Jesus For President

Funny how we keep trying to vote for Jesus for President. Jesus is not on the ballot. It’s kind of a ridiculous idea, really, considering Jesus would never run for President. But let’s entertain the ‘what if’ because I think Jesus has a lot to say about what we should be looking for. The great irony is that if we look at what Jesus says when he is challenging power, teaching disciples, or speaking to the crowd, is that when it comes down to it, I don’t think we would actually vote for Jesus. Perhaps, what we would want to see as Jesus, but if were to lean in to take a closer look, we are left with finding our own reflection in the mirror. "Mirror, mirror, on the wall..."

What does Jesus for president look like? We can catch a glimpse in the foreshadow of what we should expect as Mary sings in “The Magnificat”, where God’s strength is shown in scattering the braggart, knocking down the powerful while lifting the humble, giving enough to the hungry while the rich are sent away empty. And then at the first campaign rally as Jesus delivers to the hometown faithful, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the prisoners, and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free. And the good news is that I am the fulfillment of this good news that you don’t find so good.”

Then Jesus begins building his team picking a despised tax collector, some guys who fish a lot, and a rebellious zealot. At each campaign stop, Jesus focuses his attention to the despised, unclean, and left out. To the popular, the largest donors, and the connected, Jesus has a special knack for ticking them off as he suggests things such as giving up their front row seats, and a story (or two or three) of greed that weaves together money and camels and needles. When people attempt to purchase influence at a fancy meal, Jesus says instead, ‘when you have these expensive dinners, quit inviting the well connected and your group of privileged friends, but instead invite the misfits, the rejected, the poor—the ones who cannot pay you back.'

When asked to clarify what the most important rules to live by, Jesus says “Love God with your whole selves, and second, we do this by how we love our neighbors (even the enemy ones)." Someone who didn’t like these rules asked, "but who is this person you call neighbor?" And Jesus tells a shocking story where the neighbor, who is the hero to be modeled, is not the pastor, or the evangelical, but happens to be the atheist, the non-religious, or the Muslim—the one who showed mercy. Go and do likewise.

When he runs across some big egos, he tells a story of two who went to church to pray. The church goer who has it altogether prays, ‘God, I thank you I am not like these other people who make mistakes, because I am great and don’t need forgiveness like this outcast.’ But the outcast who is not even welcome inside prays, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’  Jesus says, 'be humble like this guy.’ 

Yeah, I don’t think we would vote for Jesus for President. Shoot, just being himself got him killed. Jesus isn’t running for president. But a good beginning in what we should be looking for in a president can begin with seeking these qualities in ourselves. Because how we treat one another matters. How we take care of others matters. And true greatness?  Can be found in how we serve. 

As November 8th cannot come fast enough, Come Lord Jesus, may we be reminded to be kind to one another. At a minimum, can we please ask the same of our candidates.