JUSTICE, THE POLITICAL ECONOMY, AND
CAESAR
Today I'm starting a
series of messages looking toward Christmas. And the theme of those services is
“A Universe of Promise.” God made promises to his people all through history. Promises
to be their God and to walk faithfully with them through whatever circumstances
they were in. Those promises are still being kept.
As a part of these
services we’ve invited different members of our church to share stories of how
God is at work in our world. The first conversation we’ll share is with Izak
VanderWesthuizen. As a town councilor he
has a particular challenge to discern God’s call in the Town Council and how to
resist the ways of worldly politics while living as a disciple of Jesus.
- Question: As a believer, what difficulties have you experienced in your role of Councillor?
- Answer: Politicians often make promises they cannot keep and this is always a challenge.
- Question: Have you seen God at work or thwarted in the workings of the Council?
- Answer: In the new strategic plan for the Town, we are committed to transparency, I want my family to see me living with integrity and honesty.
- Question: What can the church community do to assist you in your calling?
- Answer: In order to maintain balance in life and to do a good job I request the prayers of my church community.
Prayer
Let’s take those thoughts and hold them
close as we read today’s scripture.
Luke 2.1-2
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be
taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that
took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone
went to his own town to register.
Isaiah 61.1-4
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has
anointed me
to preach good news to
the poor.
He has sent me to bind
up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom
for the captives
and release from
darkness for the prisoners,
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of
vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who
mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a
crown of beauty instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of
praise instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called
oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places
long devastated;
they will renew the
ruined cities
that have been
devastated for generations.
We are celebrating Advent again. When did
this official season take shape and the rituals of candle lighting begin? A lot
longer back in history than many may realise. Long before Christ came. Long
before. In fact the longing for Messiah – that’s the Hebrew word for Christ –
started in the Garden. The promise that Eve’s son would crush Satan, a promise held
onto tightly by God’s people ever since. A promise Isaiah wrote about – he and
many others wrote about Messiah’s coming. They wrote about what the world would
look like after he came.
And what a world it was that Jesus came
into.
Rome was in power. A long struggle within
and without forged an Empire. Arguably the longest running and most politically
stable of all time.
At Jesus birth most of Europe, the Middle
East and North Africa enjoyed the Peace of Rome. The administration system was
ordered and incredibly efficient. Communication systems via road and sea
brought news incredibly fast throughout the empire. Rome’s armies were the best
trained, equipped and disciplined. Rome ruled the world either by direct
control or through political influence. Slowly on the military became so
powerful that politicians feared and obeyed them.
The economy was based on a gold standard
and the decisions that affected life for the many were controlled by the few.
The military elite and politicians lived off of favours and tax exemption. The
middle class worked hard, but couldn’t get ahead, the poor generally became
poorer. Small family farms were squeezed out by large operations run by the
wealthy. Others lost their employment as the empire expanded and jobs were relocated
to new lands where people worked as slaves. So the government accepted them
into the cities, gave them welfare in the form of bread and put on games to
keep them occupied; to distract them from the misery they had no escape from.
Homelessness was common.
And the justice system. It was established
on the basis of equality and justice for all, but the truth was that the
powerful could evade justice and the poor could not. Might was right; it was a
culture that dealt out harsh penalties but unevenly. Only the rich could afford
the best justice; certainly the middle class and poor were victimized more
often than helped in the courts.
And it was a culture that tried its best to
promote the family through religion. It featured domineering male leadership,
limited rights for women, no rights for children or slaves. All based on the
unpredictable and violent gods of Rome.
The Roman Peace - Pax Romana - became the
model for human achievement. Values like stability, order, social peace; and a
harmonious multicultural society have dominated the western world since then.
Doesn’t most of Europe and North America
have the same goals and use the same methods? Haven’t we seen repeated social
rebellions like the Occupy movement over and over throughout history? Dare we
ask why are the economies of the world shaken? Why is military activity on the
rise? Why do mega corporations control so much at the expense of the family
farm and business? Why are people rebelling against broken justice systems?
Why, because empires will fall including the one we have here in North America.
It is only a matter of time.
The ultimate symbol of peace in Rome was
the Peace Altar. It still exists. Peace at human cost; altars are for making
sacrifices after all; peace defined by the winner. Is that the kind of peace
Jesus came to bring?
The Legacy of Rome is alive and well today.
Jesus walked into that situation and so do we. So how did he deal with it?
The bible tells us that Jesus appears with
a counter-cultural message.
For the most part he ignored the Empire.
Once questioned he said, give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is
God’s. In that way Jesus is saying, sure the Empire exists; we need government
in one form or another. So pay your taxes and follow the law up until it conflicts
with God’s law. Nothing more, nothing less.
On another occasion he healed a Centurion’s
daughter. For the super religious Jew that would be a betrayal to all Israel.
But he did it to show a picture of the Kingdom of God appearing. In Christ
there is no Jew and Gentile, all are one.
And on yet another occasion he met with a
young man who wanted to justify his religious life-style. And Jesus tells him
to sell all he has and give to the poor. The man went away sad because he was
very wealthy. His money was his idol – first priority. He become a reflection
of it and discovered that his self-worth was bound up in status, wealth and
accomplishments. And he didn’t want to change.
In all of these encounters Jesus remains
committed to his message. There is new life in me. Take note everyone, those
devoted to empire will do what the empire does; those who are in Christ do not
have to do them as well.
Jesus knows that all people will struggle
with the movement toward empire in at least three ways.
1.
To try and get ahead, or to
grow the business or to achieve power, but in the process lose their soul. To lose
what matters more. Do we ask often enough, what’s it all for?
2.
Or to become hardened toward
those who have less, or who are different by gender, race or intelligence and
to thereby miss the reality that grace is for all people regardless of whether
they come to Christ or not.
3.
Jesus knows we struggle with
his simple message. Give to God what is God’s - true obedience; living by faith
and not by the goals of empire.
Soon after his death a historian wrote:
Josephus antiquities 18.63-64
63) Now, there was about this time Jesus, a wise man,
if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works—a
teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure.The tribe of Christians,
so named from him, are not extinct at this day.
If it be lawful to call him a man.
Interesting comment; from day one Jesus is recognized as being more than a man.
The tribe of Christians is alive today because he is God. And the tribe must
take Jesus seriously.
Jesus the Messiah is the one anointed and
empowered to bring justice and righteousness on earth. It is his message that remains;
humanity is invited into a new reality where the broken hearted are healed,
where those who mourn their own sin and the state of the Church will hear
comfort; they will be comforted! Where those who accept messiah receive the
eternally fruitful righteousness of God. And such lives can do nothing but
demonstrate the beauty of God.
Such lives continue to subvert the Empire
and show it to be the foolishness it is. Such lives bring true peace. Such
lives need to be nurtured and fed. Nurtured by God’s word as we reflect on
scripture and the ways of God’s kingdom; nurtured in our children by the
example of our lives. Fed by the Spirit through prayer, worship and celebration
at the Table.
Do you wish to be nurtured and fed to live
in empire but not overwhelmed by it? Then come, all is prepared for you.
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