September 16, 2018
Jesus Ruins Everything
Politics
1. What does “politics” mean in our world?
Politics Definition: The art or science concerned with guiding or influencing governmental policy
Simple English Wikipedia:
Politics is the way that people living in groups make decisions. Politics is about making agreements between people so that they can live together in groups such as tribes, cities, or countries. In large groups, such as countries, some people may spend a lot of their time making such agreements. These people are called politicians. Politicians, and sometimes other people, may get together to form a government.
When we see issues in people and we see issues in government, we can get an unhealthy view of what the government is supposed to do and what it’s not supposed to do for us. We start to: get divided as a country over stupid issues, verbally bash people and ignore their leadership, and try and make everything about us.
2. What does Jesus say about Politics?
Matthew 22:15-22
15 Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16 They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?”
18 But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, 20 and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”
21 “Caesar’s,” they replied.
Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
22 When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.
Jesus’ priorities are in the right place, and he’s playing a much longer game than the power grab that was the Roman Empire. God doesn’t fight battles in the way we fight battles, to gain for himself what he deserves.
2 Corinthians 10:3-4a
3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.
Jesus was fighting a battle with love and patience.
3. How do we handle the Politics in our world today?
- We need to be Christians first, and part of a political party second.
- We need to respect our leaders and love like God loves.
- We need to have an eternal view of the world,
not a temporary one.
Communication Card
- I will stop treating politics like it’s about me getting what I want.
- I will respect my leaders regardless of whether I agree with them or not.
- I will work to have an eternal view of the world, not a temporal one.
