exploitation of the poor and lowly members of the society, the oppressive socio political system, sinful self indulgence, the manipulation of public resources and opportunity to serve the interest of a few against the collective good of all concerned individuals, etc. On the other hand, while fighting against such evil principles of the world as soldiers, Christians also have responsibility and duties to promote peace and to live with fellow human beings in a peaceful manner. For Christ's follower, success in life is measured by one's truthfulness to God and His expressed principles for life on earth but not by gun power, money, social alliances, family and friendship size, etc. that are visible but temporary. (to be continued)
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