Seeking a godly politician

This election is no different than most for those who love God. We wonder if heavenly values will be represented by worldly leaders. This brings up a very important question for all Christians. Can we find a godly politician? Even two of Jesus’ first disciples, James and John, seemed to confuse positions of power with “lording it over” others and flaunting “authority” (Mark 10:35-45). Jesus clearly pointed out what makes for great leadership, self-sacrificial service. Can we find politicians who will give their lives as a ransom for all? Can we find politicians who will give up their pensions, health benefits, their millions, their oppressive authority over us and throwing their weight around with excessively burdensome legislation? If so, then we may have indeed found a truly godly politician. If you find such a person, please let everyone know.

True greatness

Since long before the days of the robber barons, success in business has been defined by those who have taken the most no matter the means. The name robber baron began in Germany where for a thousand years feudal lords and bishops blocked traffic on the Rhine River and charged a passage fee, sometimes appropriating the whole cargo. In the USA, wealthy and unethical industrialists have been dubbed with the same pejorative title. Yet those who know the Gospel are not fooled by such claims to greatness. How can a man claim to be a business success when to make his millions he has walked all over others, destroyed businesses and taken people’s jobs? Since the first disciples wanted position (Mark 10:35-45) this worldly thinking has also infected the church. Jesus defined greatness not by position but by giving.

The man who turned away from Jesus

Jesus did not invite everyone to become his disciple. He turned down a man who had been demon possessed (Mark 5:18-20). He told one man that he had nowhere to lay his head. Others made excuses about burying a parent or saying goodbye to family (Luke 9:57-62). Then there was the man who he asked to liquidate his wealth (Mark 10:17-31). Why did he ask this man to sell everything but not Peter, who owned at least one house (Matthew 8:14)? Perhaps we see the difference in the fact that Peter still had a mother-in-law to look after, whereas the rich man may not have had any immediate family. The obvious answer is that Jesus did not require everyone to peddle their assets and give the proceeds to the poor. However, the principle of giving remains.

Jesus’ example to the rich

Was Jesus a hypocrite when he told a rich man to sell everything and give it to the poor (Mark 10:17-31)? No, that is exactly what he did. As Lord of the universe, he was God with us, he had lived in the opulence of heaven since past eternity. There is no wealthier place in the universe than heaven. A trillionaire on earth would be a penniless pauper in comparison to the wealth of heaven. Jesus gave up his divine privileges (Philippians 2:6-8) to save the world. Though he was rich, he became poor (2 Corinthians 8:9). Why? So that we may become rich. The rich man went away grieving over his great wealth. Those who have devoted their wealth to giving have discovered one of the great secrets of the universe, giving is happier than getting.

Is hell a rich man’s future

Is hell a rich man’s future? Many passages of the Bible like the story of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16) point to hell as the future for selfish people. However, Mark 10:17-31 gives considerable hope for the wealthy. Heaven is a much more difficult choice for the wealthy. It is as hard a choice as threading a camel through a needle’s eye. It seems impossible, but the same path to salvation lies before them as for the rest of us. All things are possible with God. Many millionaires do not live a selfish and opulent life style. They live as ordinary neighbors and use their wealth to bless others. That’s exactly what Jesus did. He came from the wealthiest corner of the entire universe, heaven and lived like a pauper on earth to bless the whole world.

God of the impossible

Can a wealthy person gain eternal life? Looking at Mark 10:17-31 we might think that it is impossible. It is as difficult as threading a camel through the eye of a needle. Money is deceptive. It makes us think we are better than homeless beggars when we may be worse off. It deceives us that we are being blessed by God when we may not be. It makes us think we are successful when we may be abject moral failures. Many wealthy have already begun doing what Jesus’ advised. Opra Winfrey, George Soros, Bill Gates, J. K. Rowling, T. Boone Pickens, George Kaiser and many other billionaires plan to give it all away except for a small inheritance. At least they are making a start. By world standards we are all wealthy. Jesus still makes heaven possible for us.

Wealth addiction

Can we be addicted to wealth? Let’s look at Jesus’ personal advice to a wealthy man who asked what he must do to inherit eternal life, or as we say colloquially, to get into heaven. Jesus’ blunt answer was to liquidate his wealth and redistribute it to the poor (Mark 10:17-31). It is a very unpopular idea in today’s political climate, but that was his answer. What can Christians in a capitalist country learn from this? Most of us are addicted to something. Sex, television, gossip, rock and roll, fatty foods and sugar are popular addictions. Modern addiction research suggests that learning self-control over our lives works in most cases. However, certain cases of addiction are out of control and, just like a severe alcoholic, sometimes only abstinence works. Is this the case for many addicted to their wealth?

Redistribution of wealth

Redistribution of wealth is a hot button topic in today’s politics, because people equate it with communism. Yet there is a form of redistribution of wealth in the Bible that has nothing to do with socialism. In the Old Testament debts were forgiven every 50 years and people could get their land back. There was no path to accumulate large land holdings and slowly squeeze out the family farmer. Taxing the rich is also a hot topic in today’s world and there are arguments for and against. In Mark 10:17-31 Jesus gave another solution for at least one man who had accumulated more than a normal share: sell everything and give it to the poor. Jesus did not tell every rich person to do this. He did tell one. How few of us are willing to do just that!

Divorcing, forsaking and freeing

In Mark 10:2-16 we read of one person forsaking a spouse and setting the other free. That’s how it sounds in Greek. The divorcing spouse has repudiated the sacred marriage vows and so the other is released. That is remarkably similar to how Paul describes it in 1 Corinthians 7:15. If an unbeliever departs the marriage, the believing spouse is no longer bound to the marriage, but is set free. This is the exact opposite of the idea that some teach, of a spouse being held in bondage for life because of the actions of the other marriage partner. Jesus described divorce as permitted by Moses, a convenience, as a wrong action. However, contrary to the teachings of bondage espoused by some segments of the Christian community, there is only one unforgivable sin and divorce is not it.

Marriage and the beginning

The Greek word for divorce in Mark 10:2-16 means to leave one’s station. It was also used in the military, meaning to defect. In Deuteronomy 24:1 a man was permitted to divorce his wife if she displeased him, or because he found something wrong with her. It sounds frivolous, like many modern divorces. Jesus calls Christians to a greater level of faithfulness than under the Old Covenant. Divorce ought not to occur unless like ancient Israel, a spouse has been immoral. We could argue that abuse, addiction and a life of crime are all forms of adultery. In our hardheartedness we have perverted God’s original design. On all modern questions of marriage, Jesus brings us back to the basics. In the beginning, God created them male and female, and what God has joined together, let no one separate.