Who would Jesus not vote for?
By Tom Quiner
In this Christmas season, I’m really struck by something.
It begins in this extraordinary passage in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 1:46-55):
46 And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
What character quality is Mary modeling? Humility. She acknowledges her lowliness in comparison to the power and beauty of God. She sees herself as a humble servant of her Creator.
God becomes Man, and Mary shall become the Blessed Mother of the Son of God.
In this Christmas season, I am struck even more by the humble birth of our Lord.
Born in a manger, not a palace.
Born to parents without social standing or material wealth.
Born as a man with a body that bleeds and can break.
God didn’t need to this if we didn’t matter to Him. But we obviously we do. Mankind is capable of terrible evil. Our sinful nature separates us from God. And yet God came to us to save us.
God sent man that little Baby 2000 years ago as an act of love. In His brief 33 years on this planet, Jesus reinforced the virtue of humility taught to Him by his Mother.
He was far more concerned with the lowly than the wealthy. He revered the humble at the same time that he challenged the prideful.
Of the seven deadly sins, pride is the worst.
As I survey the political landscape this Christmas season, Donald Trump stands out.
He is defined by his pride.
He is defined by his fixation on wealth.
He loathes anyone who doesn’t revere him, and metes out the most insufferable invective towards those who challenge him.
In other words, he embraces everything Jesus told us to avoid.
Who would Jesus not vote for?
The Donald is merely the “Republican” version of the Arrogance of Hillary. Until this election cycle, we could say that Republicans had not fallen for a substance-less candidate like recent generations of Democratic demagogues. Trump’s success (so far) indicates that the Lemming Syndrome is spreading… sadly.
You’re probably right. And I think he’s a reaction to the arrogant controlling the levers of power in Washington.
Well, in the eyes of our holy God, we’re all rotten. Maybe Jesus would just not vote.
¯\(°_o)/¯
The thing is, all of the candidates are sinners, as we all know. And as you say, pride is quite a deadly sin, but it’s also highly visible. We can all see Donald’s sin of pride, and it’s obviously dangerous, not just to America, but possibly for our mental health. (Imagine a world with a news paper column devoted to the insults to foreign powers Donald dolled out each week… )But if Jesus were voting, He would see deep into all the candidates and see all the sins that we miss. He would see all the sins that the pretty shell of a smiling face, quick wit, and selfless actions hide so well. It would be hard to vote if we knew what God knows!
Good points, Oliver. God sees far more than we do. It’s just that Mr. Trump wears his vice on his sleeve.
“Wears his vice on his sleeve… ”
Love it!
😉
While I certainly understand your frustration with the Trump candidacy, the suggestion that Jesus would not vote for him in the 2016 Presidential election is over the top.
With all due respect (and I mean that), neither you nor I have any idea how Jesus would, or would not, vote for two simple reasons. We look on outside appearances, but God looks at the heart. And, God looks at what we can become, not what we are now.
God works in mysterious ways and has used all kinds of people to further His purposes in the world: David started out good and ended up bad; Peter started out bad and ended up good. Would you have voted for Peter in the raw to lead the church? My vote would have been for John.
Trash Trump if you must; that’s your right. But please do not play the “Jesus card.”
I actually agree with everything you just said, Art. I do not know who Jesus would vote for, but I posed the rhetorical question for a simple reason: Trump revels in his vice. It defines him. No other candidate in recent memory has been so proud of his pride. Who knows, maybe Jesus will knock Mr. Trump off of his high horse someday and use him to advance the Kingdom. Stranger things have happened. In the meantime, I’ll choose another candidate with stronger character qualities. Great response, thanks for writing.
I do believe all the ideas you’ve introduced for your post.
They’re really convincing and will definitely work.
Nonetheless, the posts are very brief for novices. May just you please
extend them a little from subsequent time? Thank you for the post.