“YOUR KINGDOM COME...”
New Testament Perspectives on Politics
Richardson Vietnamese Baptist Church
Introduction
First of all, let me say it is a great honor for me to be invited to lead a Bible study at this conference.
Although politics is a complicated topic that prompts a wide range of emotions and theories, our task as Christians today and every day, in every situation, including the next half hour, is two-fold:
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To draw close to God (cf. James 4:8)--to feel God’s heart--to seek to understand God’s perspective, and then
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To live by that perspective--to heed the call of Jesus when He said, “Follow Me” (cf., John 1:43).
When Mother Teresa went to India to work among the poorest of the poor, her brother wrote a her letter--
He could not understand why she would want to do something like that. He was writing to proudly say he had become a Second Lieutenant in the army of the new king of Albania. She wrote, “You think you are important because you are an officer serving a king with two million subjects. But I am serving the King of the whole world.”
Mother Teresa’s perspective should be our perspective.
When I first began preparing this presentation I thought I would open it with a couple of political jokes, but Jesus did not laugh over Jerusalem, He wept over it (Luke 19:41) and He is still weeping over Jerusalem, Washington, Hanoi, Moscow, and every center of political power.
Presuppositions
For evangelical Christians from every background, John 3:16 is a key text--you may have memorized it. Right now I would like for you to quickly open your Bibles to that text--John 3:16 and look for the little asterisk after “the world”-- “for God so loved the world*” regardless what translation you have--Vietnamese, English, German, Russian, Greek--and look down at the bottom of the page where the footnote says, “except for criminals, murderers, communists, and anyone else you hate.” Look for the asterisk and the exceptions down in a footnote at the bottom of the page in your Bible. Jn 3:16 “God so loved the world*except for criminals, murderers, communists, and anyone else you hate.” What? Your Bible has no asterisk, no exceptions? No! Mine doesn’t either! Ladies and Gentlemen, there is no asterisk, there are no exceptions--God loves everyone! And that is the Good News! If we believe that there is anyone that God does not love--anyone for whom Jesus did not die--then we are guilty of trying to limit the Good News, limit God’s love, limit God’s power and we have strayed far from the truth. Before beginning our journey through the New Testament, let me share several of my presuppositions.
1. If we want to live as faithful Christians, the Bible must be our guidebook. (II Tim 4:12, cf. Psalm 119:105)
2. God is Sovereign--God is Ruler--I Timothy 6:15
Ps 24:-- “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world and all who live in it”--
they do not belong to the Democrats, the Republicans, the U.S., the communists, the anti-communists, VN.
3. God does not want anyone to perish--II Peter 3:15, I Timothy 2:4--no exceptions
This is the basis of the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20.
If this assembly would vote on these three presuppositions, I believe the vote would be unanimous.
4. This fourth presupposition is crucial for my own faith and life, and I simply invite you to consider it carefully, but I know the majority of Christians do not accept this view when dealing with church-state relations:
Jesus Christ (and the New Testament) gives us the clearest insight into God’s heart--Hebrews 12:1, and so the life and teachings of Jesus provide the clearest example of how we are to live--I Peter 2:21.
Jesus asked (Luke 6:46), “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and do not do what I say?” Consequently, I will focus on the New Testament.
NEW TESTAMENT PERSPECTIVES ON POLITICS
Let’s begin our journey through the New Testament to examine the timely issue of church-state relations
--Matt 1:1 “A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David...” Who is David? Matt 1:6 explains, “and Jesse the father of King David”--“King David”--certainly political.
--Matt 2:4--Where was Jesus born? Jerusalem. Right? Wrong! Oh, there was a king in Jerusalem--King Herod--but Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem. So sweet baby Jesus was no threat to King Herod, right? Wrong! Herod could clearly see the threat to his power when the Magi asked, “Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews?” The Christmas story is not a charming story that ends with Matt 2:12. Listen to Matt 2:16--”When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under...” What a contrast between the two kings! --one with hate & violence, one with love & peace. Politics from the day Jesus was born!--No, it started even before Jesus was born--like His mother Mary singing about Him--Luke 2:52-53--“He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.” Amazing! To us, these words sound more like the words of a revolutionary than of virgin Mary. Those few verses from the opening pages of the New Testament are sufficient to feel a clear political tone. Let’s read a bit further in Matthew and now look for patterns that may be informative for us today.
Withdrawal
1) Matthew 2:13 “escape to Egypt”--in the early experiences of Jesus, we find he was a refugee. He literally was outside the country, he had left the Promised Land.
In April 1975,for one reason or another, many people also left VN, including all Protestant missionaries. I voluntarily chose to stay since I was not involved with the US government or the US military--but noone knew exactly what the future would hold. And today, we are here--this conference is convened in the United States, but is focused on Viet Nam.
Let me simply note that the withdrawal of Jesus was a temporary one, and His return ultimately cost His life because He was dedicated to peace and love and reconciliation.
2) In Matthew 3:1, we meet John the Baptist “preaching in the Desert of Judea.” Although not specifically mentioned in the New Testament, a group called the Essenes lived nearby. John may or may not have been a part of the group at Qumran who hid the Dead Sea Scrolls. But both John and the Essenes sought an ethical purity by withdrawing into the desert. (Modern day parallels might be the Hutterites or the Amish or the Catholic monasteries in the desert.) Surely living an ascetic life in the desert should take one out of the sphere of politics, right? Wrong! John the Baptist was beheaded because of his political message.
3) The Pharisees were a religious revival/reform movement seeking a clear demarcation in the midst of society. Their “withdrawal” focused on a closed sphere of individual private ethics to maintain their purity (Matt23:23). They challenged Jesus about hand washing and working on the Sabbath. But when they wanted to get rid of Jesus they plotted with the Herodians--a political sect (Mark3:6).
We simply note that Jesus chose none of these options as the primary path for his life and message.
Political Compromise
Perhaps Sadducees--priests--are the clearest example of a religious group compromised by political involvement. They were rich, powerful, influential, and deeply tied into the political power structures--they gained the world but they were losing their soul--members of the Sanhedrin took Jesus to Pilate by night (Matt.26:59-60;27:1-2). Jesus did not choose to follow the Sadducees as His way of bringing the Kingdom into reality on earth.
Violence
1) We have already seen the violence of the ruler Herod (Matt 2:16). Jesus called Herod “that fox” and obviously rejected that kind of violence to demonstrate God’s love.
2) The Zealots were a band of revolutionary Jews wanting to violently overthrow the oppressive Roman rule. Jesus called at least one of them to be His disciple--Simon the Zealot (Luke 6:15). Two more of Jesus’ disciples--James and John, the sons of thunder (Mark 3:17)--may have been Zealots. But Jesus clearly rejected even “revolutionary” violence as the way to spread the Gospel. When James and John wanted to call down fire from heaven to destroy a Samaritan village, Jesus scolded them because he came to save the world, not to destroy it (Luke 9:52-55). The Jewish people longed to get rid of the oppressive foreign domination, but Jesus rejected violence. Jesus even called a tax collector for the Romans named Matthew to be one of His disciples (Matt 10:3). Jesus refused to get caught up in a narrow nationalism and the violence that it demands.
The Way of Jesus--His Life and Teaching
Since Jesus rejected all of the options offered by the religious groups of His day, let’s take a closer look at His way of peace and love and reconciliation.
1) The Beatitudes--and how different it is! Blessed are the meek--(Matthew 5:5)
Remember Palm Sunday when Jesus came riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, not on a big white stallion like military heroes (Matthew 21:5). Blessed are the peacemakers--(Matthew 5:9). What is the process? Not by shooting your enemies, but by loving them! (Matthew 5:44)
2) Maybe we should call the Sermon on the Mount the “The Church’s Constitution.” In the New Testament, the first command to pray is in the context of politics--Matthew 5:44--“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”--how can it be any clearer than that? Nowhere in the New Testament will you find any suggestion to respond violently to enemies. Jesus is realistic--the world has some standards for love--even tax collectors love those who love them. Jesus’ question to His followers is; “What are you doing more than they?” (Matthew 5:47) Jesus expects His followers to live by a higher standard--to demonstrate God’s love. How are we to live like Jesus? Not by growing a beard or wearing sandals, no.
The New Testament is clear: we are to be like Jesus in the way we deal with our enemies. On the cross, Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them...” (Luke 23:34) When Stephen was stoned, he prayed, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” (Acts 7:60) The vision of Jesus was that His Church would live by His teaching
so people could experience a foretaste of heaven on earth--living differently from the Essenes, the Pharisees, the Saducees, the Zealots, the Herodians. Jesus told Pilate in John 18:36, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest...” In the garden of Gethsemane, he healed the soldier’s ear after Peter cut it off, and Jesus told his followers, “No more of this!” (Luke 22:51) If anyone should have forced people to follow His way, it should have been Jesus because He had the clearest vision of what God is like. But precisely because of that vision of God’s love, He could only invite people to follow Him, He refused to force them--and He expects us to follow His example. If there were an easier way than loving our enemies, surely He would have showed us, but the way of Jesus is to absorb suffering rather than inflict it. Let me quote William Pinson, former director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas:
“It may seem logical for a Christian to spend all of his time talking to people about believing...Jesus. But such an approach is not biblical. Jesus did not spend all of his time preaching and teaching.” For example, we only need to look at His response to John the Baptist in Matthew 11:4-5. Jesus was not just “spiritual”--He had far more to say about economics than about prayer. Indeed, when Jesus said, “Then give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God, what is God’s”(Lk20:23-26)He was certainly placing the emphasis on the latter phrase--perhaps thinking of Haggai 2:8--“‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” Everthing is God’s, and God temporarily allows Caesar some limited power.But Jesus certainly was not advocating giving Caesar everything Caesar demanded or the people would have immediately rioted against Jesus (and they did not do so). Remember that this was a trick question to trap Jesus, but the trap was unsuccessful. Note that Jesus asked for one of the coins--He Himself would not carry them because of the blasphemous inscription that Caesar had around his image: “Augustus son of the divine Augustus” [Roland Bainton, Chr. Attitudes Toward War and Peace,p.58].
Because Jews could use other coins, perhaps I could paraphrase Jesus answer:
“If you carry those coins with Caesar’s blasphemous inscription, then when he asks for them back, give them to him. But remember that ultimately everything is God’s, and you should not compromise your loyalty to God.”
Do not say that the way of Jesus has no political impact--to stand for truth and love is a risk--Jesus died on a cruel cross--an execution reserved for political revolutionaries. And an act of civil disobedience was committed when the stone was rolled away on Easter Sunday! Pilate had put his seal on the tomb so no one would disturb the stone. But a “Higher Power” decided that Jesus would not remain a prisoner of death and the tomb! Jesus Christ is Lord, not Pilate, not Caesar, not the president of the U.S. or of Viet Nam.
The Life and Teaching of Paul
If the early church had wanted to kill anyone, surely it would have been Paul (Saul, at that time) because he was persecuting the church and responsible for the death of many Christians. If the early church had killed Paul before his conversion, he would have been denied the opportunity to meet Jesus and be saved,
and the world would have been deprived of one of the greatest missionary/theologians of all time. And Paul uses political language to describe the powerful love of God and work of Jesus--Romans 5:10--
“...when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son...” And then Paul counsels the believers how to live in Romans 12:
vs.18 “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”[underlining mine]
vs.19 “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath...‘I will repay’ says the Lord.”
vs.20 “...If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink...”
Why would we consider something like that? The primary reason is certainly not to betray our country, but out of a higher allegiance to God and to His Kingdom. So-called “enemies” are also people for whom Christ died--do we really believe that? They are precious in His sight.
In Philippians 3:20, Paul writes, “...our citizenship is in heaven...” It echoes Matthew 6:33, where Jesus said to seek the Kingdom of God first--so for Christians, the USA is not #1, Viet Nam is not #1, no nation on earth is #1. Now let’s go back to Romans 12:
vs.21 Paul concludes, “Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.” or many people Romans 13 defines the Christian perspective on politics, so let’s read it carefully.
vs.1 “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities.”
The word “submit” is like the word in Ephesians 5:21, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
It does not mean “obey”--certainly not “blindly obey” because the Roman Empire was ruling over Palestine at this time. Roman Emperors claimed to be the sons of God. o, Paul is not saying “obey” them, he is only saying “acknowledge/respect” them. “Submit” means if you disobey the law, then expect to be punished for it. And study the grammar in this passage carefully--e.g., vs. 4 [underlining mine] “For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing....” According to Paul, God uses the government officials and they bear the sword--but they do not know Christ. See the contrast between “he” and “you”--he bears the sword, you don’t. Government officials are agents of God’s wrath; Christians are agents of God’s love. The record of the early church is clear: bearing the sword” and military service were inconsistent with being a Christian.
vs. 8 “Let no debt remain outstanding except the continuing debt to love one another...”
vs. 9 “... ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
vs. 10 “Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law” The government bears the sword, but as children of the light our duty is to love and forgive, like Paul wrote in I Corinthians 13. There can hardly be a sadder picture than that of Northern Ireland where so many Protestants and Catholics, claiming to know God’s love, are killing each other in the name of narrow-minded nationalism. And now it is also clear that there were Christians on both sides in Viet Nam, out of allegiance to their motherland, who were shooting at each other. Surely it especially breaks God’s heart to see Christians killing Christians and to see Christians killing others. Certainly another classic passage of Paul’s is II Corinthians 5:16-20—
vs.16 “So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view”--others may call someone an enemy, but we see them as someone needing to hear the Gospel.
vs. 17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation...”
vs. 18 “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us”...the task of destroying our country’s enemies? No! “and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:”
vs.19 “that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.”
vs.20 “we are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us”
We are ambassadors of the King of kings. I did not go to VN in 1972 as an ambassador of the United States. I did not come back from VN in 1976 as an ambassador of the new government there.
Our next stop is Galatians 3:28 where Paul writes, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Your nationality does not matter! That is the Gospel--Good News! Ephesians 6:10-20 deserves an in-depth study: God’s armor completely replaces the world’s armor because:
vs 12 “...our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,...against the spiritual forces of evil”
vs 16 so put on army boots? No, feet are shod “with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace”
vs 17 and take “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
vs 20 Paul closes with a request:--“Pray that I may declare it (the gospel) fearlessly, as I should.”
Then listen to the confession of faith in Philippians 2:11: “Jesus Christ is Lord”--Caesar is not Lord, the president is not Lord, Jesus Christ is Lord. When Christians truly confess that, it is a direct challenge to every government. Paul counseled Timothy in I Timothy 2:1-4 “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone--for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved...” Note the responsibility to pray for those in authority--“we” are not in the position of authority. Our responsibility is to pray for them, not to bear the sword for them, not to try to overthrow them. Remember the words of Jesus to His disciples in Mark 10:42-43--“...You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them...Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant…”
In Jesus’ day, as in our own, one of the greatest temptations facing followers of Jesus is the lure and love of power--to try to force and manipulate things to come out our way. Paul legally appealed to Caesar (Acts25:11),but he said Christians shouldn’t take each other to court (ICor6:1)and he also shared his testimony with government leaders (Acts 24:10-21)and, according to church history, died as a martyr at the hands of Caesar because of his loyalty to Jesus.
Hebrews
Listen to the confession of faith in Hebrews 12:28: “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe”
The kingdoms of this world--the governments and politics of this world--will crumble, but as Christians we are part of the unshakable eternal Kingdom of God. One day the government says a certain nation is our enemy and orders us to kill them. The next day the government says that nation is a friend and tells us to shake hands with them. No, I will not allow any government to tell me who my friends are or who my enemies are. Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Our task is to share His love regardless what the government says.
Epistles
Our journey through the New Testament is a brief one--we do not have time to look at all the relevant passages, but the pieces all fit together consistently to give us a picture of Christian interaction with government. I Peter reinforces what we have already seen:
2:12 “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God...”--don’t live like the pagans. Like Paul wrote, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2
2:13 “Submit”--again, not “obey”--“submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men” (this can also be translated “to every human being”) “whether the king....”--Remember that cruel Nero was the Emperor at this time!
2:17 “Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king”--even cruel Nero!
2:21 “..Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.”
2:23 “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered he made no threats.”
That is our pattern. For Peter, Christians cannot be in a position of bearing the sword. Bearing the sword is left to those who do not know the love of Jesus Christ. In 3:13, he even refers to being “Zealots for the good”--have a passion like the Zealots, but not for violence. I am moved by soldiers’ commitment to sacrifice their life for their country--as Christians, we should be even more willing to sacrifice our life for the Kingdom of God--the God of love. Peter had drawn his little sword and cut off a soldier’s ear when they came to capture Jesus is the garden, but Peter had learned his lesson, and in his writings admonishes Christians to follow Christ’s example. In fact, in Acts 5:29, he had to remind religious leaders, “We must obey God rather than men!” According to church history, Peter also died as a martyr.
Revelation
We stop at Revelation just long enough to note that it encourages Christians to stand strong under persecution because Jesus is “King of kings and Lord of lords”(19:16). There is hope because the final victory belongs to God--and political language is used to describe it (11:15): “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord...and he will reign for ever...” Regardless of your interpretation of “Babylon”--this world power certainly stands in opposition to God, reminding us of Daniel and his three friends who needed to stand strong for their faith, whether facing the tyrant Nebuchadnezzar or the rule of the law of the Medes and Persians.
SUGGESTIONS FOR APPLICATION
I have laid out some key New Testament scriptures, not to force you to believe like I do, but for you to examine to determine the broad outlines of a New Testament perspective on government & politics, and now it is necessary for us to work as a community to determine the way we should respond today. My conclusions in this area are an attempt to step beyond the Biblical text, using it as a guide. As such, these suggestions, while also presented with heartfelt passion because they are meaningful to me, must be tested to determine their validity for wider application so that we can live the Jesus way.
1. Repent!
I believe Jesus is not only weeping over Washington, HaNoi, Moscow, Peiking--He is weeping over the church.Listen to Revelation 3:20--Jesus says, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.” Where is Jesus? He is outside the door of the church! Incredible! He is outside! But He is still knocking--He has not yet given up on the church. “Repent!” has been the call of prophets, of John the Baptist, and of Jesus Himself. Jesus asked (Luke 6:46), “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and do not do what I say?”
So why should we repent?
--for lacking real commitment, forgetting that the origin of the word “witness” is “martyr”
--for not wanting to sacrifice very much to follow Jesus (Matthew 5:46)
--for having become enthralled with power instead of servant-hood (Mark 10:42-45)
--for desiring to manipulate things and people to force them to follow our way (Luke 9:52-55)
--for our insensitivity to God’s desire that everyone come to a saving knowledge of Jesus (I Tim 2:4)
--for wrapping Jesus in the flag of the U.S. or Viet Nam or Republicans or Democrats or...
--for not making the Kingdom of God first in our lives (Matthew 6:33)
--for wanting to take the wide, easy road (Matthew 7:13-14)
2. Pray!
The first words of Jesus about prayer in the New Testament are to pray for our enemies (Matthew 5:44). Jesus asked His followers to watch and pray (Matthew 26:41). Paul wrote to pray for those in authority(I Timothy 2:1-2). Pray for God’s mercy-- Peter wrote in 4:17, “It is time for judgment to begin with the family of God, and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” Some twenty years ago, I wrote:
Pray for those who call themselves God’s children.
Pray for those who don’t
Pray for Viet Nam
Pray for the U.S.
Pray for the world.
Pray for Jesus’ sake.
3. Study the Bible!
We need more Bible study, not less. We need in-depth Bible study--cover to cover, especially the New Testament, especially Jesus. Learn Hebrew, learn Greek (then study of “eirene” [peace] in Eph 2:14-17 or “shalom” in the O.T.). We need to put God’s Word deep into our hearts.(Psalm 119:11)
4. Be wide-eyed!
Know that politicians are power brokers--politicians want to use their power to stay in power (Herod,Matt 2:16). Politicians in Viet Nam, in the U.S., and around the world are very shrewd and manipulative (Mark 10:42). And people try to manipulate them. Know in advance that, whenever possible, politicians will use and manipulate Christians (even in the US). As Christians we must be different--we must live by a higher standard (Mark 10:43). We must practice what we preach. We need to treat the politicians as humans, not just as tools to get our way.
5. Be Honest!
Politics is a messy business and often depends on lies and deception to achieve its goals (Luke 13:32). Christians cannot stop to using lies and deception. Jesus gave us clear guidelines, “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ ‘No’ (Matt 5:37). Allow me to be specific: many people complain about the rampant bribery in Viet Nam. I have heard Vietnamese Christians traveling back to Viet Nam say, “I simply put a ten-dollar bill (or$20) into my passport, so I don’t get hassled at the airport.” How can Christians make any kind of moral statement if they don’t live by a higher set of standards? Or right now, here in the U.S., how many people want to work for cash so they don’t have to declare that money on their income tax? How can Christians be the salt and the light if they live like the world? One of the greatest hindrances to the spread of the Gospel today is the fact that Christians are not living the way Jesus taught. I Peter 1:16, “as it is written, ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” (Leviticus 11:44) Someone has said the first casualty of war is truth--I believe one of the first casualties of politics is truth. We need to be honest in the information we share. We need to see both the flowers and the barbwire.
6. Love!
Yes, we need to see both the flowers and the barbwire, but certainly our task is to plant flowers, not to string barbwire. We speak the language of “love,” but Christians too often resort to hate and jealousy (cf I John 4:20-21), and even to the use of violence and the sword. When I was in Viet Nam nearly 30 years ago, a college student in Saigon told me, “I don’t know very much about your Jesus--he was born a long time ago in a land far away, but I know he came to Viet Nam with the bullets and bombs of the French and if that is what Jesus is like, I don’t want to have anything to do with him.” How can so-called “enemies” understand anything about God’s love if Christians hold a gun to their heads? The government may ask us to do that, but Jesus certainly does not! Jesus died to save them--regardless what they have done! A key component of love is forgiveness--to break the cycle of hate and vengeance.
7. Educate!
Be well-informed and then share what you know--like the admonition of Moses in Deuteronomy 6:6-7
vs.6 “these commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.”
vs.7 “Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
As you study God’s Word, share it. As you see how to apply God’s Word, share it.
8. Organize!
I believe this conference is a step in the right direction. But where will we go from here? Be active in the local church here and work with the local church in Viet Nam. I am suggesting that we should organize, not primarily to force our way on anyone, but to encourage faithfulness among ourselves and to provide positive models for others to follow. As you know, one chopstick is easily broken, but a handful of chopsticks is nearly impossible to break. Imagine the impact if Christians in Germany had united faithfully nonviolently to oppose Hitler. Imagine the impact of Christians in Viet Nam if they could unite across denominational lines to work together for God’s glory.
9. Serve!
Serve the Lord! Build His Kingdom! Be like Jesus: He “...went around doing good...” (Acts10:38) It may mean taking flood relief money/supplies to Viet Nam. For every dollar of relief work we send, we should also send a dollar to print Bibles in Viet Nam. It may mean visiting Vietnamese who are in prison here in the U.S. Serve with all your heart, but do not serve in the military! (Matthew 5:42-43) And beware of serving in high government offices--even in the U.S. (Mark 10:42-45) Note also that this step does not automatically imply that you should vote in political elections. Voting in political elections can be a subtle trap, enticing us to put too much faith in politics. In his book Kingdoms in Conflict, Chuck Colson writes as a former Washington insider:
“On the surface this shortcut [electing Christians to political office] might seem...an appealing answer to America’s declining morality. It is, however, simplistic and dangerous triumphalism. To suggest that electing Christians to public office will solve all public ills is not only presumptuous and theologically questionable, it is also untrue. Today’s misspent enthusiasm for political solutions to the moral problems of our culture arises from a distorted view of both politics and spirituality--too low a view of the power of a sovereign God and too high a view of the ability of man.”[p.304]
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10. Speak out!
Once we have taken the previous nine steps, I believe we will have a strong, legitimate basis for speaking out. “You don’t have to lay an egg in order to smell a rotten one!” [Dr. Arnold Wedel, ca.1970] We can oppose bad public policy without telling politicians exactly what to do. Of course, we can and should suggest positive alternatives and support positive projects. Even in the Old Testament, it was the prophet that spoke for God and shared God’s vision. The king did not have that voice or that vision. We don’t have to speak out on every issue. We need to choose our issues carefully because we don’t have the time/talent/resources to do everything. Speaking out may also call for civil disobedience to show that we have a higher loyalty than human government. Listen to what Jesus said about speaking to politicians in Matthew 10:18-20: “On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”
Conclusion
Today I have focused on the New Testament, but the roots are in the Old Testament. God’s desire is for peace on earth--and if there is vengeance, it belongs to God alone. The mighty deliverance of the Israelites from the land of slavery did not require them to fight.(Ex.14:14) And God promised that His terror and hornets would conquer the Promised Land (Exodus 23:27-30) Had Israel been faithful to God, Israel would not have needed to fight. Indeed, God brought judgment on Israel by using other nations to conquer her. Today, for us, in the light of the New Testament, heaven and earth are forever linked by the cross of Jesus.
We cannot escape to heaven like the mystics.
We cannot ignore heaven like the secularists.
Jesus Himself moved from the mountaintop to the marketplace with a heart of compassion (Matt.17) Love is the only force that can change the world.
Biblically there are only two options--to be faithful to Jesus or to reject Jesus.(cf Matthew 7:13-14) And if we are faithful to Jesus, we may need to suffer for Him (I Peter 3:14-17) Listen to these words of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.:
“To our most bitter opponents we say: ‘We shall match your capacity to inflict suffering by our capacity to endure suffering.We shall meet your physical force with soul force. Do to us what you will, and we shall continue to love you. We cannot in good conscience obey your unjust laws....Throw us in jail, and we shall still love you. Bomb our homes and threaten our children, and we shall still love you. Send your hooded perpetrators of violence into our community at the midnight hour and beat us and leave us half dead, and we shall still love you.” (Strength to Love, pp. 48-49)
Perhaps it is because the way of Jesus often involves suffering, at least 70 times in the Bible, God’s message is “Don’t be afraid.” We can challenge both Christians and non-Christians to take the next step in faith. Of course, those steps will be different for Christians than for non-Christians, different for the Church than for the government. Listen carefully to John Yoder’s view of the Church and of the government:
“These two aspects of God’s work are not distinguished by God’s having created two realms but by the actual rebelliousness of men. .... The difference between Christian ethics for Christians and a Christian ethic for the state is...due to duality not of realms or levels, but of responses.”(pp 31-32)
We can lead the way and call others to follow, but we cannot force them. In his book The Soul of Politics, Jim Wallis uses these key words: conversion, compassion, community, reverence, diversity, equality, peacemaking, justice, contemplation, courage, responsibility, integrity, imagination, reconstruction, joy, hope. The focus of Jesus and the early church was on the Kingdom of God--not on Caesar (Mark 1:15,Acts 1:3;28:31) Let’s pray every day that God’s Kingdom may come and promise to do His will. And then let’s do our part to be faithful to that vision.
APPENDIX I
Two Case Studies in Loving One’s Enemies
1) Corrie ten Boom, The Hiding Place, Minneapolis, MN: World Wide Publications, 1971, p. 238.
It was at a church service in Munich that I saw him, the former S.S. man who had stood guard at the shower room door in the processing center at Ravensbruck. He was the first of our actual jailers that I had seen since that time. And suddenly it was all there--the roomful of mocking men, the heaps of clothing, Betsie’s pain-blanched face. He came up to me as the church was emptying, beaming and bowing. “How grateful I am for your message, Fraulein.” he said. “To think that, as you say, He has washed my sins away!” His hand was thrust out to shake mine. And I, who had preached so often to the people in Bloemendaal the need to forgive, kept my hand at my side. Even as the angry, vengeful thoughts boiled through me, I saw the sin of them. Jesus Christ had died for this man; was I going to ask for more? Lord Jesus, I prayed, forgive me and help me to forgive him. I tried to smile. I struggled to raise my hand. I could not. I felt nothing, not the slightest spark of warmth or charity. And so again I breathed a silent prayer. Jesus, I cannot forgive him. Give me Your forgiveness. As I took his hand the most incredible thing happened. From my shoulder along my arm and through my hand a current seemed to pass from me to him, while into my heart sprang a love for this stranger that almost overwhelmed me. And so I discovered that it is not on our forgiveness any more than on our goodness that the world’s healing hinges, but on His. When He tells us to love our enemies, He gives, along with the command, the love itself.
2) Thieleman J. van Braght, Martyrs Mirror [The Bloody Theater or Martyrs Mirror of the Defenseless Christians...From the Time of Christ to...1660], Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1837, tenth edition 1975, p. 741-742.
DIRK WILLEMS, A.D. 1569 [“Anabaptist”]
In the year 1569 a pious, faithful brother and follower of Jesus Christ, named Dirk Willems, was apprehended at Asperen, in Holland, and had to endure severe tyranny....But as he had founded his faith not upon the drifting sand of human commandments, but upon the firm foundation stone, Christ Jesus, he, notwithstanding all evil winds of human doctrine, and heavy showers of tyrannical and severe persecution, remained immovable and steadfast unto the end; wherefore, when the chief Shepherd shall appear in the clouds of heaven and gather together His elect from all the ends of the earth, he shall also through grace hear the words: “Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of they Lord.” I Peter 5:4; Matt. 24:31; 25:23. Concerning his apprehension, it is stated by trustworthy persons, that when he fled he was hotly pursued by a thief-catcher, and as there had been some frost, said Dirk Willems ran...over the ice, getting across with considerable peril. The thief-catcher following him broke through, when Dirk Willems, perceiving that the former was in danger of his life, quickly returned and aided him in getting out, and thus saved his life. The thief-catcher wanted to let him go, but the burgomaster [mayor of the town], very sternly called to him to consider his oath, and thus he was again seized by the thief-catcher, and at said place, after severe imprisonment and great trials...,put to death at a lingering fire by these bloodthirsty, ravening wolves, enduring it with great steadfastness, and confirming the genuine faith of the truth with his death and blood, as an instructive example to all pious Christians of this time....
NOTE.--In this connection, it is related as true from the trustworthy memoirs of those who were present at the death of this pious witness of Jesus Christ, that the place where this offering occurred was...[outside]Asperen,....and that, a strong east wind blowing that day, the kindled fire was much driven away from the upper part of his body, as he stood at the stake; in consequence of which this good man suffered a lingering death, insomuch that in the town of Leerdam, towards which the wind was blowing, he was heard to exclaim over seventy times: “O my Lord; my God,” etc., for which the judge or bailiff, who was present on horseback, filled with sorrow and regret at the man’s suffferings, wheeled about his horse, turning his back toward the place of execution, and said to the executioner: “Dispatch the man with a quick death.” But how or in what manner the executioner then dealt with this pious witness of Jesus, I have not been able to learn, except only, that his life was consumed by the fire, and that he passed through the conflict with great steadfastness, having commended his soul into the hands of God.
“YOUR KINGDOM COME...”
New Testament Perspectives on Politics
with a View to Viet Nam today
Jim Klassen 2 June 2001
Bibliography
Primary References
Aland, Kurt, et. al. The Greek New Testament. New York, NY: American Bible Society, 1966.
Bainton, Roland H. Christian Attitudes toward War and Peace. New York, NY: Abingdon Press, 1960.
Barker, Kenneth, et. al., ed. The NIV Study Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1985.
Bauman, Clarence. The Sermon on the Mount: The modern quest for its meaning. Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 1985.
Berkhof, Hendrik. Christ and the Powers. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1977.
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of Discipleship. New York, NY: The Macmillan Company, 1959.
Braght, Thieleman J. van. The Bloody Theater or Martyrs Mirror of Defenseless Christians...to 1660.
(Translated from the Dutch edition of 1660 by Joseph Sohm). Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1975, 1157 pp.
Bright, John. The Kingdom of God. New York: Abingdon Press, 1953.
Campbell, Will D., et al. Up to our Steeples in Politics. New York, NY: Paulist Press, 1970.
Douglas, J. D., et. al., ed. The New International Dictionary of the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1987
Enz, Jacob J. The Christian and Warfare: The Roots of Pacifism in the Old Testament. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1972.
Foxe, John. Foxe’s Book of Martyrs: Updated and Abridged. Uhrichsville, OH: Barbour Publishing, Inc., 2001.
Kaufman, Donald D. What Belongs to Caesar? Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1969.
King, Bernice. Hard Questions, Heart Answers. New York, NY: Broadway Books, 1996.
King, Martin Luther, Jr. Strength to Love. New York, NY: Pocket Books, 1963.
Kraybill, Donald B. Our Star-Spangled Faith. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1976.
Lapp, John A., ed. Peacemakers in a Broken World. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1969.
Lind, Millard C. Yahweh is a Warrior. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1980.
McSorley, Richard, S.J. The New Testament Basis of Peacemaking. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University, 1979
Peachey, Titus, et. al. Seeking Peace. Intercourse, PA: Good Books, 1991.
Penner, Archie. The New Testament, the Christian, and the State. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1959.
Pinson, William M, Jr. Applying the Gospel. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1975.
Ramseyer, Robert L., ed. Mission and the Peace Witness. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1979.
Shenk, Wilbert, ed. Mission Focus: Current Issues. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1980.
Smylie, John. The Christian Church and National Ethos. 4102 Brandywine St,NW,Washington,DC: Church Peace Mission,1963
Swartley, Willard M., ed. The Love of Enemy and Nonretaliation in the New Testament. Lewisville, KY: Westminster, 1992.
Swartley, Willard M. Slavery, Sabbath, War, and Women: Case Studies in Biblical Interpretation. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press,1983.
Wallis, Jim. Agenda for a Biblical People. New York, NY: Harper and Row, 1976.
Yoder, John Howard. The Christian Witness to the State. Newton, KS: Faith and Life Press, 1964.
Yoder, John Howard. The Politics of Jesus. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1972.
Also of Interest
Boom, Corrie ten. The Hiding Place. Minneapolis, MN: World Wide Publications, 1971, esp. p. 238.
Brandon, S. G. F. Jesus and the Zealots. New York, NY: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1967.
Colson, Charles. Kingdoms in Conflict. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1987.
Kang, Wi Jo. Christ and Caesar in Modern Korea. Albany, NY: University of New York Press, 1997.
Miller, William Robert. Nonviolence: A Christian Interpretation. London: George All & Unwin Ltd., 1964
Sherrantt, Timothy R., et. al. Saints as Citizens. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1995.
Wallis, Jim. The Soul of Politics. New York, NY: The New Press, 1994.
Various translations of the Bible into Vietnamese.
Bible Commentaries too numerous to mention.
