Ephesians 6:12 ASV

For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

I have a bit to say today to those that would use the name of Jesus to promote their worldly plans. I speak to those that are left and right, democrat or republican. I have this to say to you.

Jesus was neither a democrat or a republican.

Jesus is not interested in legally shutting down businesses or entertainment.

Jesus is not interested in Cash for Clunkers or your health care schemes.

Jesus had one mission, to open our hearts to God and by dying for our sins, saving us all. Period.

Many leaders, politicians, and so called spiritual leaders today try to say that Jesus would support this or that plan, program, or party. This is total bunk, and actually perverting the message of Jesus for worldly power and gains. This, my valuable readers and fellow pirates, is serious.

People that make arguments like this need to seriously look into their relationship with Christ. Others that have no real relationship, but claim to have one, then make these arguments are actually the folks that Jesus himself warned us to be vigilant and on guard against.

Jesus was man, but Jesus was also God. He came to us with one singular purpose. To give us our get out of hell free card. He did this by giving us the ultimate gift, grace. He did this by taking all of our burdens on to himself and died a horrifying death, for us!

Jesus did not get caught up in the politics of the day. He cared not one bit what the leaders of the world were doing. He had a message that we all need to rise above this world and look for our treasures in God.

Jesus did heal the sick and feed the poor. He did that through compassion and love. There is no compassion or love when it comes to government. Compassion can’t be taken at the point of a gun and then redistributed. Compassion can only come from real people showing real love for others.

When Jesus fed the hungry, he did not call upon the leaders of the day to distribute and coordinate. When he healed, he did not do so by building an overbearing bureaucracy and health care program. As I recall, he did not ask for, or endorse, any state assistance in the endeavor.

These things are of the world, and we deal with them as such. Until we pass away from this world we are required to have a foot in the workings of the world. As Christians, we must do this with our eye on the real prize, that being the love of Christ and our duty to share that love with others.

Our duty is not to distort and destroy the message of the Lord to get our way, or to promote our political agenda. This world is transitory, politics is even more so. Only grace, and our relationship with the Lord, is forever.

We tend to get caught up in the day to day. We tend to get caught up in the immediate pleasures and temptations of the world. We tend to get caught up in trying to build systems and processes to change this world.

Jesus cares about none of these things. He does have an edge on us, being God and all. He knows heaven, he knows what awaits us, he created it. We have to go with faith. We have to deal with the day to day and the temptations. What is the old joke? All Christians want to go to heaven, but they don’t necessarily want to die to get there. It is easy to get caught up in the temptations, machinations, and politics of this world as it is all we know. This makes it doubly important to keep our hearts and souls above it all. Live in this world while we have to, but know we are on a path to greater things.

The trick is to do this day to day living without dragging our savior into our tiny, worldly lives. He is here to claim our souls, not to get us subsidized lattes, big screen TV’s, or state provided anything. Remember, we are talking about the guy that spent 40 days in the desert, fasting, and then kicked Satan’s tempting butt as an afterthought. Maybe a bit of a showoff, yes, but you have to love his style.

Let’s look at some of Jesus’ interactions with the powers and people of his day.

Matthew 2:18-20 NIV

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come follow me,” Jesus said, ” and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him.

Just for good measure Jesus pulled the stunt again right after that in Matthew 21-22 with James and John, with the same conclusion. Now, these were fishermen, family businessmen if you will. The fish they caught would have not only fed their family, but others as well, along with boosting the economy and the local markets and generate some tax revenues. Jesus however had bigger and better plans for them. He cared not about the local markets or chamber of commerce, he cared about saving souls, and these men were to be put to better use in that service. Jesus was a single minded chap, for that we can all be thankful.

So how about Pilate?

Matthew 27: 11-14 NIV

Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

“Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied.

When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.

See, Jesus had bigger things on his mind. It was over by that point. Jesus was on a single purpose path to take our sins off of our shoulders and lead us to the Kingdom of Heaven. The justice of the world, the day’s politics, answering those that accused him, none of that mattered a bit. It is a bit hard to lower yourself to the matters of the world when you are dealing with the matter of eternal life for your followers.

Want more? Check out Matthew 22: 15-22 when you get a chance. That pretty much sums up taxes for you.

Remember, no matter how big we think something is here on earth, it is not really that big. Not if you truly trust in Jesus. This life we have now is just our holding pattern. We will get a runway to land eventually, but until then we have to make do. How sad would it be to not get that runway because we were so busy abusing our relation with the Lord while in the holding pattern?

It would be good to keep this in mind. It is only your soul that is at stake.