The Real Jesus – The True Jesus
My concern is with the attempt to infuse this attack on the Capital with Christian symbolism. The name of Jesus was on bold display during the riot at the Capitol, as were other symbols of our faith. Looking at the photos reveals the following symbols:
· The Christian flag, an ecumenical white flag with a blue field and a red Latin cross…carried by one rioter on the to the floor of the House of Representatives even as guns were drawn to keep them out;
· An American flag altered to read “Make America Godly Again” on its white stripes;
· A white flag with a green pine tree and the words “An Appeal to Heaven;”
· And blowing prominently in the foreground as the mob kicked in a Capitol door was a red, white and blue flag that proclaimed, “Jesus is my savior” and “Trump is my President” on either sides of an elongated American flag.
· Additionally, a large wooden cross was erected across from the Capitol building.
Understandably Facebook and Twitter users were quick to point this out, labeling all Christians as hypocrites who were complicit in the attack on the Capital. Making no distinction between individuals and the entire religion.
Noted author Beth Moore wrote in response;
“I don’t know the Jesus some have paraded and waved around in the middle of this treachery today. They may be acting in the name of some other Jesus but that’s not Jesus of the Gospels.”
Brothers and sisters in Christ, I don’t know that Jesus, either.
Jesus—the real Jesus—does not bow at the altar of politics. He does not require the assistance of the kingdoms of this world. He transcends all governments, states, and borders. He cannot be held captive by any political agenda. Jesus—the real Jesus—is Lord of all. And attempts to remake him in our image, no matter how sincere our intentions, are affronts to his lordship. We do not honor him by parading his image in displays of political showmanship. We do not honor his cross by distorting its meaning for political gain, nor do we honor his name by co-opting it in the service of some other cause. Jesus is the cause, and he is too holy, too righteous, too perfect to serve as a spokesman for any political idealogy. We are not his masters. He is ours, and he abides no rivals.
It is, however, so very tempting to try to make Jesus serve us.
The Jesus given to us in Scripture is no political pawn. He is the very incarnation of God (remember our Advent sermon series) who has come to call us to repentance and teach us to live rightly. He defeated sin, Satan, and death (recall Easter), and he offers us the opportunity to live with him forever in a peaceable kingdom. The Jesus of Scripture has given us the Sermon on the Mount (which is the basis of our current sermon series). He has taught us to do justice, walk humbly with God, and most of all love. He has taught us that if we want to be his disciples, we must take up the cross and follow him, not carry it to a political rally. He has commanded us to care for the poor. He has warned us against the danger of riches. He has taught us that whoever wants to be first in the kingdom of God must be last of all and servant of all. He has taught us that the world will hate us, but that God will love and honor us nonetheless. And he has taught us that no one can serve two masters. We will invariably hate one and love the other. God and mammon is the example he uses, but we could insert any other master and the result would be the same. God and fame. God and sex. God and ego. God and power. God and politics.
That Jesus–the Jesus of the upside down kingdom of God in which the lowly are raised up and the humble exalted–is the Jesus of Scripture. And we cannot build our own kingdoms upon his name. He is Lord. There is no other.
I care about the spread of Christian faith. I want everyone to know and love Jesus. But I believe we draw people to Jesus by presenting that Jesus who is given to us in Scripture–the Christ who taught us to love our neighbors, love our enemies, act justly, care for the poor, and humble ourselves that he might one day exalt us. There is no other Jesus. And this Jesus—the true Jesus—was not on display in the Nation’s Capitol building last week.
