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kingsaint
Registered Member

Date Joined Oct 2003
Total Posts : 80

Posted 11/18/2004 8:41 AM (GMT -6)

On pg. 26 of The Politics of Jesus, John Yoder claims that Jesus was against the "idolatrous character of political power hunger and nationalism." Perhaps it was coincidence that the book I read immediately after Yoder's was Scot McKnight's A New Vision for Israel: The Teachings of Jesus in National Context. McKnight says of Yoder (pg. 9n23): "At times J.H. Yoder strolls away from Jesus' nationalistic orientation toward too pietistic an outlook." At least on the count of nationalism, I think McKnight is right and that Jesus was a nationalist. In response to Matt. 15:24 ("I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel") and Matt. 10:5-6 (Do not go to the Gentiles and do not enter a city of the Samaritans; rather, go to the lost sheep of Israel"), J.P. Meier states that these verses "reflect accurately the entire picture of Jesus' mission that arises from a reading of all the sources of all Four Gospels: nowhere does Jesus undertake a programmtic mission to the Gentiles. This impression is indirectly supported by the distinction Paul (who is actually treating another question) makes in Rom. 15:8: "Christ has become a servant of the circumcision [i.e., he ministered to the Jews] for the sake of God's faithfulness, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs, but [also] in order that [in due time, through the ministry of Paul and other missionaries like him] the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy."

The point I want to make is that we should really be clear what Jesus was about before we apply his teaching to the question of politics. For example, I think too much is made politically of the fact that Jesus chose not to be the political, national, messiah at his first coming. It could be that this role conflicted with what he wanted to accomplish by his death. It could be that Jesus' eschatology took for granted a renewed political Israel and that his death was simply related to that vision (see Stanley Stowers). If so, it perhaps is a different question how Christians are to relate to that vision. It is clear how the early church interpreted how Jesus' would relate to an eschatological vision and in terms that do not always ring with modern sensibilities (even if they don't quite sound like What Would Jesus Bomb?):

1 Corinthians 15:24-25 "he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power".
2 Thessalonians 2:8 "And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will destroy with the breath of his mouth, annihilating him".
Revelation 19:15 "From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron; he will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty."

It comes as no surprise that Yoder does not discuss these passages. I would point out that Christians are not implicated in this violence (only Jesus and angels are), which is important. On the other hand, it is notoriously difficult to distinguish Kingdom of God-Jesus'-time from Kingdom of God-eschatological-time.

Is it not a Christian prayer that God/we make the kingdom of the world the Kingdom of God, and why would that not include politics (American included)? How that should be done is the crucial question. I think the problem is that no political party stands entirely for kingdom values and not all means of expression of kingdom values are of the kingdom.

Therefore, I think it is wrong to critique the religious right, if that is what one wants to do and God knows it should be done, by claiming that the kingdom of God is not about politics, nationalism etc. That might work fine when the claim is made to an audience largely composed of the right, but it fails when addressed to those who are of the progressive left, who also think the kingdom of God involves politics.

"Nobody who omits doing good works nowadays does so in order not to be tempted to become self-righteous; he omits it because it is easier."

--Philip Merlan, "Toward the Understanding of Kierkegaard"

Tigress
Registered Member

Date Joined Feb 2003
Total Posts : 1252

Posted 11/18/2004 11:23 AM (GMT -6)

I think Jesus focused on Israel because God's promise to Abraham was that through his seed the whole world would be saved. So, where else to start but through His countrymen? I think the Gospel of Christ spread throughout Judea pretty rapidly after Pentecost so most, if not all, of the people living there probably heard the Gospel, so where else to go from there but to the Gentiles? Jesus was doing what He could to light a fire under the Jews to fulfill their destiny to reveal God's plan of salvation to the world. If some chose not to do it, that was their own fault. But, I'm sure many were saved and did spread the Good News to the world.

I'm not sure exactly if that's why Paul made a point to go to the Jews first in other countries to tell them the Gospel but it might be. So, I seriously doubt that Jesus had any political motives behind what He did. He was just following the order that The Father set for things to happen.

Tigress

"Name a shrub after me. Preferably one that's prickly and difficult to eradicate."

-Captain Jack Aubrey
"Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World"

kingsaint
Registered Member

Date Joined Oct 2003
Total Posts : 80

Posted 11/18/2004 3:48 PM (GMT -6)

An interesting indication of Jesus' nationalism probably is expressed in the first petition line of his prayer:

Hallowed [sanctify, make holy] be your name.

This should probably be seen as a request for God to sanctify his own name. In the book of Ezekiel, the theme of God's sanctifying his name occurs in contexts where God would regather Israel (see for example chapter 36). What makes an Ezekiel allusion even more likely is that it is in Ezekiel 36 where one could look for the significance of baptism in the life of John the Baptist and Jesus (see vss. 25-26). It should be noted that the Gentiles are not treated kindly in this Ezekiel context (Gog--see also Rev. 20:7-10).

"Nobody who omits doing good works nowadays does so in order not to be tempted to become self-righteous; he omits it because it is easier."

--Philip Merlan, "Toward the Understanding of Kierkegaard"

Sahid
Megistered Rember

Date Joined Jun 2004
Total Posts : 2013

Posted 11/24/2004 9:39 AM (GMT -6)

Very cool. So if politics is not off limits, to what degree do we have authority to make political decisions that affect others?

Watch me fly. Freedom like wings and I will use them. Freedom like wings and I will spread them wide. - Stavesacre

kingsaint
Registered Member

Date Joined Oct 2003
Total Posts : 80

Posted 11/28/2004 8:36 AM (GMT -6)

Sahid,

I find it interesting to look at cases where Jesus confers authority, political or otherwise:

Matthew 16:19 Jesus gives Peter the keys of the kingdom (see Isa 22:22) and says: "whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
Matthew 18:18 Jesus also says to his disciples "whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
John 20:23 Jesus says to his disciples: "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

Jesus also gives eschatological authority to his disciples and it is here where his nationalism clearly comes out:

Matthew 19:28 Jesus says that all who followed him will also "sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." This verse has been used as proof that Jesus not only expected the regathering of the twelve tribes of Israel but that his twelve disciples were meant as a prophetic symbol of that regathering (or as prophetic missionaries to Israel).

"Nobody who omits doing good works nowadays does so in order not to be tempted to become self-righteous; he omits it because it is easier."

--Philip Merlan, "Toward the Understanding of Kierkegaard"

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