Jesus Is Not a Republican

Jesus is not a Republican. 

From shuckandjive.org

Jesus is not a Democrat, either. 

Being a good Christian doesn't mean you have to vote for Republicans. Similarly, being a good Christian doesn't mean you have to vote for Democrats. Neither party holds the title of espousing more of God's commands. Of course, if you belong to one of the parties, I'm sure you see your party as being closer to God. I'm sure you could give me 3 good reasons that you believe it to be true. Maybe even 5 reasons. Of course, someone on the other side of the aisle could give 3-5 good reasons why THEIR party is closer to God. 

Let me see if I can guess the lists...

Jesus is a Republican because:

• He described marriage as a union between a man and a woman that is a demonstration of the relationship between Christ and his church. Therefore American marriages should only be between a man and a woman.
• Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me" and would oppose abortion.
• He prayed in public regularly, and would want to keep prayer in schools.
• Opposing abortion, Jesus would not support a national health care system that guaranteed abortions to women who wanted them.

Jesus is a Democrat because:

• Jesus told the rich man to sell all he had and give it to the poor. Higher taxes for the rich would be a no-brainer.
• He tells us to love our neighbor, even if they are different from us (Like Samaritans. Or any other social group that we look down upon.)
• Jesus fed thousands that had no food. He would love to expand the food stamp program even further.
• He healed the sick wherever he went. He would want us to guarantee healthcare to anyone who needed it.
• He showed compassion to criminals, and would oppose the death penalty.

I'm sure I left many items off the list. And I know I'm not going to convince anyone here that Jesus is actually rooting for the other team.

From theblaze.com

We live in a sinful world. We are sinners. There is no right side to choose, as far as Jesus is concerned. We will have to make compromises on our beliefs and cast a vote. Jesus said "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God." It is our duty to participate in local and national politics. That is what our responsible citizenship requires, along with paying taxes and following our laws. But Jesus also told the parable of the 3 servants. The master gave each servant an amount of money to care for in his absence. Two of the servants invested the money wisely, and gave their master back even-larger sums upon his return. The master was pleased with their stewardship. The third servant buried the money in the ground until his master returned. He told his master that he was afraid of displeasing his master by losing it, and chose to not choose. He just sat on the money instead of making the most of it. He was not a good steward of his resources. We too are called to be good stewards of our American freedoms, of our ability to vote. God gives us reason and conscience to decide the best way to use that gift. If you feel that you are called to vote for one man because he'll do a better job with your vote, then vote for him. 

Martin Luther (the Reformation guy, not the civil rights guy) spoke about Christians living in two kingdoms. There is the Kingdom of the Left that we pay taxes to, follow the rules of, and elect leaders to. It is the kingdom of our temporal lives. The lives that involve jobs, traffic jams, and PTA meetings. A kingdom ruled by law. Laws that are made to keep us safe in our homes as we sleep at night. And there is the kingdom of our Creator, the Kingdom of the Right, that is ruled by grace. It is the kingdom of the gospel, with a structure different from our earthly kingdom. In it we seek God's will, not out of fear for breaking the rules, but in thankful response to our salvation in Christ. It is the kingdom of our eternal lives. 

Christians live in both kingdoms. We have obligations and callings in our temporal lives, but must always prioritize our eternal lives. To haphazardly mix the two and say that Jesus sides with one of our flawed political parties does nothing but debase our savior and aggrandize a group of people who make a living out of trying to become more powerful. 

From sodahead.com

So let's keep it all in context, folks. 

Jesus wants us to be good stewards of our blessings:  freedom, knowledge, wisdom, food, shelter, and money. Pray that you can cast a vote that does this, and stop labeling the other side as evil.