Jesus Didn't Fit Politically or Socially; Probably Wouldn't Now Either
/If Jesus walked among us today he would probably not fit neatly into any of our political categories.BY ROBERT CHAO ROMEROMatthew 25 MovementI don’t think he would endorse the full political platform of either the Republicans or the Democrats because each party has biblical blind spots. Two thousand years ago, Jesus didn’t fit neatly into any of the major social groups of his day either.
ONE IN A SERIES:HOW WOULD JESUS VOTE?
The Sadducees were the party of the religious and economic elite, and they controlled the Temple. Their response to the weight of Roman colonialism was political compromise — partner with the Empire, and protect their own personal interests as much as possible. The Pharisees of Jesus’ day largely overlapped with the Zealots, and their approach was to obey God’s law, pray hard, and wait for the right moment when God would sanction their military revolt.The Essenes embodied a third response to the corruption of their day — withdraw from society and form a separatist religious enclave.Jesus did not align himself with any of these three approaches, and so earned the scorn of all. Like the Zealots, Jesus and the early church spoke prophetically against the evils of Roman imperialism, yet also taught his followers to love their enemies and to go the second mile (Matthew 5: 41, 44). In alignment with the approach of the Essenes, he taught his followers to be holy and set apart (Matthew 5:48; 1 Peter 1: 15-16), and yet also to be salt and light in the midst of a broken world (Matthew 5:13-16). And, to those who would seek to emulate the pattern of the Sadducees and others by mixing their divine calling with the pursuit of earthly riches, Jesus warned:“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matthew 6:24).We see echoes of these three approaches today in the United States. Our modern day Sadducees align themselves with elite economic and political interests, and are willing to compromise their moral values through political alliances which support their self-interest. We have our Zealots — on the right and the left — who, fueled by animosity towards their enemies, lack an overarching vision of the Beloved Community which includes all. And, we have our contemporary Essenes, Christians who have given up on the world and seek to be a self-segregated community unto themselves.Now, as then, I think that Jesus would confound all of these approaches and categories, and earn the support and scorn of right and left, conservative and activist alike. To the church in America today, I think he would remind us of his own prayer, and also the words of Paul:“I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17: 20-21).“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ… The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’… But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” (1 Corinthians 12: 12, 21, 25-26).As the Body of Christ in Los Angeles, we need one another. I need you. You need me. And this cuts across political opinion, cultural heritage, and different views of immigration. As sisters and brothers, we cannot afford to divide ourselves. And this is not just sloppy sentimentality.We should lean into our differences of opinion, rest in the tension, and seek the Holy Spirit together to come up with practical solutions for the tough problems of our day and the suffering we see around us.We must show equal concern for one another, giving greater honor to the parts that lack it in our society, and suffer with one another. This is what Paul taught. And this is what Jesus modeled for us in his life and public ministry — in Galilee.History teaches us a lot about how Jesus might vote were he to live in the United States today, based upon his social context of Galilee. Galilee was the place where Jesus was raised and did most of his public ministry. When God chose to become incarnate in human flesh, He chose to be a Galilean. In contrast to Jerusalem, which was the socio-economic, political, and religious center of the Jewish community, Galilee was looked down upon as a distant borderlands region and cultural backwaters where Jewish, Roman, and Greek cultures mixed dangerously and uncomfortably, and where Jewish residents were bilingual and spoke with an accent.Galileans were the uncouth and unrefined “country bumpkins,” or, to use another analogy, Galilee was “the hood.” Nazareth, Jesus’ hometown, was shunned even by Galileans themselves. As Nathanael famously quipped, “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” (John 1: 46). Most Galileans were peasants and farmers, and they pined under the weight of double oppression. They were exploited by the economic and religious elite of their own people, as well as crushed by the injustices associated with Roman imperialism. And when Jesus launched his movement to transform the world, he began in Galilee and, from this exploited community, chose his first followers and movement leaders. Latino theologians say that this was all no accident, and that Jesus’ selection of Galilee offers a special window into God’s heart.They call it the Galilee principle: Those that society rejects, God calls His very own.The Galilee principle offers another clue as to how Jesus might vote were he to live in Los Angeles today. Jesus would probably vote in such a way that extended special compassion to those of the Galilees of the present — South L.A., East L.A., Compton, San Bernardino, Santa Ana, and all those places that are shunned and overlooked by mainstream society. He would care about their families and kids who didn’t have enough to eat or have access to affordable housing, healthcare, or a quality education.He would be deeply disturbed by the 75% rise in homelessness in Los Angeles, and the 55,000 people in Los Angeles who have no place to call home. And his heart would break for the thousands of Latino families who have been inhumanely separated due to unjust immigration laws, as well for the thousands of children who have been ripped from their parents’ arms at the border and placed in cages.Having been a child refugee himself, Jesus would deeply empathize with their suffering.In this historic moment, let us offer ourselves “as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God,” for this our “true and proper worship” (Romans 12:1). Let us not conform to the political patterns of this world — right or left — but be “transformed by the renewing of our minds.” As we follow the Messiah of Galilee in this way, we will be able to “test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will,” and according to faithful biblical conscience, vote accordingly (Romans 12:2).
Rev. Robert Chao Romero is "Asian-Latino," and has been a professor of Chicana/o Studies and Asian American Studies at UCLA since 2005. He received his Ph.D. from UCLA in Latin American History and his Juris Doctor from U.C. Berkeley, and is also an attorney. Romero has published 15 academic books and articles on issues of race, immigration, history, education, and religion, and received the Latina/o Studies book award from the international Latin American Studies Association. Together with his wife Erica, he is the co-founder of Jesus 4 Revolutionaries, a Christian ministry to activists, as well as the co-chair of the Matthew 25 Movement in Southern California.
Tens of thousands of people crowded the steps of City Hall as they chanted, sang songs, and held signs in display of solidarity against the separation of migrant children from their undocumented parents. The incidents of such action at the nation's southern border came into focus recently under the President's call for zero tolerance. Donald Trump has since given an executive order to stop the practice.While I can’t be sure that the majority of people in the crowd weren’t Christians, judging by the signs I read, the T-shirts I saw, and the language I heard, we were definitely outnumbered … I think.We are indeed living in strange times when the loudest voices fighting to keep families together are non-Christians. This is not an indictment of non-believers (because I know they love their children), but rather a question as to why this issue seems to be so confusing for Christians.While most believers agree that the current situation is bad for families, they cannot seem to reconcile with the fact that the law has been broken — the consequences of such (while not condoned) have resulted in unfortunate circumstances.As Attorney General Jeff Sessions put it, “I would cite you to the Apostle Paul and his clear and wise command in Romans 13 to obey the laws of the government because God has ordained the government for his purposes.”Sessions represents a position that many Christians hold to. But perhaps his tell was when he said, “Orderly and lawful processes are good in themselves. Consistent, fair application of law is in itself a good and moral thing and protects the weak — it protects the lawful.”
The questions remain: Are these immigration law tactics orderly and lawful processes? Do they really protect the weak? Do they accurately represent a faithful interpretation of scripture?I spoke to Emilio Nunez, who is the Director of Spanish Ministries for the Pacific Church Network in Southern California and pastor at Bell Gardens Baptist, about this issue.“If we’re thinking about Christians (followers of Jesus), I would think that we have to have our priorities properly ordered. What is the most important thing for a Christian?” Nunez said. “For Christians, the principles of the kingdom should be the most important. While one of those values is to respect and honor government (Rom. 13), the first order of value is to say, ‘I have to do what God wants me to do with the people that I’m ministering to.’ And the second order of value is loyalty and love for country — and there’s nothing wrong with that — as long as it doesn’t become an idol that is more powerful in my life than Jesus himself.”The disagreement is clear. Sessions believes that above all, the law should be obeyed as an end in and of itself. And to that, his position is well intentioned, but ultimately flawed.I wonder what Sessions would say to Rahab, a woman who lied to the king of Jericho so that she could protect the lives of foreign spies (Josh. 2:1-7)? Or to the Apostle Paul, who wrote to Philemon to receive Onesimus (a runaway slave) back as a brother and an equal — even though Onesimus had clearly broken the law (Philem. 1:8-17).The law is a good thing when it protects the people that it is designed to serve. However, when the law fails to be a respector of human persons made in God’s image, then our commitment as Christians is to be faithful to a higher law.
Ironically, I stood and marched with thousands of non-Christians on Saturday who believe exactly that. Namely, that the current laws pertaining to immigration show no respect for basic human rights. And to that, I stand in solidarity with the thousands that marched to protest such atrocities.Still, I couldn’t help but think that the chants of, “Tell me what democracy looks like,” were a bit naïve as history quickly reminds us that even the best democratic system can never deliver what it promises.And as beautiful as the crowds were on Saturday, the picture of hope was incomplete because it was ultimately misplaced.For any form of government that grounds its hope in democracy will disappoint. Because the truth is, we don’t need a democracy for a better future; we need a monarchy.But you can’t have a monarchy without a king, and that king is Jesus. So in the meantime, we fight for truth and justice.But that’s easier said than done because it appears as if no one can agree on the truth.If only there was a group of people that had the truth.If only there was a group of people willing to stand up for the truth.If only.Maybe someday.PHOTOS by JUSTIN LEVECKJon Garcia is a writer, storyteller, and aspiring theologian. He lives in the Los Angeles area where he spends most of his time working on PhD studies and serving the Latino/a community. For fun, he hosts 
Editor's Note: We want to hear from you on this topic. What is God telling us about our nation's immigration policy? Should there be a louder voice from the Christian community about the separation of children from parents who are being processed for immigration at the border? Please leave comments below.
A Christian makes righteous decisions in the political realm because it is God's will that all government institutions act in accordance with God's righteous standard. Romans 13:1-4 teaches that Christians must submit to the government because God has ordained it to punish wrongdoing, reward virtuous deeds, and enact justice on behalf of victims.A government cannot do this properly if their definition of what is right and wrong is skewed, which is what we are experiencing in many nations around the world. This is why Christians who are engaged in politics should use their God-given position or legal privilege to help enact civil laws that reflect God's standard of justice for the government. These laws should be designed to punish criminals for acts such as theft, murder, false testimony, and to defend the poor, the weak, and the marginalized against unjust treatment. Practical ways that pastors and lay people in the church can make a difference in politics is to vote for laws that uphold righteousness and deflect sin in society, such as banning abortion, sex slavery, pornography, racism, and to support ethical laws or programs that would encourage the family institution, public safety, and equity.It must be said that the job of the church is not to become a sort of governing institution that seeks to overtake the government and force conversions on heathens. Unprofitable things have happened in history when governments use religious identification to justify war or conquering other people groups. Jesus never forced the gospel onto unbelievers, although He warned of the eternal consequences of rejecting His offer of salvation (Matt. 7:23; 25:46; Jon 3:16-18).However, this does not mean that Christians should totally eject faith out of the workplace.Opponents of Christianity expect this of Christians when they advocate "separation of church and state." The truth is: There can never really be a separation of one's moral beliefs from the affairs of the state, because much of political affairs are intertwined with moral and ethical issues. There is no neutral ground. Both the word of God and the world's philosophy have presuppositions regarding how life is to be conducted morally, which is why the Christian must be grounded in the truth of Scripture and to allow that to guide his or her actions in the workplace.A Christian must not only exemplify Christian character, but to also work for laws or causes that support righteousness and truth. He must do everything in his power to also preserve the freedom of Christians to organize, worship, and proclaim the gospel to others. He should not be complacent about people in government or laws that persecute Christians and restrict Great Commission activities.The church's involvement in politics must always start with the desire to see people in the field come to know Christ. There is a clear difference in honoring God with our practices in politics and lording it over the public with threats and compulsion. The Bible teaches us that it is not laws that will change the hearts of the people, but the word of God through the gospel (Rom. 7:1-9).That is why the church should be involved in politics. As in any other occupation, Christian politicians have the opportunity to evangelize unbelieving colleagues with the hopes that they might come to salvation in Christ. Only when the hearts of people are regenerated by the Holy Spirit and the word of God implanted in them, can we see changes in society.A similar principle can be applied to Christians in the cultural debate. Should saints participate in cultural dialogue or retreat entirely? This is also a matter of discernment for the Christian. There are instances when Christians are better off not being involved in certain forums because their efforts are akin to casting pearls before pigs (Matt. 7:6). This includes internet forums like response columns or webchat dialogue. However, there are other cases in which dialogue is extremely profitable. This includes television interviews, radio, publications, and public lectures. In such cases when there is potential for a large non-Christian audience to hear the Bible's stance on given issues, and the Christian has the opportunity to be salt and light in front of them.The church's role in politics does not have easy, clear cut applications. The issue always comes back to the question of how much should faith be mixed with politics, or how much should faith shape politics?The Bible teaches that the world will never have a perfect government until Jesus returns to set up His kingdom. Neither will the world have a perfect culture of faith, righteousness, and unity until then. There will never be peace in a godless world. The focus of the church until the second advent of Christ is to be faithful to the Great Commission - which is evangelizing the lost and discipling people (Matt. 28:18-20).That is the key behind a Christian's involvement with politics. That is what it means for God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matt 6:10).Steve Cha is the teaching pastor of 
“In 1 Corinthians 10:23, it says we are allowed to do anything, but not everything is beneficial. As a pastor, do I have the right to promote a political candidate? Sure. But I think about it this way — I have friends that are Conservative, Liberal, Republican, Democrat, Independent and one that says he's a Socialist. Many of these friends of mine are not Christians.”He coninued, “If as a pastor, if I were to openly promote a Democrat or a Republican, etc., candidate then I have just built a wall between myself and the person on the ‘other side.’ As a pastor, as Christians, our goal, our hope and efforts should be focused on The Great Commission, (Matthew 28:16-20), building a ‘bridge’ with someone so that Christ can ‘walk across.’“Do I have the right and the freedom to express my political beliefs, absolutely. However, I had to decide, for me personally, which is more important to me: my freedom to express my voting decision, or my desire to build a friendship, a relationship with any and everyone that doesn't have a personal relationship with Christ? Especially in this day and age, regardless of which side of the aisle one's on, politics can be an extremely divisive topic. Just something for my pastor friends to consider.”Editor’s Note: The above article is part of Together LA’s 
Had the race continued, the ensuing battle between the two could have clearly reflected the current divide that's visible not only in the nation at large but within the Christian community in America.A race between actress and former FOX News political commentator Stacey Dash and Compton Mayor Aja Brown could have been an opportunity to raise the current "liberal Christian" versus "conservative Christian" debate to another level.Could-ah. Should-ah. Would-ah.
One week after Dash announced her withdrawal, Brown announced that she is dropping out of the race as well for the 44th Congressional District. Brown's decision was centered on the fact she is pregnant with her first child.“I am excited and blessed to announce that my husband of 14 years and I are expecting our first child,” Brown said in a statement released Thursday evening, April 5. “We are overjoyed at the opportunity to become parents and look forward to starting our family.”Family commitments supersede her ability to run for higher office, Brown said in the statement. She said she will continue to focus on the issues facing Compton.Just a little under a week earlier, Dash had dropped out of the race.Brown, who was featured at the Together LA 2015 conference, announced her run for the district in early March. Nanette Barragán is the current Representative of the district which includes parts of San Pedro, Wilmington, North Long Beach and south Los Angeles.Dash, who appeared on CBN News several years ago, gave her testimony of coming to faith in God during a segment, 