A few weeks ago, I overheard my husband on a call, talking politics per usual, but what stood out the most was him uttering the words, “Jesus organized around the issues.” And as he spoke these words, I interjected, highlighting, “that’s RIGHT!” In this instant, I also knew that now is the most appropriate time to detail the intricate intersection that exists between politics, the Bible and the lives of everyday people.
Oftentimes, I hear people say some variation of “what does the Bible say?” As the political season intensifies, judgments are being tossed around and people become rooted in their own beliefs. And while this question is important – and can be relevant if one is viewing politics through a Christian lens – Christians and non-Christians alike must be privy to the notion that the Jesus was political. Christianity was and remains rooted in politics, at least through my lens.
The debate on rather politics holds a place within or outside of the church actually dates to back Jesus’ parables, as He preached sermons that were rooted in helping the poor, bridging the gap between feuding communities, and giving voice to the ostracized. Jesus was a politico—a mover, a shaker, a radical of his time.
In Matthew 25, Jesus illuminates His second coming, the end of the world and He expresses the urgency for humanity to properly prepare, as He wants humanity to be in position for all that is to come. However, in Matthew 25:40 the personhood of Jesus stands out; we see Jesus as both a human being and a minister—a soul saver, social justice warrior and advocate for the less fortunate. In this passage, Jesus is simultaneously teaching about reward and punishment, as He realizes that his days are numbered, but his mission is not yet complete. He says, “And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me (Matthew 25:40).” Here, Jesus centralizes the importance of moral kindness, and the judgement associated with the inability to treat the marginalized with utmost care.
As we are amid the presidential election season, the marginalized remain a topic of discussion on both sides of the aisle. Everyday Americans are hearing about the border and the struggles that everyday families face and what lie at the center of this rhetoric is people who have been ostracized or classified as what Jesus refers to as “the least of these.” If we take this conversation just a step further, and visit John 4, we will unveil ways in which Jesus also bridged the gap between feuding communities—the opposition. Jesus was a Jew and the woman at the well was a Samaritan, and typically Jews and Samaritans did not mingle BUT Jesus.
Jesus was a politico—an expert negotiator, a man who led with words and action, a man who organized around the issues. He was a bridge builder.
In 2024, humanity has a way antiquating the Bible. In the 21st century, human beings are committed to believing that society as we know it is one thing and the Bible is a separate entity. This assumption could not be further from the truth; politics and everyday life are rooted in biblical practices, including the sermons that Christ preached.
Jesus was the FIRST politico. Politics as we know it today are certainly biblically rooted. May you never forget that.
Let’s continue the conversation in September.
Until next time…
Love and blessings.
Dr. Kristen Barnes-Holiday, Ph.D. is a professor of English at Wayne County Community College District, a second-year divinity student at Duke University, and a Christian blogger. In addition, she is a teacher, preacher, and lifelong student of the Word of Jesus Christ.
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