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, debts would be forgiven, slaves freed, and land returned to its original owners. Jesus was announcing a radical reorganization of society’s economic and power relations.

This is because, Jesus challenged the status quo

• When Jesus said, “you cannot serve both God and Mammon” (Mt 6:24) he was critiquing the idolatry of wealth that dominated his society (and ours still, today). 

• When he drove the money changers from the Temple, he was confronting a corrupt religious-economic system that exploited the poor. 

• When he told the rich young ruler to sell everything and give to the poor, he was calling for a dramatic redistribution of wealth.

• Even his execution was fundamentally political. Rome didn’t crucify people for teaching religious doctrines - crucifixion was reserved for political rebels who threatened imperial order.

• The sign above Jesus’ cross reading “King of the Jews” wasn’t meant ironically. He was killed because his message of God’s kingdom posed a direct challenge to Caesar’s empire.

The core principles the historic Jesus taught — radical equality, preferential option for the poor, liberation of the oppressed, sharing of resources, nonviolent resistance to injustice — remain deeply relevant to our contemporary political struggles and our Quaker faith. 

So, what does this mean for Quakers, today? 

It means we cannot compartmentalize our faith from our political engagement. If we truly want to follow Jesus’ example, we must:

1. Name and resist systems of oppression and exploitation.
2. Stand in solidarity with the poor, the stranger, and the marginalized.
3. Work for economic justice and equitable distribution of resources.
4. Challenge militarism, nationalism, and empire.

It’s about living out kingdom and Quaker values in the public sphere and working to transform society from the bottom up.  And this is all done through compassionate servant hospitality and LOVE for God and our neighbors. 

So yes, JESUS WAS POLITICAL, and we are being called by his Spirit to be political as well for the sake of our neighbors. 

(Many of the ideas in this post come from, “Of Course Jesus Was Political (And We Need To Be Too),” by Andrew Springer)