This is part two of an article attempting to shed insight into the age old question: What would Jesus Do? In this case the more specific question asks: What would Jesus see and do while looking into the condition of America’s political condition today?
Part one of the series presented Jesus from a historical and Biblical perspective as He viewed the political and spiritual situation of the Jewish nation upon His entry into Jerusalem during His final Passover. Part two seeks to find the heart of Jesus as He peers into America’s political condition today. Does History Repeat Itself? Historians are fond of reminding us that “history repeats itself”. If so perhaps it is high time for Christian leaders of today to begin look over our own walls with the same discernment Jesus used as He peered over the walls of Jerusalem as He entered that city during the opening days of His final Passover celebration. In part one of this series we explored the horrendous vision Jesus endured as He decesnded the slopes of the Mount of Olives on that critical day. But what if, instead of Jerusalem Jesus was peering across the Potomac into Washington DC or stood atop the UN buildings of New York, examining the vision of America in 40 years. What haunting picture would appear in His mind’s eye as He stood gazing at the vision of American culture in the year 2058 or beyond? The Jewish leaders of Christ’s time had fully missed the defining issue that would have averted disaster, failing to recognize the “time of their visitation”. Are we missing equally obvious trends and times? Just as the Roman and Herodians sought endorsement of Jewish religious leaders’ then, despite the unrighteous practices those politicians proposed for introducing into that society, so politicians today are seeking Christian leaders’ approval despite favoring abortion, homosexual rights, and open pornography dressed up as “free speech”. Just as the religious leaders of Christ’s time saw no problem embracing such an alliance, so today’s Christian leaders are increasingly making excuses for legitimizing horrendous political positions. One example is the number of “Christian leaders” finding excuses for endorsing a political party that would favor shutting down government rather than allowing any pro-life judge to even be voted upon, let alone be seated on the U.S. Supreme Court. The fact that abortion in America slaughters more babies every year than the total number killed or captured during Titus’ siege of Jerusalem, which totally annihilated that city, doesn’t seem to bother provide even a tinge of guilt feelings within our consciousness anymore. As the religious leaders of Christ’s time feared losing societal acceptance rather than becoming a “voice crying in the wilderness” so today’s Christian leaders are declaring normal the spiritual darkness descending upon us, and justify their weakness in confronting it by making a lame excuse of not wanting to appear condemning and negative. These appeasers seem more content on gaining acceptance than standing and speaking truth, which alone can cause the repentance that America’s very survival may depend. They have truly become clouds that offer no relief of rain in a parched moral land.
Each generation seems to face at least one defining issue that largely determines how they will be remembered historically as well as what their future will look like. As Jesus strode into Jerusalem the defining issue was “who is this Messiah?” How the religious leaders had consistently misrepresented the coming Messiah made it impossible for people to recognize Him? Instead of a lowly servant asking His followers to willingly suffer and serve alongside Him they looked for a pompous king capable of providing the earthly desires and pleasures they had grown accustomed to at little or no self-sacrifice, someone adept at serving them rather than someone to be served and worshipped. When we read about them now it is hard imagining how far off base they could get, an error costing an entire nation the chance for peace. (Matt 24: 37, Luke 19:42)
In the 1800’s the issue defining a century of people was slavery. Today we look back cringing that anyone could have been so callous to actually think another human being was less than a person. Where was the spiritual leadership? Sadly, many were standing alongside the slave owners, the Herod and Caesar of that day, legitimizing the dehumanizing system for fear of losing economic comfort. The price of eradicating slavery in America alone sounds strangely similar to the devastation taking place on the streets of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Practically as many soldiers died in the Civil War as all other American wars combined. Union deaths totaled nearly 265, 000, and Confederates nearly as bad 235,000. The South, where slavery was legitimized by politicians and clergy alike, “lost 1/4th of its white male population of military age, a third of its livestock, half of its farm machinery, and $2.5 billion worth of property.” (Parsons, 2007) While this is devastating, many contend our society is still paying a heavy price for our failure of “recognizing the times” during slavery.
In the late 1930’s what became known as the Jewish Holocaust began taking shape. As Hitler rose in power he sought appeasement support from spiritual leaders within Germany for legitimizing his lust for power. Many, as during Christ’s time and slavery, acquiesced by supporting “God’s chosen of the times”. In their defense there was a general public denial that devastating death camps actually existed, but there was no denying the systematic dehumanizing of the Jews occurring throughout German society. Made to clearly mark themselves for clear identification, Jews were ordered to get off sidewalks if “more clearly human” and worthy people were walking on it instead. (Crowe 2008) Somehow Christian leaders learned to turn a blind eye to these clear trends. The entire world ended up paying a huge price for this willful ignorance and failure in “recognizing their time”, millions dying in a war to quench one man’s lust for power. Today we sit stunned contemplating the thought that anyone, let alone Christian leaders with “discernment”, could fathom justifying Hitler, while admiring men like Dietrich Bonhoeffer who boldly stood against him. (Barnett, 2006)
What About Us? What about us? When we are remembered in eternity what will be the trend or issue that defines who we are and thus shaped our future? Some think our social economic equality will determine our fate, an argument each of the aforementioned generations also argued. The Jewish priests in Jesus’ day feared how the acknowledgement of Christ would devastate the Temple’s societal affluence and charity system. (John 11:49,50) The southern slave owners feared the economic repercussions of ending slavery, including some who claimed it would really impoverish the freed slaves and should be avoided, as though freedom would be a poor substitute for the welfare system of slavery. (Fitzhugh, 1847) The German’s were looking for economic relief from poverty due to the high cost of WWI repayments, which was the catalyst catapulting Hitler to power (Rossel, 2003). In each case the economic issue was at best a convenient side show to the real defining trend that would determine the future. In each case the huge moral issue which would truly trigger the future fate of that society was systematically glossed over through appeasement, if not actually condoned, even by the “spiritual leaders” whose primary calling is being the voice of God’s conscientiousness to the people.
Conversely, in every generation there were champions willing to stand against the moral tide of their day; and had they become dominant would have likely ushered in peace and prosperity rather than social ruin. John the Baptist calling for repentance so eyes could clearly see and acknowledge the true Messiah (Matt 3:1-11, Mark 1: 1-8, Luke 3:1-19, John 1:15-39), whom Jesus called the greatest born of women (Luke 7:28); abolitionists like William Wilberforce (Belmonte, 2006) and Charles Finney whose fiery revivals left a burning desire for justice and freedom for all (Finney 1857), the Bonhoeffer’s (Barnett (2006) and Ten Booms (Boom 2005), boldly facing extermination rather than silencing their voices against Hitler’s atrocities , and perhaps today you and I standing for the unborn, insisting that marriage is defined between one man and one woman, that homosexuality is sin regardless of how accepting society says it is; can change the future by knowing what will bring us peace by realizing and proclaiming the real issues of our day (Luke 19:42). Only voices raised that have seen the vision of the future and heralded it clearly and concisely have the chance of redeeming the time.
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