On the whole, Jesus’ ministry was not about rebellion or insurrection to the powers that be, in spite of the evil that was felt by the Jewish minority population in the Roman Empire. His gospel message did not need political overtones, because it was about a kingdom that could not be contained by nations or empires regardless of how great they were. The schemes of the nations could neither thwart, nor assist what God was doing. He was not establishing dominion here on earth in any political, economic, family, art, media or any such way. It was an upside down kingdom where greatness was not a value to be sought. So it fit well into a world where greatness was reserved for citizens of Rome alone, and mostly for the upper class nobility of Rome, and was wielded to maximize the greatness of one Roman dictator, Caesar himself. The gospel of servant leadership was not a threat to power-hungry Rome.
In fact, this is why the Jewish religious leadership tried to trap Jesus into an overtly political stance, when they brought to him the issue of paying taxes to Caesar. This issue was polarized in 1st century Palestine, and Jewish revolts were based on refusing taxation. It was a lose-lose question for a Messiah whose intention was non-geographical. Either side with the Jewish Zealots and be locked up by Rome or side with Big Government and disenfranchise his own people.
Instead, Jesus sided with God.
He asked them to bring a Roman coin to him, and he showed them the inscription with Caesar’s name on it, and he said “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s”. Which might sound like a capitulation to Roman rule, but Caesar didn’t actually need Jewish money, he wanted Jewish loyalty. Jesus said, pay your taxes, but be loyal to only God. That was Jesus’ politics.
Blessings,
Pastor Nick
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