NO INTEREST IN POLITICS
Once some Jews came to tempt Him. They asked whether or not it was right to pay tax to Caesar. The Romans were a belligerent nation and their emperor a tyrant. How did Jesus answer them? He said, "Render then the things that are Caesar’s to Caesar and the things that are God’s to God." What He meant was that He was not interested in politics. He swept all worldly things aside. This is our Lord. If He had wanted to overturn the rule of Rome, it would not have been difficult. But His eyes were not on those things. He emphasized only one thing—to believe in Him. We have to believe in Him.
He said that He is the good Shepherd who left ninety-nine in the fold and went to seek for one lost sheep. He is like a woman who has ten pieces of silver but loses one. She lights up her candle and combs through her house until she finds it. He said He is also like a father, who cannot be at rest until his little prodigal son comes home. His purpose is to save men. He has no intention other than this. He never touched social problems. His object is man. All He wants is to save him and secure him.
PAUL’S CONCERN
Then let us turn to His apostle Paul. What kind of work did he do? Never once did he try to change the social order. He came only to solve man’s spiritual needs and settle the spiritual problems of the church. He had no concern for the political issues of the day.
In those days Rome ruled over its empire with an iron fist. History tells us that they had an inhuman institution of slavery. Not only was it lawful to trade human beings publicly, but they could also beat or even crucify the slaves at will. What did Paul command the Christians to do? He said that the slaves should be obedient to their masters, and not only to the good ones, but to the ill-disposed and cruel ones as well. Did Paul lack the courage to stand up against the slave system? All who have read Paul’s letters would agree that if there was a brave person in this world other than Jesus of Nazareth, it had to be Paul.
SOLUTION TO ALL PROBLEMS
Today God is saving individual men. When they are saved, many other problems will be solved spontaneously and naturally. Among the Christians, there is no difference between the Jews and Greeks. Neither is there the distinction between free men and slaves, or a discrimination between the rich and poor. Even deep-rooted enmities between races and nations are dissolved among them. The Jews have the strongest national pride. They consider the Gentiles to be dogs. They are the most segregated people. But immediately after they come to the Lord, they are brought together with Christians of other cultures. All tensions and conflicts are dissolved.
(The Normal Christian Faith, Chapter 15, by Watchman Nee)
