The United States of America seems to be becoming more politically divided than ever. That’s not to say that it wasn’t politically divided before. Ever since the beginning, there have been two main political parties in the US, which were essentially opposed to each other over a variety of issues. Those weren’t the same parties we have today; but they existed nonetheless. The two parties we have now came into their own in 1854, when the Republican Party was created, allowing Abraham Lincoln to run for president in 1860.
There is no provision in the Constitution stating that there will only be two political parties or for that matter, any particular number of parties. Yet we have always had two; even with there being times when one party has tried to do away with the other. What’s different today, is the lack of communication between the two sides and the amount that people of either party try to stay in their echo chamber, only being willing to hear the voices of people who they agree with. While some might say that this is happening more on one side of the aisle than the other, it is clearly happening on both sides.
We see this division happening within the Body of Christ as well, with some Christians saying that the Republican Party is the “Christian Party” and the Democrats are of the devil, while others say that the Democrats are the only party that represents Christ and all those horrible Republicans are racist bigots. Neither group is properly understanding or representing the other; but that apparently doesn’t matter, as their goal is to make the other party and those who support them look bad, rather than in a vain attempt to make themselves look more like Christ.
The Democrats
Let’s start out with the Democrats, for no other reason than that they come first alphabetically. Many Republicans are anti-Democrat for the Democrat stance on issues like abortion and supporting the LGBTQ+ community’s political agenda. Those issues are clearly anti-Biblical, regardless of where they stand on other things.
More conservative Christians add a host of other things that they don’t like about Democrats, such as their stance on curbing freedom of speech and the right to keep and bear arms, as well as their big-government policies which stifle personal freedom. While not biblical issues, you can find plenty of Christians who will lump those issues in with the more Bible-based ones, implying that those are biblical issues as well.
On the plus side, the Democrat Party has the reputation of being the one which tries the hardest to help the poor and needy, something that Jesus said we are supposed to do. While some might question their motives, they have been the motive force behind issues like Medicaid, Food Stamps and other social programs intended to help the poor and needy.
Sell what you have and give alms (to the poor); provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. – Luke 12:33
Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. – James 1:27
It is clear from these and many other verses, that it is the responsibility of true believers everywhere to take care of the poor and needy. That’s not actually a government job, although it appears today that it has largely been taken over by the government, often for political gain.
The Republicans
The Democrat’s strength in providing for the poor, seems to be the Republican’s weakness. Their viewpoint is totally different, to the point where those on the left regularly call them out as not caring for the poor at all. While that viewpoint may very well be nothing more than political posturing, it is hard to demonstrate evidence that shows the Republicans are concerned about these people’s needs. Wanting to help them get a job doesn’t “look” as compassionate as giving them a handout.
On the other hand, Democrats’ weakness is the Republican Party’s strength, at least in the area of biblical teachings. Republicans have been against abortion from the start, although they have been mostly ineffective up until the Supreme Court reverse Roe vs. Wade.
Democrats point to Republicans as lacking in compassion, not only for their lack of support in giving more to the poor, but also for their lack of support for the gay agenda. They are said to be lacking in love and hating everyone they disagree with. However, it must be said that the definition of both love and hatred being used don’t align with the Bible. As always, people define things as they want to, including defining what the Bible says.
Regardless of how the gay community has tried to twist scripture to their benefit, the Bible is clear that homosexuality is sin. If the interpretations that they put on various verses to twist scripture to support the gay lifestyle, why is it only gay “ministers” who see those interpretations as true? If they were true, other learned scholars of the Holy Scriptures would agree with it as well.
Jesus on Politics
All these issues, and many more, have divided the Body of Christ between the two main political parties, with many minorities falling to the Democrat Party, while most whites belong to the Republicans. Nevertheless, the Bible doesn’t support either party or their platform.
Jesus Himself made a point of avoiding politics and political issues. There is no place recorded in the Gospels where Jesus stood for or against anything that the political rulers of the day were doing or should be doing. On the other hand, there are many places in the Gospels where He took a stand against the religious leaders of the day, calling them out for their actions and hypocrisy.
Jesus did teach the need to help others, although that did not include blatant socialism, as some have tried to say. But there is no place where He assigned the task of helping others to the government. Rather, He identified it as something associated with those who will inherit the Kingdom of God.
Then the King (Jesus)1 will say to those on His right hand, “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me…” 40b “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as your did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” – Matthew 25:34-36, 40b
Please note that this is not to say that our salvation is based on our helping others, any more than it is based on obeying any other commandment in the Bible. Our salvation is based on faith in Jesus Christ alone. It is through Him and His sacrificial work in the cross that we are saved. What Jesus was referring to here, was how our salvation should impact our actions. Those whom He is talking to are saved and He is acknowledging how their salvation motivated them to help those in need.
On the other hand, the Apostle Paul did tell us to take a very important part in politics, that of praying for those in authority. In doing so, we are praying for our own benefit, as the prayer is intended that we might have peace. Regardless of who is in office, it is through God that we receive blessings, including peace. They have an impact on that peace; but they do not give it to us.
Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. – 1 Timothy 2:1-2
Not only are we to pray for those in authority over us, we are to be obedient to them. They have been charged by God for our wellbeing, even those which may not seem all that godly.
Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves – Romans 13:1-2
Jesus on Taxes
If we really want to see how far Jesus went to avoid politics, we need look no further than his reaction when the Pharisees tried to trap Him over the issue of taxes. This was a deliberate trap (Matthew 22:15), but Jesus recognized it for what it was (Matthew 22:18).
And they (the Pharisees) sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men. 17 Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful (according to Old Testament Law)1 to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Way do you test Me, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the tac money.” So they brought Him a denarius. 20 And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” 21 They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” – Matthew 22:16-21
Jesus wasn’t really concerned about taxes; the only reason He even touched on this subject is that they questioned Him about it, seeking to trap Him. His reaction shows a considerable amount of disdain for their line of questioning, along with teaching a very strong message that most people miss.
First, Jesus made it clear that since the money that was used to pay taxes contained the image and inscription of Caesar, that it was acceptable to give it to Caesar. The disdain was in His pointing out that the money wasn’t in the image of God and wasn’t God’s. Rather, it was something of the government and therefore it belonged to the world’s system, something He was not particularly interested in.
Secondly, Jesus made a remarkable comparison in the last verse quoted above, between the things of Caesar’s and the things of God. While Caesar might seem all-powerful here on earth, he was merely another earthly ruler, something the world has had no shortage of. When placed beside rendering to God the things of God, it is clear that the things of Caesare are of minimal significance. As believers, we should not be highly concerned about them.
Finally, in there is the point about rendering to God, what is God’s. This is the part which most people miss, perhaps because we tend to be more focused on the material things of this world, than the things of God’s kingdom. But Jesus said clearly to render “to God the things that are God’s.” That raises the question of what things He is referring to.
Jesus defined the denarius as belonging to Caesar because it carried his image and inscription; but He didn’t define what carries the image and inscription of God. Perhaps that is because they should have already known what carries God’s image, just as we should. We find that in the first chapter of Genesis.
Then God said, “Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” – Genesis 1:26
We are made in the image of God. Therefore, what we should be rendering to God is ourselves. That’s what Jesus was talking about. He was saying that we shouldn’t be so concerned about the political issue of our time or who is in office; just give them their taxes and turn ourselves to more important things. What more important things? Of rendering ourselves to God. That is what we owe God, which is much more important than what we owe to whatever “Caesar” of the day.
There should be no such thing as “Christian politics.” Rather, there should be Christians who are lifting up the name of Jesus Christ and doing His work here on the earth. Go ahead and vote; that’s your right. But don’t allow yourself to see voting or human politics as important as serving God. That is our one and only priority.