Politics in the last few years has become very polarised. All sides accuse the others of extremism and wrongdoing. You can be accused of being either too left or too right, or if your views are in the middle, you can be accused of being too indecisive! We are indeed in the era of political extremes.
The left side of politics gathers around the idea of tolerance, mercy, and looking after the disadvantaged. The right side gathers around the idea of justice, law and order, making people accountable for their actions, and so the debates, endless fights and accusations begin.
So, what does the Bible say? How do the scriptures guide us?
In Jesus, we see his compassion and mercy at work, such as his interaction with the woman caught in adultery, and His healing of the two blind men in Matthew’s Gospel.
We also see the other side at work, His calling out the Pharisees in Matthew 23, and we look at his actions when He overturned the money changers' stalls in the temple.
In Jesus, we see the foundational values of both the left and the right sides of politics at work. So, which approach is more Biblical, left or right?!
Psalm 145:17 gives us an idea of God’s view.
The LORD is righteous in all His ways
And kind in all His deeds.
In God, both mercy and justice are in perfect balance.
We see this at the cross. Justice demanded that humans pay the price for the sins they committed: death! God’s mercy sent Jesus as the God/man to die in our place. In the cross, we see both the justice and mercy of God in perfect balance.
(Some years ago, I made a video about 4 reasons why only Jesus could save us. If you are interested in seeing it, you will find it at the link below.)
https://youtu.be/DSbnHOd4Q94?si=UEUuDUAxXEbC5hk5
God wants us to live justly and to live mercifully at the same time. Just like He does!
He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:8
We find it hard to find the perfect balance of these two ideas in a sinful world; that’s why governments change from time to time, and people emphasise the extremes rather than the strengths of the opposing view.
The extremes are not where God dwells because one extreme will try to cancel out the other view, and God wants both views to be active in our lives at the same time.
If we believe that government comes from God.
Be Subject to Government
Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Romans 13:1
Then perhaps when the other guys are elected to office, it is not because they cheated or ran a dirty campaign; it just might be God’s way of bringing balance into our community. To save us from the extremes.
In a sinful world, we will never get the balance right; in God’s Kingdom, the balance is natural because it is an expression of who He is.
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