By Roland Wrinkle

“That’s a stupid question. Political parties are a modern invention.” Yes, this may very well be a stupid question—but not for that reason. The Jewish milieu in first century Palestine was rife with political parties and Jesus had to “live and move” among them. And these parties were just as contentious and just as divisive as the partisan battles we are experiencing now. Today in America, we have a broad palette of views with which to identify beyond the broad strokes of Republican or Democrat. Within these two broad tents or umbrellas, you can have an affinity for the left or the right, progressive or establishment, tea party or green party, conservative or liberal, small government/little regulation or big government/more regulation, low taxes or wealth distribution, individual responsibility or social justice. It may come as a surprise to some, but it was no different in Jesus’ day. While Jerusalem and Judea were under Roman domination, the nation enjoyed political autonomy, as long as that autonomy did not get exercised in a way that ticked off Rome. And keep in mind, in those days, there was essentially no distinction between religion and politics. One party really liked killing (stabbing) their opponents. Another simply packed up their bags and went to the hills. Others had beliefs and interests strikingly similar to today’s landscape.

From the Bible we can identify six political parties operating in Jesus’ home country at that time:
The Sadducees were the wealthy, land-owning elites who controlled the Temple and its board of governors. This is where they got most of the priests and the high priest. They were clearly conservative in the sense that they fought to keep the status quo in order to preserve their wealth and privilege and cooperated with Rome for the same reason.

The Pharisees, in stark opposition to the Sadducees, were as progressive as their rivals were conservative and were essentially a middle-class movement. They were popular with the masses who generally accepted their interpretation and application of the Jewish Scriptures (our Old Testament) and were the arbiters of both the written and the oral Law.

The Essenes were the third major political party. The Essenes believed the Jewish government was corrupt and illegitimate and, accordingly, withdrew into their own wilderness community to wait for the end of the world and their own vindication. They established a community at Qumran and that’s where we get the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The Zealots shared religious beliefs with the Pharisees. However, the Zealots were rabid nationalists who actively resisted Roman rule of the Jews even to the point of armed insurrection. They were the terrorists of their day.

The Scribes were referred to as “lawyers” and “teachers of the law,” because they were entrusted with the administration of the law as judges in the Sanhedrin (the governing Jewish council, controlled by the Sadducees).

The Herodians: were a political group from the family of Herod. They derived their authority from the Roman government, and favored Greek customs. They were committed to maintaining the status quo and were law and order advocates.

And then there’s us: The ‘Am Ha-aretz. “The vast majority of the population in Jewish Palestine.… did not have an active affiliation with any of the Jewish sects. Most people accepted the views of the Pharisees on the interpretation of the law, …and they made up probably 90 percent of the crowds and multitudes to which John the Baptist and Jesus preached.”(Robinson, The Gospels, p. 29).

So, with which political party did Jesus identify? Who did he regularly vote for? To which party did he write checks? None, of course. HE BLASTED:

The Sadducees for not believing in the resurrection of the dead and lining their own pockets at the expense of the poor and destitute. He called them (and the Pharisees) “You brood of vipers.” He “silenced them.” They were the ones who had Jesus arrested. (Lk 20.27; Matt 22.34; Mark 14.43).

The Pharisees for being hypocrites and pompous about their righteousness while doing nothing to help widows and lepers. They were experts in the Law of Moses but never followed the spirit of the Law in their own lives. “They pile heavy burdens on people’s shoulders and won’t lift a finger to help.” It was these religious elites who begged Pontius Pilot to crucify Jesus. (Matt 23.3 [where Jesus describes the “Eight Woes” of the Pharisees]; Lk 11.37; Mark 12.35; Luke 20.45)

The Scribes: See “The Pharisees.”

The Essenes: the New Testament doesn’t mention the Essenes, so this is me offering an opinion. The Essenes took off to Qumran to await the Messiah but the Messiah and already come and they missed it. They were dualists (gnostics) who believed that God’s Creation was bad and, like Plato, they could aspire to achieve a higher and purer status in the heavens where the essence within them could be fully realized once shed of the corrupt flesh of the body. But Jesus affirmed the goodness of Creation (after all he created creation and declared it “good”) and taught that whoever wanted to follow Jesus had to live in brotherly love with the outside world and not withdraw from society. (Matt 28; John 1.1; Col 1.16; Matt 5).

The Herodians: Herod is the one who had Jesus’ cousin, John the Baptizer’s head chopped off and did all he could to side with Rome against Jesus. He was also the perpetrator of the “slaughter of the innocents” in Matt 2.

So, how does this inform our vote? Well, we pray, “May your Kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Right? So do that. Whatever your vision of the Kingdom of God is, let that vision guide you when you punch the chits and chads on the ballot. Don’t leave your discipleship at church on Sunday when you interact with the temporal, secular body politic. Give it a lot of thought. This may very well lead you in the direction of what some would call a conservative, liberal, Republican or Democratic candidate or cause. How was Jesus critical of the various political parties of his own day? What does that tell you about the vote you are currently considering? There should be no separation of faith and suffrage. Our faith should shape everything in our lives, including those whom and that which we vote for. And I certainly don’t mean that we should vote for someone based on the candidate’s claim to be a Christian. It is the goals and purposes of Jesus that should be influential and those ends can be served broadly by many.
And, finally, keep in mind, after the votes are counted and CNN goes to bed, the rather surprising advice offered to us by the Apostle Paul in Romans 13:

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. … Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing.

Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matt 11.28). Sometimes I think that passage seems pretty hard to understand.