Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”(NIV)

The interactions that Jesus had usually contained a lot of subtlety, and his conversation with Pontus Pilate was no exception. In this brief exchange, Pilate wanted to know one thing – What does Jesus believe politically?

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Jesus refused to fit into an easily defined set of labels, which in this time would have been something like “pharisee,” “Herodian,” or “zealot.” Each of these terms had their own intensely held beliefs, beliefs that Pilate understood and knew how to approach. Jesus, on the other hand, deftly sidestepped Pilate’s inquiry.  

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When Pilate said, “You are a king, then!”  

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Jesus replied, “You say that I am a king.”  

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Not a denial of the title. Not an acceptance. Like many of us, it put Pilate right back to square one trying to define Jesus’ political angle. This response is maddening because we want to know “what are the Jesus-approved political positions?” What does Jesus’ interaction tell us about how he approached politics?  

First, contrary to some opinions, I believe that Jesus does care about politics and good governance. If you are in doubt, read the entire Old Testament. In these stories, we don’t really see God calling someone to step out of politics. Usually, the stories are just the opposite – God calls someone into politics and governance. Therefore, the claim that Jesus wants us to not engage at all doesn’t appear Biblically grounded.  

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Second, that also doesn’t mean that God wants us to engage with politics like everyone else. What should be different about our approach? I believe part of the answer is in Jesus’ exchange with Pilate, and it can be summed up in one word – Perspective.  

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Jesus said that his Kingdom is not of this world. While God cares about good governance prior to his second coming, he also sees the fleeting, temporary nature of our entire existence. He sees that there will be a time in which this entire existence that seems so all-consumingly important to us right now will be like a forgettable dream. This is Kingdom perspective, and it allows us to more clearly define our priorities.  

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With this perspective, we can see the image of God in someone who may be of the opposite political affiliation (insert whichever one is applicable for you). Issues that currently seem all-consumingly important will be put into perspective (not that there aren’t important issues; they are just put into perspective). Issues that we currently don’t care very much about will suddenly become more important.  

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If you are looking for a straightforward answer about how Jesus would vote in any election, or which candidate he would endorse, I believe you will be as vexed as Pilate. Jesus is not the intellectual property of any political party or nation, designed to give a stamp of approval to whatever is being said or done. Instead, he challenges us to change our perspective to see what he sees.

Father, I pray that your hand would be on our nation as we enter this election. I pray that you would give us Kingdom perspective to approach issues and people in our lives in a way that we would be proud of, not just in a few years, but in eternity. Amen.