Jesus and the death of democracy

This is the third time I have lived through a nominally democratic country being taken over by a dictatorship. My hope when settling in the US was that the checks and balances in the constitution would maintain stability. However, those responsible for implementing these checks and balances have been bullied, bribed, or fooled into inaction.

I am too old to move again. And I am dismayed that Christians are supporting, indeed celebrating, the normalization of theft, lies, bullying, racism, and inhumane actions by political leadership based on the false promise of personal prosperity. Meanwhile, those questioning these actions are shunned and mocked.

 I have therefore been pondering a biblical response to the rapid devolution of the USA from a thriving democracy to an autocratic empire. The best guidance I can find is in looking at the parallels with the situation in Israel when Jesus was on earth. There were three broad groups of protagonists in this story:

•        * The Roman occupiers. Oppressors, with a single aim of pillaging every penny from the functionally enslaved populace, with no concern for their welfare.

•        * The religious establishment. Comfortable in their long-held position of power and authority. They have worked out a deal with the oppressors to retain their status by compromising the fundamentals of their doctrine. They are indifferent to the cries of the people.

•        * The disciples of Jesus. Looking to Him to be their political savior. To free their land.

So what did Jesus say to these groups?

* To the Romans... Not much. Surprisingly. You would expect them to be loudly reprimanded. In fact, he simply instructed some soldiers to stop abusing their power, and went so far as to heal one of them.

* The "holy" people were the focus of his ire, repeatedly calling them hypocrites and roundly criticizing them for misrepresenting God. They were instructed to repent. Which they did not, rather choosing to murder him.

* And the followers? They were told to submit to, pray for, be generous to, and love their oppressors.  Their pleas for freedom were ignored. His intent was for them to worship him, trust him, and reflect his character. Regardless, or even because of, their circumstances.

What happened in the end? Jesus fulfilled his mandate of freeing his people from the burden of sin. He did not crush Rome right then, instead sending missionaries to convert their leadership. Much later, like all other empires, it collapsed under its complacency. The Jews lost relevance and were scattered. The gospel spread under persecution.

Now we turn to today. Three similar groups in the USA: the ultra-wealthy seeking to enthrone themselves; the established church supporting them; and a smaller group of Christ followers seeking security and stability.

I suspect Jesus' message to each group would be the same:

•       * The oppressors to stop oppressing

•       * The church to repent

•        * The followers to trust that it is God who is in charge. We need freedom from sin, not political freedom.

It is notable how often in both testaments, it is emphasized that God allows bad decisions by leaders, to encourage His people to look to Him alone for security.