How Would Jesus Lead: 1 - Grace

Last summer, church dragged kicking and screaming into politics.

I went back to Jesus.

How did He lead?

What kind of politics did He deal with?

How did He respond to a world that was so caught up in thier own political ambitions that they missed the Kingdom of God when it came knocking on their door?

The Bible can't tell us specifically who to vote for.

While it would be nice to think we can at least come up with good policies to support from the scripture, that depends on whether there are politicians who will support them and if they will carry them through without compromising them away.

Unfortunately, the nature of our voting system is that leaders often cannot promise anything for sure because they have the rest of the government to win over as well as us once they get elected.

It's been an uphill battle trying to be a nation that honors God, particularly when we, the people within our nation often do not.

We get stuck between the disappointment of leaders who do not carry out their promises, leaving us connected with people who are being called Christian but are not living it out, and losing our voice in the way our nation is run altogether.

What can we do? Where can we find guidance to move forward and not just vote for Christian leaders, but actually be Christian leaders, modeling it for everyone around us?

It's not in specific policies - what to do in a given situation, but in character that we can find and build some credibility for Christian leadership and Christian politics. Actions done so many times that it becomes habit, or second nature, help us know who and how to trust, and more importantly, how to be leaders for Christ ourselves.

All of these questions find a foundation in the relationship between church and state, or perhaps more accurately, the Law of God and the Law of People. It's not just a question of whether you think it should be connected or not - but how they should relate to one another.

Some think they should be completely separate. Others think if the law is good enough for God it is good enough for us too. Beyond that, there is a vast range of opinions. It is not just our nation today, every civilization has grappled with these questions.

In Jesus's day, the most prominent, popular group of Jewish leaders (particularly outside Jerusalem) were the Pharisees. If you asked them which rules to follow, God's laws or the government's laws, they would say "Both" without hesitation. They believed that the two sets of laws should be and for the most part, were compatible with one another. In fact, the thing that drove the Pharisees the craziest was the idea that following one law would break another. For them, the Laws were made to teach us how to live for God and at peace with one another. Sounds pretty good doesn't it? That's probably why they were one of the most popular groups of leaders in that day.

Many Christians came from the Pharisees. Their was Nicodemus, the man who was first told . There was Joseph of Arimathea, who gave Jesus his family tomb. Most notably was the Apostle Paul, who was on track to become the leader of all the Pharisees, had Jesus not changed his course. Paul's writings in the Bible make more sense when you take into account that he was trained with this fixation on the Law.

How did Jesus respond to the Pharisees and their fixation on the Law. Listen to this.

Matthew 5:17–20 NRSV

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

The Pharisees would have loved this, until Jesus said they were not good enough themselves.

The Law and the Prophets

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter,c not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore, whoever breaksd one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus certainly was not against the Law. If anything, He wanted to strengthen it, or rather "complete" it. He made no distinction between the Law of God and th Law of Caesar. It was all one set of Laws, made to show us how to live in right relationship with God and one another.

How does that work? How did Jesus "complete" the Law?

Concerning Anger

21 “You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister,e you will be liable to judgment; and if you insultf a brother or sister,g you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hellh of fire. 23 So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sisteri has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister,j and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to courtk with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

Is anger a sin? Or lustful thoughts? We are quick to excuse them away as part of our human nature, but Jesus himself says that we are liable to judgment if we are simply angry with a brother or sister, and it's worse if we open our mouth and say something about it.

Likewise, for Jesus lustful thoughts were the problem, not just the actions.

Concerning Adultery

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.l 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.

and also:

Concerning Divorce

31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Divorce was only the last resort and the expectation was, if you couldn't make one relationship work, you didn't need to go starting another one.

This is really harsh, especially coming from Jesus, the guy everybody seems to love and respect.

He goes on telling us not to make oaths, or promises where we use God as our witness. Just don't do it at all. Let your yes or no speak for itself. No excuses. This bit about oaths is perhaps the easiest to swallow and it holds the key to understanding the laws about anger and lust.

Concerning Oaths

33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.’ 34 But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.

We have to change our perspective on why laws exist in the first place. The Pharisees, on their good days, may well have believed that God's Law was made to help grow us into faithful followers. However, most of their debate centered around how far you could go before breaking the law. How far could they go, and when should they tell on their neighbors for doing wrong. To them, this teaching about not making vows at all kinda ruined the fun.

Why is it a big deal? Can you imagine taking God out of your marriage vows in following this teaching of Jesus. No church, no preacher, no contract, just one person saying I do to another (and maybe a couple witnesses). Who would you trust to follow through on that kind of promise? Someone who had integrity, who took promises seriously...

How much money would you invest without a contract? (...which is a legal version of a vow)

To Jesus, the point of all these things was to create that character of integrity, righteousness, truth, and justice in all of us - not to just punish us when we mess up.

Concerning Retaliation

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38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; 40 and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; 41 and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. 42 Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.

Love for Enemies

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43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters,o what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

The last two laws deal with relationships gone bad and how to handle injustice when it occurs, because we all know that even if we avoid anger and lust, and if we stay true to our word, that doesn't mean everyone else will. What do we do when others break the law against us?

This is where Jesus fulfills the law.

Not by dying on a cross so that we can kill each other on earth and all wind up in heaven.

He got the attention of the whole world by being unjustly tortured and executed by the world, and there, for all the world to see, giving us grace instead of retaliation.

Jesus put his own need for justice to be done for Himself on pause. He didn't just throw it out the window, but he paused His own need for justice long enough to deal with the other injustice around Him... specifically the injustice done to His enemies: us.

What injustice was that? Well, for one, we had been lied to. From the very beginning in the Garden of Eden, the serpent has whispered down through the generations that God does not love us, that God is holding back, and that God is right to hold back His love because we don't deserve it.

There on the cross, Jesus set the record straight. No we don't deserve God's love, but that doesn't stop Him from loving us, and He certainly does not hold back. He gives us everything He's got.

Jesus fulfilled the law with grace. Grace helps us to put justice for ourselves on pause until we can help care for and restore those we are in conflict with. The end result is reconciled relationships, bringing us back to start, where we can stand a chance of actually growing into the character that those Laws were created to make in us. Without grace, the only purpose of any laws is to show us that we cannot live them without help. Grace is that help that God extends to us and then asks us to extend to those who sin against us.

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21 “You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister,e you will be liable to judgment; and if you insultf a brother or sister,g you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hellh of fire. 23 So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sisteri has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister,j and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to courtk with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

You:

27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.l 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.m

(; ; )

31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.’ 34 But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.n

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38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; 40 and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; 41 and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. 42 Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.

Love for Enemies

(, )

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters,o what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

You:

Where do you see grace in our leadership? Wherever you see grace, you can be certain God is at work there.

At the end of the Civil War, one man showed grace in Congress. Frederick Douglas, who held no political office at the time because he was a black man and had only recently received the right to vote, stood before congress and pleaded with them not to punish the South for the Civil War. He had been a slave, who escaped and was educated in the law, and quite a few of the Northern politicians (all white men of course) wanted to use him as their mascot for getting back at the South. Douglas refused to play that game. He knew that the conflict of the Civil War went beyond racial prejudice... and even more importantly he knew that without grace, the war would never really end. One man, who was more a victim than any of the leaders of our nation at that time pleaded for grace instead of retribution. But our nation's leaders decided that grace was not enough. In fact, it wasn't what was really needed. Here we are today, over 100 years later, still fighting that same brutal war. No law can stop it. Only our willingness to put our own need for justice on pause, long enough to show grace to our enemies.

Where do you see grace among your leaders?

More importantly, where are you practicing grace to form it into your own character?

For just a brief moment, Frederick Douglas reflected God's love perfectly, and even though it didn't change the minds of the leaders of his day, it changes us. His witness stands with me every time someone cuts in front of me. It makes me look at the poor and ask what they need instead of what they deserve. When people speak ill of me, it gives me pause to consider their perspective instead of clouding my mind with insults and distrust. When I find myself surrounded by attractive people, I think about how my thoughts and actions affect those I love instead of wondering what I can get away with.

All in all, it comes down to am I going to be a law-abiding citizen, just out to get what I deserve? Or am I willing to put that all on pause and be a grace-giving disciple of Jesus, out to be a witness to and help others live the way, the truth, and the life that Jesus gives to me?

Today is a new day, and God's grace gives you the choice to change your choice. Which will you choose to be today?

We:

How Would Jesus Lead: 1 - Grace

Thesis: Law and Grace complete each other

For kids: First fruit of the Spirit: Love

The political climate

What can we do?

God’s Law and Our Law

So, back to leading and politics.

How Would Jesus Lead: 1 - Grace

​

Thesis: Law and Grace complete each other

For kids: First fruit of the Spirit: Love

The political climate

What can we do?

God’s Law and Our Law

So, back to leading and politics.