How to Love My Political Enemy
Jesus and Politics • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Today is our last sermon in this series called “Jesus and Politics.”
and we have solved everything in this sermon series.
This is #5…and if you want to go deeper, you can join us this Wednesday evening…one of the Ripples options is a class exploring this topic and some that we didn’t get to yet.
I want to do a couple things…I want to first ask the question—in light of what we have heard and discuss so far about politics and Jesus…where do we go from here?
What now? with Jesus and Politics...
(some of this is review)
Application:
Be careful what and how much you consume.
in other words, be careful what and how much news you watch, what sources you look at, social media consumption… CONSUME!
I believe it is vitally important what we watch or listen to or consuming on our phones—because our phones are really discipling us. Fox News is discipling us in its image of the right - giving us a worldview of what is right and wrong with the world. CNN is discipling us in its image of the left—doing the same thing. One scholar called them “info-tainment). not just information but entertainment. and social media is discipling us. Netflix and Hulu.
they are affecting not just our brains but our hearts.
23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
a couple of tips we have mentioned:
don’t consume more than 10 minutes a day of news (some can handle more or less) that should be plenty
if you tend to only look at 1 news source, look at a couple. If you tend to only look at the right, look at the left, and vice versa.
Even consider looking at news outlets that are not American and reporting American news. I mentioned a Christian source called “The Pour Over” - it’s an email that you sign up for and get 3 times a week trying to help you understand it from a Christian perspective.
if you find yourself being sucked into news sources that overly speculative and gossipy—you know what I am talking about…”Vice Presidential Harris was seen with an elephant at the zoo, leading some to wonder if she is becoming a Republican.”
let’s make it our effort to consume Jesus and God’s Word more than the news. Let Jesus’s Word shape your heart. (Col 3:16)
story about being with a group of pastors—talking about discipleship—the #1 way research shows that people grow is by being daily in God’s Word.
so here is what I want you to do...even as you think about this past week—how did you do in this? what did you consume the most this week… (shout it out?)
take some time right now to think about this… (pray)
2. Pray for our government and its leaders. (Romans 13:1-7) Remember the role of government—pray for this.
1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
Government is God’s idea (along with family, marriage, and the church).
certainly it is not perfect—because it is made of human beings. and there are times when we don’t follow because we must obey God rather than men.
but over first response, our default response is to follow, submit, Paul goes on to say “pay your taxes!”
government has a role to play in promoting good, punishing evil, and being separate from the church so the church can accomplish its mission to make disciples of Jesus to the ends of the earth—to spread God’s kingdom...
so don’t over-emphasize government’s role—they are not the Savior. government or its leaders are not Messiahs
nor do we under-emphasize—they have an important role so pray for them, follow them, run and serve in politics especially locally…pray for good government for human flourishing! partner together where possible
I love how 1 Timothy 2 puts it...
1 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—
2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
as you think about this last week—have you kept the role of government in mind from God’s Word?
have you taken time—even just a minute to pray for government officials---locally, statewide, nationally, globally?
let’s take a moment right now and pray (pray)
3. Consider carefully how you can get involved in politics (especially locally).
as we think about how we relate to the world—there are 4 main models—3 we don’t do, and 1 one we do (this may be overly simplistic)
As Christians....
we don’t compromise with the world - and mix Christianity and the government too much (this was the Herodians—people like King Herod—who had a Jewish background but supported Rome because they got lots of benefits of power). we don’t want the gov’t to oppress Christians, nor do we want Christianity to control the gov’t or blur and compromise it…we don’t put too much hope in it—because it is not perfect...
we don’t withdraw from the world (Essenes—who were a group of Jews who went and lived in the desert—just withdraw from society, form our own society) that does sound tempting
nor do we revolutionize--start a riot or war or militarize the world. (Zealots)
one writer called what we do “prophetic witness.” in this view we live in the world and engaged, but we are not of it.
we get involved and partner with government—but we are reluctant to get fully entangled with the world’s systems of power to change the world.
Exiles: The Church in the Shadow of Empire Prophetic Witness
Within the Prophetic Witness framework, the church cares deeply about justice but is suspicious about teaming up with Babylon to achieve it. If the church has the opportunity to reform the state, work with the state to pursue good, or establish justice in society, it must do so as the church—as imitators of the crucified Lamb, whose power is derived from sacrifice and self-giving love.
this doesn’t mean you can’t lean one way or another.
this isn’t advocating for being a centrist or moderate.
Exiles: The Church in the Shadow of Empire Prophetic Witness
The Prophetic Witness view resists the spectrum of options created by Babylon—left, right, center. It believes that the church can be concerned about evils that exist on one side of the political spectrum without thinking that the other side is particularly faithful in confronting those evils. Christians are invited to see the world through a different lens. We view it through the cross, where sacrifice is power, humility is honor, and loving your enemies conquers dragons.
we believe we as Christians do best when we don’t align ourselves too closely with this world, but our allegiance is Jesus. so that we can encourage and challenge politics.
the church does it best work when it doesn’t align withe gov’t but aligns with the Lamb and can call it good and evil in society.
have you taken time to think about this? how can you get involved? if you are serving in politics—whether as mayor, city council, school board, library board, county politics, state representative, how can you best serve in a way that puts Jesus first? (pray) how can you support those?
4.Remember the upside-down politics of Jesus.
This was last weeks’ sermon.
Jesus came preaching the kingdom of God—that perked their political ears...
but it was way different.
you see the disciples and Jesus’ people had this view of the kingdom in mind:
51 As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.
52 And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him;
53 but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem.
54 When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?”
55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them.
56 Then he and his disciples went to another village.
that is right side up....politics....
I wonder what Jesus thought—if he is like “Father...” I’ve had it with these guys!”
they had a view of a kingdom that was of this world, by the sword, with power and force politically…we must conquer our enemies and make Israel great again.
but Jesus’ kingdom was different...
it’s the kind of kingdom where...
the first shall be last and the last first...
where the humble are exalted...
the greatest are among those who serve...
it includes outcasts and sinners...
the kind of kingdom that you enter not by race or ethnicity or working hard or having lots of money or being very religious...
but by confessing your sin and acknowledging that Jesus is your Savior and King...
Jesus came with much power—healing and miracles…but he came to serve and give his life in sacrificial love on the cross for our sins.
Pray--
and even as you think about last week—did Jesus shape how you engaged in politics? how you interacted with others about politics? what you posted or didn’t post? how would Jesus’ posture of an upside-down view of politics and leadership shape how you engage?
--my last sermon today focuses on such a practical question:
How can I get along with someone who disagrees with me politically?
How can I get along with someone in the church who disagrees with me politically?
and not just get along—because that’s not the standard—
37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
38 This is the first and greatest commandment.
39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
Jesus actually raises the stakes...
not just get along…but love…
LOVE!
this passage is used famously at weddings—but Paul is describing what our relationships in the church look like...
1 Corinthians 13:1–7 (NIV)
1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
if I give all my political opinions and believe I am always right and win every political argument, but have not love, I am nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
we are called to LOVE our neighbor like this...
even those we crazily disagree with...
who is your neighbor?
Jesus told a famous story called the Good Samaritan—
let’s apply it to how we treat one another politically:
25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
27 He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
look at vs. 29 closely...
look at that language—he wanted to justify himself—he wanted to bolster his identity and make it seem like he was doing everything right.
it’s almost like he was saying, “Lord you can’t possibly mean some people—who are beneathe me...”
and the story famously goes:
Luke 10:30–37 (NIV)
30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.
31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.
32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
a priest would have had responsibilities in the Jerusalem temple
a Levite would have been a descendant of Levi who assisted the priests
these guys are models in their culture of holiness and purity
33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.
34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.
35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
and so for Jesus who was talking with a Jewish expert in the OT law—for him to make a Samaritan the hero, was shocking.
culturally, it was unthinkable for a Samaritan to help a Jew—they were different religiously, culturally, ethnically...
so for a Samaritan—someone that the Jews did not get along with…saw the man and took care of him, bandaged him up and put him in an inn.
so Jesus turns the question on its head from who is my neighbor…to how can I be a neighbor?
so how do we practically neighbor our political enemies...
how do we one another our enemies...
because let’s face it...
we are passionate about our views and opinions, whether about the world or not…and sometimes we make statements like “I don’t see how a Christian can follow Jesus and still vote for the other person…or hold this political view… or ________.” it’s hard
or if I see someone post something very political online and then I am next to them in church, and somehow we are worshipping the same God—they are raising their hands—and I just view them as the enemy because of their political beliefs…how can we be one church?
How can I love my political neighbor (loving my political neighbor)
some ideas:
remember—your enemy is actually your neighbor (Luke 10:25-37). To use other Scriptural language—they are made in the image of God.
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
so what would it look like if you remembered that the person you are hating or disagreeing with—is a real person, with a real life, loved and valued by God Almighty. How would that change?
who is my neighbor—even the person I disagree with over politics or something else?
that at the foot of the cross—you both are sinners in need of God’s grace? in need of Jesus?
(pray again? confession?)
2. (Meet with someone from the other side) sit down with someone for a meal or coffee with someone who has a different political viewpoint than you..and argue? no listen. seek to be curious. whenever someone gives an opinion that you strongly disagree with—what do you find yourself doing…
blood pressure goes up
face turns red
fists start clenching
I am going to let that person have it with my awesome opinion…but that never convinces anyone.
what if instead you said, “I am curious…help me understand that...”
Turn to your neighbor and say, “I am curious…help me understand that...”
when you see someone, share a meal with them, and hear their viewpoints, that is when understanding can begin to happen. if you seek to understand before being understood...
Desmond Tutu - famous Christian bishop in South Africa - known for being a human rights activist and working against apartheid which meant “separating” it was enforced in South Africa to racially segregate and discriminate. even when he was working for the removal of apartheid system, he was known for eating with his enemies, praying with them, let’s study the bible together.
is there someone you are picturing right now—that you could do this…that God is nudging you. My guess is not many of you will do this, but some of you really want to be challenged…I dare you to do this.
3. don’t just tolerate the other person… (what did Jesus say?) Love them. even if you consider them your enemy. pray for them
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
even if you disagree passionately with the other person, side, or party…we still approach it with a posture of Christ-likeness.
4. embrace the power of the Gospel...look to Jesus… you can’t look to Jesus too much. It’s impossible.
if you go back to the Good Samaritan Passage in Luke...
and if you relate to Jesus Christ...
in some ways we are like the man who was beaten up and left for dead. That is our condition—spiritually speaking without Jesus. and we need help. and Jesus is like the Ultimate Good Samaritan who comes, binds up our wounds, pours oil on it, and gives us shelter. He helps when we are helpless—we can’t save ourselves—we need outside intervention. so Jesus is like the Ultimate Good Samaritan. He is the better priest and Levite who actually stops and helps at great risk to himself.
but let’s go further—not only is Jesus the Good Samaritan—he is like the man who was beaten up and left for dead. b/c Jesus helps us by truly getting stripped and beaten.
before He goes to the cross, he is mocked, stripped, flogged, spit on, crown of thorns.
and he is not just left for dead—He is killed, brutally on the most horrible way to die at that time.
He does this through His work on the cross. b/c of the cross, we experience God’s mercy and grace and are forgiven because Jesus paid our sin there. we are restored and made new. that person lying there on the road is us—helpless—we need outside intervention.
so Jesus takes this parable up a level by demonstrating the ultimate Good Samaritan, and by dying for us like the man who was stripped and beaten.
i bring this all up because I don’t think we can do this alone.
we need outside help—we need to regularly cry out for help
and we need to regularly look to Jesus. If we see Him as the center of our entire being—the God man dying for His enemies—that will change how we approach politics, engage politics, and love our neighbors, even those we call our enemies.
what if Jesus had the same feelings towards me that I am feeling towards my enemy? where would I be?
but the more I look to Jesus—it makes all the difference
so let’s look to him for help…
