Jesus Was Political
At our most recent monthly meeting for business there was a lot of talk about whether Jesus was political. Let’s be clear about what we mean by “political.” We’re not talking about partisan politics or electoral campaigns. We’re talking about the broader question of how power is distributed and exercised in society, how resources are allocated, and how human communities should be organized. In this sense, the historical Jesus’ entire ministry was political from start to finish. Jesus started being political in his very first sermon in Luke 4:18–19, where he announces his mission by quoting Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captive and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” This wasn’t just religious talk, the “year of the Lord’s favor” referred to the Jubilee year, when, according to Leviticus 25, de...
