Today we observe the Fourth of July and the birth of our nation. Sometimes we remember the historical significance and we might read the Declaration of Independence. We speak of patriotism and sing patriotic songs. Playing Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever” on the stereo is an annual Fourth of July ritual at my house.
Webster defined patriotism as love of one’s country, and the passion with which one aims to serve his country, either in defending it from enemies, protecting its rights, or maintaining its laws and institutions.
Someone forgot to tell that to Jesus. I looked for a passage in the Gospels speaking of Jesus’ patriotism and I drew a blank. In fact, Jesus said very little about nationalism and civil government and our role in it.
The closest thing I could come to was a passage in Mark chapter 12. The Pharisees tried to trap Jesus with a trick question about taxation. “Do we pay taxes to Caesar or not?” Jesus’ response was brilliant. After looking at Caesar’s likeness on the coin they would use for paying taxes, he replied, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar.”
Jesus was not the kind of patriot the Pharisees were looking for. They wanted someone who would organize an insurrection and rid territorial Israel of its hated Roman oppressors so they could establish their idea of God’s country. They were most displeased that Jesus did not even so much as criticize the Caesar, much less organize a rebellion. Jesus was not very passionate about restoring Israel’s fortunes.
Jesus had bigger things on his mind. The vast Roman empire, most powerful civil government ever known, was small potatoes to Jesus. He wanted to establish a new nation without political borders or tribal boundaries or ethnic distinctions. He wanted to establish a government that went far beyond powerful empires. He wanted to bring his kinsmen the Israelites into it, but they were distracted by the little institution they wanted to build. He wants to bring us into that wonderful kingdom, too.
To that end Jesus is a true patriot. He was so passionate about his kingdom that he promoted its laws and ideals. He defended it from the adversary, the devil. He gave his very life that it might advance forcefully in the hearts of men.
Today I hope you we remember our Christian heritage and the significant sacrifices our forbears made to establish a God-fearing nation. But more importantly, I hope we will see beyond the red, white, and blue to the eternal kingdom Jesus seeks to found in our hearts. I pray we will be most passionate about loving, advancing, and establishing Jesus’ kingdom. That is the patriotism of Jesus.
Webster defined patriotism as love of one’s country, and the passion with which one aims to serve his country, either in defending it from enemies, protecting its rights, or maintaining its laws and institutions.
Someone forgot to tell that to Jesus. I looked for a passage in the Gospels speaking of Jesus’ patriotism and I drew a blank. In fact, Jesus said very little about nationalism and civil government and our role in it.
The closest thing I could come to was a passage in Mark chapter 12. The Pharisees tried to trap Jesus with a trick question about taxation. “Do we pay taxes to Caesar or not?” Jesus’ response was brilliant. After looking at Caesar’s likeness on the coin they would use for paying taxes, he replied, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar.”
Jesus was not the kind of patriot the Pharisees were looking for. They wanted someone who would organize an insurrection and rid territorial Israel of its hated Roman oppressors so they could establish their idea of God’s country. They were most displeased that Jesus did not even so much as criticize the Caesar, much less organize a rebellion. Jesus was not very passionate about restoring Israel’s fortunes.
Jesus had bigger things on his mind. The vast Roman empire, most powerful civil government ever known, was small potatoes to Jesus. He wanted to establish a new nation without political borders or tribal boundaries or ethnic distinctions. He wanted to establish a government that went far beyond powerful empires. He wanted to bring his kinsmen the Israelites into it, but they were distracted by the little institution they wanted to build. He wants to bring us into that wonderful kingdom, too.
To that end Jesus is a true patriot. He was so passionate about his kingdom that he promoted its laws and ideals. He defended it from the adversary, the devil. He gave his very life that it might advance forcefully in the hearts of men.
Today I hope you we remember our Christian heritage and the significant sacrifices our forbears made to establish a God-fearing nation. But more importantly, I hope we will see beyond the red, white, and blue to the eternal kingdom Jesus seeks to found in our hearts. I pray we will be most passionate about loving, advancing, and establishing Jesus’ kingdom. That is the patriotism of Jesus.
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