An Unafraid Kingdom

I have a confession. I used to hate the people who disagreed with me

politically. It’s understandable to feel strongly about how we practice

politics. Voting and activism have the potential to bring about much good

in our communities. Politics can also be incredibly scary because we’re

often dealing with life-and-death issues that affect us and our neighbors.

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Here’s the good news: Jesus understands what it’s like to be in the middle

of scary political situations. His homeland was occupied by the Roman

Empire, and injustice was rampant.

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But Jesus didn’t respond in violence toward those who threatened Him. In

the same way, Jesus calls His followers to love our enemiesto pray for

them and to respond to hatred with love and care for the needs of others,

even our enemies (Matthew 5:38-47).

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When we join Jesus’s kingdom, we no longer put our trust in chariots or

swords, weapons or symbols of power (Psalm 20:7; Matthew 26:52). Instead,

our trust is in the living God, our Risen Savior Jesus Christ. He’s the One

who beat sin and death through His own death and resurrection, and He’s the

One who will return to make all things newwith every wrongdoing and

injustice finally taken care of (Revelation 20:1121:5).

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Today, when I’m tempted to hate people I disagree with, I remember Jesus on

the night He let people take Him away to kill Him. When His enemies

surrounded Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, He did not allow His disciples

to lead a violent counterattack. Instead, Jesus stopped, healed one of His

enemies, and moved forward in peace and truth, making the way for

restoration through His very death and eventual resurrection (Luke

22:49-52).

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As Christians, we don’t have to be afraid of changing political systems.

Instead, we can remember we belong to an eternal and unafraid kingdom

through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. His kingdom is built

upon love of God and neighbor, so no matter who is in power, we can

continue to share the good news of God’s love through our words and actions

(Matthew 22:37-40). In Christ, we are free to love our neighborsand even

our enemiesas we follow our unchanging and healing Savior. Aurora Scriver

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Have you ever been tempted to hate your political enemies? Consider

taking some time to bring those thoughts and feelings to God. Your cares

are never too big for Him, and He can help you process even your angriest

thoughts in a way that is safe for yourself and others (1 Peter 5:7).

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The psalms are filled with peoples’ prayers against their enemies,

allowing them to process their hurts and trust that God is at work to bring

about justice. Try praying Psalm 69 about your political enemies. What do

you notice about the psalmist’s hope?

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Amazingly, God is just as patient with us as He is with our enemies.

According to 2 Peter 3:8-10 and John 3:16-17, why is God patient with us?

What are some practical ways you can love your political enemies? (Matthew

5:38-47)

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Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of

the LORD our God. Psalm 20:7 (NIV)

Read Verses:

Matthew 26:36-Matthew 26:55; Luke 22:49-Luke 22:52; Psalm 20:7; Matthew 5:38-Matthew 5:47