POLITICS AND FAITH

THE UNSEEN FACE ON THE BALLOT 10–18–20

MATTHEW 22: 15–22 EXODUS 33: 12–33

I. TOUGH QUESTIONS

A. My dad had a way of keeping me humble. Once church I served had services broadcast over the radio. I was feeling special. My dad said, “I’ve always thought you had a face made for radio.” The two passages today have something in common. They are both about a face. In Matthew, Jesus wants to know whose face is on the coin. The religious leaders are trying to trap him. Should we pay taxes to Rome? If Jesus says yes, the people will call him a collaborator with the hated Romans. If he says no, they will accuse him of treason. Whose face is on the coin?

B. In Exodus, Moses wants to see God face to face. He has spoken to God but now he wants an intimate encounter with the Divine. But God knows that Moses could not handle that kind or knowledge. He will have to depend on faith.

C. Let’s face it, some tough questions await us as Americans this fall. Be warned, today I am going to tell you who you should vote for. Uh Oh! What about church and state? What about keeping politics out of the pulpit? That was part of what Jesus was up against in that tough tricky question in Matthew. When he tells them to give the coin to the one whose face is on it, he makes it pretty clear that the money belongs to Caesar, but the person belongs to God.

D. But do the two ever collide? Of course, they do. Jesus spent a large amount of time telling us to care for the poor and the outcast and the stranger. Is that political or spiritual? The answer is yes.

II. ICONS

A. For a Christian, politics and faith cannot be regulated to two separate realms. In our political lives we show something of who we are and whose we are. Who do you belong to? Certainly not the state. When Jesus asks about the face on the coin, he uses the word ICON. It is the stamp of ownership. Caesar demanded to be worshipped. It was not enough for him to rule, His subjects belonged to him and he demanded that they treat him like a god.

B. But Caesar is NOT our god. The ICON that is branded onto us is the face of God. We belong to God. I for one would not like to be the property of anything political. Ronald Reagan once said that politicians like diapers should be changed regularly, and for the same reason. Politics is a slimy business. How do you know if a politician is lying? His lips are moving. We answer to a higher power. We are first and foremost Christians, then Americans, and only then Republicans or Democrats.

C. There are a few words on our coins that give some credit to our Creator. In God we trust. That’s pretty plain, but is it true? And then there is the word LIBERTY. That is a spiritual word as well as a political one. Where we draw the line is not an easy question to answer. Moses wanted to know God in God’s fullness. But he could not see him face to face. He has to depend on a faith that believes without seeing; like we do.

III. CONFLICT

A. Are you a Christian or an American? The answer is both. But what happens when the two are in conflict? What happens at the intersection of faith and politics? We generally like to keep the two streets separate. But they do intersect. Personally, I don’t trust a politician who tells me how to pray and I don’ t trust a preacher who tells me how to vote. But didn’t I say earlier I was going to tell you who to vote for? Yes, I think I did. Stay tuned!

B. Even though it is dead wrong for a church to endorse one candidate over another or to engage in partisan politics, as individuals we do take our faith with us into the voting booth. There are essential issues that are both political and spiritual. They are things like the care of the poor and welcoming the stranger, war and peace, injustice, corruption, the morality of leaders, and dishonesty. Those are Christian issues.

C. I want to say it again. We do not belong to Caesar. There is an old story that has a teacher, a doctor and a politician arriving at the Pearly Gates at the same time. They approach the throne of God and God and says to the teacher” what would you like me to do for you?” She said, “Make it possible for all of the children in the world to get a good education. Then asked the same of the Doctor. “Give good health care to all the people of the world.” Then to the politician approached God on His throne. What would you like me to do for you? “Well first of all you can get out of my chair.”

IV. GOD ON THE BALLOT

A. If there is a conflict between our politics and our faith, it is not really a conflict at all. Our faith comes first. And for individual Christians, faith informs the way we vote. We cannot put our most basic beliefs on the shelf when it comes time to vote. Our faith is personal, but it can’t be kept private. We are not of the world. The icon that claims us is Jesus, not Caesar. But we are in the world to help bring the Kingdom of God into reality. And that includes the way we vote. I will leave you with three imperatives with 16 days until the election. They are don’t hate, trust God and who you should vote for. I think I can hear people getting the tar and feathers ready.

B. First, don’t hate each other. When they asked Jesus what the greatest commandment was, he said, “Love one another.” That includes people who disagree with you about politics and politicians. Let’s re-learn that I don’t hate you just because you disagree with me. When this election if over we are going to have to live with one another and work towards unity. There is no room for hate here. Especially in church.

C. Second, Trust God. I have been doing a lot of worrying about our nation and this election. Then I re-read Jesus before Pilate. Pilate tried to intimidate Jesus with his power. And Jesus said, “The only power you have has been granted to you by my Father.” You see, even when it does not seem to be so, God is in control. Caesar will not dominate my soul. I can’t see God face to face. So, I will learn to trust God who is telling me, “I got this.”

D. And now finally I will tell you who to vote for. I want you to vote for……………… Jesus. You might say that he is not on the ballot. But you would be wrong. His is the unseen face on the ballot, the unseen name on the ballot. You want to do some homework before you vote, read the gospels. Then decide which candidate best represents the teachings and life of Jesus. Neither candidate will do that perfectly, but you and I should vote for the one we think comes closest to that ideal. Pay no attention to the face of either candidate or who owns them. Instead, turn your eyes upon Jesus. Lok full in his wonderful face. Then vote in faith and leave the rest up to God.