The Politics of Jesus

The Politics of Jesus
Hre Mang @ hremang@yahoo. com
Feb 2007



Jesus as a freedom fighter: Jesus fought against the oppression, slavery, and anything that enslaved human souls to set mankind free from bondages. "You will know the truth and the truth will set you  free." This mission statement is inclusive: freedom from hell, fear, hatred, ignorance, wants and freedom from anything that takes away human happiness and peace of mind. (In the world around us, many people claim to fight for freedom from a defeated position).

Jesus as an activist: He fought for human rights, social justice, and equality against all kinds of discrimination and injustices. He fought against the hypocrites, lawmakers and law keepers (Pharisee and Sadducees), who preached the laws but being violators of the laws. (He fought against the hypocrites who preached democracy but being violators of the basic principles of democracy). He fought against the Jewish priesthood system that becomes the administrative agents of the Roman empire of his time. He fought against racial discrimination that he tore down the wall between the gentle and the Jews (black and white). He stood for the poor and the lowest people in the society that he even reached the leprosy and beggars on the street. He fought corruption and improper treatment to the public: he made the tax collector shame of his deeds. He showed no professional favoritism: he called tax collector, fisherman, lawyer, etc. to be his followers.

Jesus as a revolutionary: He fought against the socio political evils of the day. He fought against the social and political system which central focus was human king, (Roman emperor of his time) and turned the central focus of human life and relation to God. He explored the cruelty of the rulers of the society and decision makers of his days. He made plain of the existing social order and its decaying structure and challenged for change. He revealed the injustice in the society. He made plain the equal status of all humans regardless of race, color, and social condition that all men were created equal before the laws of God-the president of the Universe. He fought against the existing economic system, the principles of business transaction and discriminative nature of wealth distribution in the society. He fought against the principles and practices of the rulers and decision makers of the evil society who oppressed the poor and lower class of the society. He revolutionized the social classification of social classes, such as Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, and priests. He challenged the existing social order and introduced a new order, where everyone, regardless of race, social and economic status, has equal status and access of God’s grace.




Jesus' moral fitness: Jesus never had to defend himself. He never committed sin, never breaks laws and never had to defend himself. People reacted against him, based on his preaching, his messages, his family background, his way of life, eating drinking, and association with sinners. But Jesus never had to defend himself before anyone.  Jesus never reacted bad words and weapons of his enemy the same way.

Jesus as a peacemaker: When attacked he did not confront. When he was attacked, he allowed his enemy to use the total force and he took the opportunity to show how much he loves them and to prove that the maximum force of the enemy is simply a defeated one, without even the use of his divine might and power.


However, Jesus did not form a political, social, or religious party or organization.  He did not organized his followers to stand against the ruling political system of the Roman empire or to overthrow the Jewish evil social, political, religious system, but he revolutionized the internal structure of human souls and the underlining principles of life accordance with God’s purpose in mankind since the beginning of creation that the subject of human worship is God and God alone. He did indoctrinate the truth and sound principles of religiosity, social justice, fair and balanced distribution of wealth and opportunity, the godly principles of human relations, equal status of human essence, and changed the central focus of everyone’s service to the Almighty God.

#2. Challenges to all those who follow after Him:
Is the central focus of our human services centered in God? Is our religious organization and denomination’s central focus God the Almighty? Is our human relation in the Church and in society reflects that of Jesus?  Does race, color, wealth social status still play pivotal role in drawing lines and barriers in our human relation? Is our distribution of wealth and opportunity fairs and just? Does the Spirit of the Lord involve in very decision we make every day? Does our religious organization and denomination stand for the evil rules, the rich, and the upper social class in the society, while discriminating the lowly and poor of the society? Do our religious leaders fight corruption and injustice in the society or cover the sins and injustice of those manipulators of the people’s wealth and happiness?

.The Politics of Jesus: Christians on socio-politics!



People, sometimes, assume that politics should be played as dirty as how pigs play mud. In every position and place, wherever and wherever, Christ's follower is to practice and promote the Biblical principles of human relation and the principles of proper decision making process and managing whatever the good he is entrusted to handle including his own self, time, power, authority, and possession. Of course, it is easier said than done. But it is also good to be aware of that a person's success in life, contribution to the good of mankind and his level of happiness depend on his faithfulness and truthfulness to his own belief and to the trust that has been put on him. For it is said that a person who is not sure about his belief cannot be trusted to handle public interest. At personal level, every mature Christ's follower must have a clear and clean relationship with his God and smooth path of belief system where he can find means to forgive himself in times of mistake and failures,learn wisdom of dealing with daily interaction with others and the environment and for his own self discipline, and to sustain hope and vision for his own future and of the people he serves.

In relation with others, one's sole mission is to lead and help others reconcile with God and live a life worthy of the Biblical principles. It is often confused between the means and the end goal of Christian life on earth: the means provided to produce the end and the end itself. The basic underlining principle of human relation for Christ's follower is grounded on the statement "God created men in his own image." In every thing, Christ's follower is to do things for the sake of glorifying God. In other word, the purpose of human existence of to glorify God. Can a person in politics glorify God? Yes! Can a man from business glorify God? Yes! Can a man in refugee camp glorify God! Yes! It is also often confused among Christ's followers, what are socially constructed truth and permanent truth in the Bible that Socially constructed truth evolved time after time along social evolution. For example, hairstyle for women, dresscode, etc. are always changing along the progress of social evolution. At minimum, in every place, Christ's follower is to live with a respectable, humble, and trust worthy lifestyle.


(May continue)