Politics and Justice Are Meaningless without Jesus

Living in the Middle as it Matters - Gift from God: Interruptions of Injustice/Corrupt Politics

If you desire authentic satisfaction and contentment you ought to hear and take to heart the words of King Solomon, an Israelite king who was endowed with wisdom and understanding beyond measure (1 King 4:29).

I phrased it last Sunday that Solomon invites you to “live your life in the middle for God made everything beautiful in its time.” Ultimately, the Lord is calling us into something better. A life full of meaning and purpose. In which we can enjoy the gifts of God while we remain here on this planet. To cherish God’s gift we are to be joyful, do good, and to take pleasures in life as God created them to be enjoyed. These are the essential avenues of living your life in the middle as found in Ecclesiastes 3:2-8.

And yet, there is resistance in the world to expressing complete joy, doing good to one another, and taking pleasure. Something prevents us from picking up God’s gifts to humanity. This is why Solomon continues his discourse over the meaningless of life found in our life, work, and home. He expresses his sorrow and depression concerning these two areas of life, which we are about to read.

If you have your paper or virtual bible, please open it to chapter three of Ecclesiastes starting in verse sixteen.

Following his statement over the eternality of God’s actions comparatively to humans. Solomon reveals two areas where the world has gone wrong. He breaks up his thought into segments. First, he speaks about the matter of injustices and then on the matter of politics.

Solomon's Observations of Politics and Justice Under the Sun

Ecclesiastes 3:16–4:3 (ESV)

16 Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. 17 I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work. 18 I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts. 19 For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity. 20 All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return. 21 Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth? 22 So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him?

1 Again I saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no one to comfort them! On the side of their oppressors there was power, and there was no one to comfort them. 2 And I thought the dead who are already dead more fortunate than the living who are still alive. 3 But better than both is he who has not yet been and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 5:8–9 (ESV)

8 If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. 9 But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields.

Solomon’s pessimism reflects the injustices and political atmosphere of his day. He has seen judges who uphold the law of justice receive bribes from the rich. The poor and defenseless weep and wallow in misery. The outcast and rejected lose their pride and dignity. In a sense, Solomon states that all is meaningless when we live a world with corrupt justice and politics.

In his mind, it would be better to be dead that have to endure such kind of reality. He says, “What difference is there between an wild beast and man? Don’t they both act on their own instincts and become the dust of the earth? Why should we be born? Would it not be better to never see the light of day and pass on from this life to the next?”

And when Solomon describes his outlook on the condition of society and how far it has fallen from grace I believe its a spitting image of our country too. The United States has fallen into the hands of the evil one. Our elected politicians and leaders who have been entrusted to use their position for good. Now have turned it on its head and utilize their power and authority to obtain more wealth and uphold the status quo of the nation.

Nothing is getting easier nor better, and when we step back and view our government leaders. we see they are more concerned about purchasing votes rather than actually supporting those who got them into office.

Which is why we return to the Scripture on the matter.

Ecclesiastes 1:9 (ESV)

9 What has been is what will be,

and what has been done is what will be done,

and there is nothing new under the sun.

Regardless of the world’s justice and politics, we can recycle faces and political parties all we want but at the end of the day it meaningless without Jesus. The world is broken and it needs someone to restore it before it can be made new.

Yet, before you play the blame game and point at others about their sins and failures, you must recognize God has not called you to change the political and injustices of the world. Rather He has gifted you with his Son Jesus who is the living example of a life full of true justice and politics.

Christ is our model for everything under the sun. So that you can begin living your life for political King of the Universe and practice justice towards our neighbors.

The Christian Ethics of Politics and Justice

I want to raise two lessons on how to live according to the politics of the Kingdom of God and justice on our own micro level. The Scriptures reveal some of the flaws that comes from our own heart.

First is the sin of partiality, James the half-brother of Christ states what injustice looks like in our own lives.

James 2:1–7 ESV

1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?

To live a life full of justice begins with erasing our prejudices and treating all people as equal because they are made in the image of God i.e. ethnicity, race, political affiliation, belief system. We are prohibited from mistreating others. Instead we are commissioned to love and comfort those who God place near us.

For example, we you see the poor and needy, do not look away and avoid eye contact, but extend grace and love to them.

Jesus even mentions how you should treat the outcast and needy in the gospel of Luke.

Luke 14:12–14 ESV

12 He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

Your reward for practicing justice in this life will be rewarding two-fold. It will demonstrate to the world that you are not content to leave things broken and you are carrying out your Heavenly Father’s will to bring heaven down to earth. When we interrupt the cycle of corrupts, sin, and evil we are with the help of God restoring biblical justice. Ubly Christian’s slogan is placing the fingerprint of Jesus on the thumb of Michigan and we best can do that by living as Jesus and not show partiality to anyone.

Transitioning to politics, your allegiance must not be towards an elephant or donkey, but the party of the lamb. For the Paul wrote to the church of Philippi by stating.

Philippians 2:9–11 ESV

9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

We submit to King Jesus because he is the only one who is going to make the world right. Through his ministry, atoning death, victorious resurrection and accession to heaven, we know justice is coming soon. At his final coming Jesus will reorder creation by throwing away evil into the lake of fire and letting the righteous remain with Him on the New Heavens and New Earth. This is know as the Last Judgement.

Then at that moment we will experience perfect bliss for all eternity and justice and politics will be restored. Jesus will reign for eternity and everyone will treat their neighbor as themselves.

Invite and exhort the congregation to committing the ways of the kingdom and trusting in Christ as Savior and Lord.

By why wait for this day to come? We can start today by living a life full of justice and politics for Jesus.

Solomon thought it was worthless, but we know and believe that through the power of the gospel and the presence of the Holy Spirit we can make a difference.

Let’s remake justice and politics reflect Christ for he is the reason why we can have hope.

Politics and Justice are Meaningful with Jesus