When I was a youth my father would lay on the couch (his preferred position for life) and call me in to watch classic movies on BBC 2. I liked Cary Grant, James Cagney and Jimmy Stewart. As Orson Wells reportedly said, “All the best acting is in black and white.” I liked the questions the films raised, I was particularly fond of film noire – one of the main genres of 1950’s and early 60’s movies. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington had Jimmy Stewart playing a common man who went to Washington to raise his voice. Corporate America tried to stop him, but he won the day. More recent movies like The Majestic with Jim Carrie have a similar theme. In these movies it is understood that there are political seats of power which can be corrupted by the interests of business and corrupt individuals. In America it is often argued that the system has lost touch with the people and America’s government is a business that taxes the people enough to support itself and swallow up resources whilst providing little.
A common Christian response is to just leave Washington alone. People in America seperate church and state and then forget whichever one they are most suspicious of. More recently the evidence would be that America is increasingly disillusioned with both. In Jesus’ day the religious sphere and the political sphere were divided. Rome ruled one and the Sanhedrin ruled the other. Jesus got the attention of both. Jesus was highly political.
Before I write further, I need to clarify what ‘political’ means. For many it has become synonymous with corruption and power seeking. Jesus had enough power and he wasn’t corrupt. To be political means to be publically active. Politics concerns government and Jesus is still highly concerned with issues of popular control, or government. After all the governemnt of the world is on his shoulders.
In a wedding in Cana the administrator of the feast finds that the wine has run out. Rather than waiting for his ‘hour’ (crucifixion) Jesus becomes publically active in providing what the wedding needs. He may have acted behind the scenes, but his actions had public implications. Secondly, Caiaphas had won out over the Sanhedrin (religious government) in making the temple a trading center. Jesus responds with public disorder in the temple. The main Roman garrison was on the other side of the temple wall.
The idea that Jesus came to make us nice and that we are not to be involved in public political life is in contradiction with the Bible. Jesus would not be averse to standing in Washington and making a speech like Mr. Smith in the movie. Followers of Jesus might need to be more vocal in Britain where moral and ethical decay is showing through the cracks in the polite international image. I don’t think Jesus would necessarily get too upset about the cancelation of football games or the loss of an Olympic venue. Jesus would be concerned for people, their redemption and their purpose on the earth. This is a political concern and requires political action.
In looking over a couple of blogs, I see fear that Liberals, Christians, Gays, Jews, Hollywood, or any other interest group is taking over Washington. I think the beauty of the American system is that anyone is free to argue from the basis of their religious, political, and philosophical perspective in the public marketplace. Hopefully in such an environment the truth will win out. The fallacy that prevails is that people can argue from a neutral perspective in public. Even Nietzsche acknowledged that we are all swayed by our own presuppositions. We should just be more open about where we are coming from. Or is it that we are afraid of being associated with the ‘Christian Right’ who are (ironically) demonized by illustrations like the one below.
John 2:1-25
1 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”
4 “Woman,[a]why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”
5His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.[b]
7Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.
8Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”
They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
11What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
12After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.
Jesus Clears the Temple Courts
13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”[c]
18The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”
19Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”
20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.
23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.[d] 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.
Questions
- How are both the above stories related politically?
- What would both actions by Jesus have shown the public about his intentions?
- What does Jesus know about the heart of people? Why does he choose to still be publically involved?
- Although Jesus came to die, why does he get involved in redeeming a wedding and a temple?
- Is Jesus Lord of every sphere of western life? What spheres are you responsible to redeem?
Plymothian 