Participants: Mike Leno
Series Code: FC
Program Code: FC000046
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00:30 One of the most important books ever written
00:33 on the subject of politics 00:35 was actually written a long time ago 00:38 in fact it was written in the early 1500's 00:42 by an Italian by the name of Niccolo Machiavelli 00:46 now Machiavelli became famous 00:49 for writing a book called: The Prince 00:52 and in that book he describes 00:55 the politically expedient ways that a prince or 00:59 a king should use in order to stay in power 01:04 Now Machiavelli is controversial even today 01:09 in the way he wrote 01:11 because so many of his ideas make such a good sense, 01:15 I should say they are so practical and that they work 01:18 but at the same time they are rather repugnant 01:22 especially to people who believe 01:25 that a person ought to do the right thing 01:28 no matter what it costs because you see 01:30 Niccolo Machiavelli believed that a prince or a king 01:35 a monarch or anybody else in power 01:38 should do whatever it took 01:41 the ends justify the means. 01:44 For example, he said if you're going to kill people 01:48 which he believed that a prince had to do 01:52 in order to stay in power, 01:54 he said you should do all the severities, all at ones 01:59 and then door? out the benefits and the rewards 02:02 over a long period of time 02:04 he said the reason for that is 02:05 a person will forget about the father that you just killed 02:10 but they will never forget it 02:12 if you confiscate their inheritance, their property. 02:15 Machiavelli said 02:19 overwriting principle of staying in power 02:26 is not the truth, you can bend the truth however you need to 02:30 it's to appear truthful, it's to appear generous to your subjects 02:37 though, Machiavelli's work 02:43 has had a number of interesting applications 02:45 I even found a book for sale recently 02:48 called "What would Machiavelli do" 02:50 written by Stanley Bing?, a columnist for 'Fortune' magazine 02:55 I understand that that's not even his true name 02:58 In his real life he has another name. He works for media company 03:04 but in any case Stanley Bing has written a book called 03:07 "What would Machiavelli do" 03:09 a sort of a satire on the techniques of staying in power 03:12 in the corporate world. 03:14 For example he says the overwriting lesson is to 03:17 always love yourself, never apologize for anything you do 03:21 and when all odds fails 03:22 recognize that the truth is flexible 03:25 so it can be bent any way you want. 03:28 Application: firing people, killing people, 03:32 same rules, different game. So he says. 03:36 What was the politics of Jesus? 03:40 Even long before Machiavelli came on the scene 03:46 people were using his methods. 03:48 Let's follow Jesus about the week before his death 03:55 and let's ask the question: what are the politics of Jesus? 03:59 He was on Friday, just six days before the Passover 04:05 there was a grand feast at Simon's house. 04:09 Now Simon lived in the little town of Bethany 04:12 which was just a little ways away from Jerusalem 04:15 it was a favorite stopping place 04:17 for Jesus and his disciples 04:19 because he could visit with Lazarus and his two sisters 04:21 Maria and Martha. 04:22 Lazarus of course, had been raised from the dead. 04:26 Simon had been cured of leprosy. 04:30 Simon wanted to throw a big party in Jesus honor 04:34 and what better way to do and what better way of 04:37 showing yourself prominently in the neighborhood 04:40 than having some very important guests sitting at your table 04:43 and so he invited Lazarus. I mean how could you do better 04:46 than that! Have a person who'd been resurrected from the dead 04:50 Why that would put your party on the social counter of the day 04:54 Of course all the disciples were there 04:57 Simon was a Pharisee 04:59 so he undoubtedly invited some of his Pharisee friends 05:02 Maybe they weren't at the party 05:07 but in town on that Friday settling in for the weekend 05:12 were a great number of other people from the surrounding area 05:16 You see, Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem 05:20 to attend the Passover feast 05:22 and the crowds of people who would also go to Jerusalem 05:28 to celebrate the Passover realized that this would be 05:33 a wonderful chance to see Jesus. 05:36 and when they found out that he was stopping in Bethany 05:39 they also stopped in Bethany. 05:40 So that, by some chance they could run into him and see him 05:45 and hear him speak 05:46 Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem 05:50 so, they could easily attend the Passover 05:53 even while staying in Bethany. 05:55 and the stage was then set for the most important week 06:00 in earth history 06:01 Out of the entire life of Christ 06:04 only the last three years were recorded in any detail 06:07 of those three years of his ministry, the 06:10 Bible gives more attention to the last week of his life 06:13 than to any other period of time. 06:15 At that feast at Simon's house, you remembered what happened. 06:21 You remember Mary, the woman who had been led in the sin 06:27 had saved up her life's savings 06:30 and then spent it to purchase an alabaster box 06:34 full of the most expensive perfume 06:36 as a gift for her savior 06:38 and during that party she had snuck in unnoticed at first 06:43 and broke open her alabaster box spilling its aromatic contents 06:47 all over Jesus' feet and then 06:49 realizing that she was the center of unwanted attention 06:52 she started weeping and wiping Jesus' feet with her hair 06:55 You may also remember that 06:58 there were two very negative reactions, one by Simon 07:01 and one by Judas 07:02 Judas said 'Why? This was too expensive! 07:06 The money should have been given to the poor 07:09 instead of spend it on such an extravagant gift!' 07:12 Even today we use that argument 07:15 in our pomposity, in our superiority if we see 07:19 money being spent in a way we don't like it spent. 07:22 We say something like: ' 07:24 Well, you know, it should have been spent to feed the poor! 07:28 How can we expend such extravagance 07:30 but you know, Jesus didn't reprove this woman. In fact 07:33 he said:' Whoever the Gospel and whenever the Gospel is told 07:37 the story of this woman will be told in her honor.' 07:40 The other negative reaction of course was from Simon 07:43 Let's go to the background where Simon go! 07:47 Simon had come down of leprosy one time 07:50 and if you read between the lines you wonder 07:56 in fact you strongly suspect that Simon had been the one 08:00 to lead Mary in the sin. 08:02 therefore his leprosy was naturally looked upon 08:05 by the town's folks as the judgment of God 08:08 but one day when Jesus came to Bethany 08:10 He saw Simon outside of Bethany 08:12 crying:' Unclean' as the leprous were supposed to do 08:16 and he healed Simon of his leprosy. 08:20 one more thing about Simon 08:24 he was probably Mary's uncle 08:28 and so Simon knew Mary 08:33 and when he saw Mary break open that alabaster box 08:38 and saw the way she caressed his feet with her hair 08:42 he thought in his heart: 'If this is a true prophet 08:46 if Jesus is really who he says he is 08:49 he would not allow a woman to touch him in that way 08:52 certainly not this kind of woman!' 08:53 but Jesus read his heart too 08:56 and so he told a little parable 08:58 about people that had been forgiven 09:00 one had been forgiven a lot 09:01 and the other had been forgiven for a minor offence 09:04 and then he asks Simon 09:06 'Which of these would love the forgiver more?' 09:09 Simon says:' It's easy; the person who had been forgiven the 09:13 most' and Jesus praised Mary for her gift 09:17 because she after all realized how much she had been forgiven 09:22 if Simon got the point of the parable and we hope he did 09:25 he also had to realize how much he had been forgiven 09:28 Christ could have laid open 09:30 the secrets of his life before everyone 09:34 but Jesus is not that kind of person! 09:38 he didn't take advantage of his knowledge of Simon's life. 09:43 Well, Judas was so insulted by Jesus' comments! 09:51 The Bible says that he went to the chief priests and rulers 09:56 to plot with them to turn Jesus over to them. 10:00 And so by Sunday Morning the stage was set 10:04 for one of the most important confrontations in history. 10:11 the confrontation between the kingdom of evil 10:15 and the kingdom of Christ 10:17 Remember as we go through these moments with Jesus 10:24 these last few days of his life, let's ask the question 10:28 what kind of politics did Jesus have? 10:30 The Pharisees represented: good old Machiavellian politics 10:37 any means to the end desired 10:40 1500 years before Niccolo Machiavelli ever wrote 10:44 they exemplified his philosophy. 10:47 It's interesting that Jesus knew what was ahead 10:53 before they ever got to Bethany 10:56 Jesus had told his disciples exactly what would happen 10:59 He said: 11:00 ' This is going to fulfill what the prophets 11:02 wrote about the Son of man 11:03 He's going to be sent over to the gentiles 11:05 He's going to be mocked, insulted, spit on and flogged 11:09 and finally killed 11:11 and on the third day He would rise again 11:13 Jesus knew what was going to happen 11:15 and He tried to tell His disciples. 11:17 Of course they couldn't get it 11:18 And so, on that Sunday morning Jesus left Bethany 11:23 to head out for Jerusalem 11:26 But first he sent his disciples after a young colt, 11:29 a young donkey 11:30 He instructed them to go to Bethfage 11:33 which was a town very close to Jerusalem 11:36 find a young colt? there that was tied up 11:40 bring it back to him and He would ride it into Jerusalem 11:42 He got on the colt 11:45 now pictures this 11:48 as Jesus is riding the colt towards Jerusalem 11:53 there are two long streams of people coming out to meet him 11:58 one stream of course is behind him, coming out of Bethany 12:02 as people realize that Jesus is now leaving 12:05 He's heading for Jerusalem 12:06 they pack up their bags and they head out of Bethany 12:11 towards Jerusalem, behind Jesus. 12:13 They want to be with Him, they want to follow Him 12:15 They want to see what's going to happen. 12:17 People sensed that this was going to be a confrontation 12:20 of proportions they haven't even imagined them 12:23 the other stream of people was coming from Jerusalem 12:28 and was coming out to meet Jesus 12:31 as Jesus got closer to Jerusalem 12:35 people were singing his praises 12:38 they were yelling their Hosannas, their Hallelujahs 12:42 people were waving the palm branches 12:45 beside him and ahead of him, 12:47 they were laying their coats down in the pathway 12:49 ahead of him and the colt would carry Jesus 12:53 across those coats and those cloaks 12:55 and those blankets all the way to Jerusalem. 12:59 as He came to the top of the mount Olives 13:02 the entire holy city came into view. 13:08 with the sun behind them they could probably see 13:12 the golden dome of the temple illuminated as a beacon. 13:19 and Jesus took one look at the temple 13:22 and he started weeping. 13:24 Luke 19 says that Jesus wept, in sight of the holy city. 13:33 Why did he weep? 13:35 He wept because He realized he had the only answer 13:39 for his people and He yearned to save his people. 13:42 but He saw the impending disaster 13:46 There is a ninth century tradition 13:49 that says that when Jesus got to Jerusalem 13:51 He entered the city from the East through the golden gate 13:55 that leads to the temple 13:56 as that colt carried Him up towards that gate 14:05 those who came out from Jerusalem 14:07 including many of the Pharisees and teachers of the law 14:11 the opponents, the enemies of Christ 14:13 and as they heard the commotion, as they heard the praises 14:16 and the Hosannas, they said:' Jesus, 14:18 won't you make your disciples be quiet? 14:20 Jesus said:' If they are quiet, 14:23 the stones themselves would have to cry out' 14:26 He entered the gate of the city 14:31 He went to the temple 14:34 and then according to Mark 14:37 Jesus went back to Bethany for the night 14:40 Probably He went back to Bethany every night 14:44 during that last week of His life except of course that 14:47 faithful night when they celebrated the Passover 14:50 in the upper room. 14:52 Now let's review what just happened 14:56 the triumphal entry was so grand 15:00 and the Bible records in a good amount of detail 15:04 what Jesus did as He left Bethany 15:07 and stopped on top of mount Olives 15:10 and rode down into Jerusalem. 15:13 encountered the Pharisees and the priests and the rulers. 15:17 But it's also interesting to notice what Jesus didn't do! 15:20 First of all Jesus had to know 15:24 that Judas and the authorities were plotting to kill him. 15:28 and yet he didn't strategize 15:31 to give Himself an advantage over His enemies 15:34 He could have exposed Simon and Judas on the spot 15:37 and even if he didn't expose them on the spot 15:40 He could have exposed their plan later 15:42 when it best suited His advantage 15:44 but you see, 15:47 Judas and the Pharisees 15:49 never did understand Jesus kind of politics 15:51 For them, it was all a power game 15:54 stay in control in order to have power 15:56 if you don't have position and power than 15:58 it doesn't matter how good you are 15:59 you loose 16:01 that's the Machiavellian way 16:03 earlier that year 16:08 the Bible records that a high priest had prophesied 16:11 that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation. 16:13 now, this is fascinating because this is 16:15 one of the enemies of Christ 16:17 and yet he had prophesied that Jesus would die 16:20 for the nation of Israel 16:21 but this is the way he said it 16:23 it's expedient that one should die 16:26 for the people 16:29 they needed Jesus to loose 16:34 in order for them to win 16:38 it was a win-loose philosophy 16:42 they expected everyone to think that way 16:44 and so they couldn't understand Jesus way 16:46 you see, He was willing to die that others might live 16:51 He taught that the first would be last 16:54 and the last would be first 16:56 but the Machiavellian politicians of the day 17:00 they were willing for another to die 17:04 so that they could live 17:06 Jesus was willing to die Himself 17:09 so that others could live 17:11 the second thing that Jesus didn't do 17:14 is that He didn't form any political alliances with anybody 17:18 in order to establish His Kingdom 17:19 He had the perfect opportunity after the triumphal entry 17:22 why couldn't Jesus as He rode into Jerusalem 17:25 on that high day 17:27 He knew He was popular, He knew He had the mandate of the people 17:31 why couldn't He have reached out to those who were in power 17:36 established His kingdom 17:38 converted the nation 17:40 would have been better? 17:42 the Pharisees were intimidated 17:47 we notice in John 12:17-19 17:51 'Now the crowd that was with him 17:55 when He called Lazarus from the tomb 17:57 and raised him from the dead 17:58 continued to spread the word 17:59 Many people, because they had heard that 18:02 hHe had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet Him. 18:05 this is those two groups of people that we are talking about 18:08 the one from Bethany 18:09 and now the ones coming out to meet Him from Jerusalem 18:12 verse 19:"So the Pharisees said to one another 18:15 'See, this is getting us nowhere 18:18 Look how the whole world has gone after Him!' " 18:22 The Pharisees realized they had lost! 18:27 They figured the game was up 18:29 all of their strategies in the backrooms 18:32 all of their secret maneuverings 18:34 even with Judas paying him off a bribe 18:36 to deliver Jesus hadn't worked 18:38 Jesus now had a mandate of the people 18:42 He was so popular 18:44 they knew they could never break His power 18:46 if he keep going the way He was 18:49 but Jesus, even when He had the perfect opportunity 18:55 did not form political alliances 18:58 instead His followers were the poor 19:00 the common people, the lame, the blind and the children 19:03 not the rich and powerful 19:05 to get another glimpse to Jesus' attitude towards politics 19:09 we ca turn to Luke 13:31 19:12 " At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to Him 19:18 'Leave this place and go somewhere else. 19:20 Herod wants to kill you' 19:22 in verse 32 Jesus replied: " Go tell that fox 19:25 ' I will drive out demons and heal people today 19:29 and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal' 19:33 In any case ( he says in verse 33) I must keep going today 19:37 and tomorrow and the next day for surely no prophet 19:41 can die outside Jerusalem!" 19:43 even in the face of certain death 19:47 Jesus was not going to play politics 19:50 not with Herod, that fox as he calls Him 19:53 not with anybody else 19:55 of course the Pharisees themselves 19:57 were probably playing their own little political game 19:59 trying to intimidate Jesus 20:00 by throwing Herod's name at Him 20:03 Jesus was not intimidated by kings or by death. 20:07 Jesus had an authority 20:12 that was beyond all notions of earthly power 20:18 as He exercised this authority 20:21 it was the weak, it was the poor 20:25 it was the crippled and the the lame, the blind 20:29 who responded to Him. Why? 20:31 because they realized their need 20:33 they knew that they needed what Jesus had 20:36 it was the rich, it was the powerful 20:39 it was the self-sufficient, it was the politically expedient 20:44 the politically wise and powerful that didn't need Jesus 20:48 and Jesus would not play games with them 20:51 What is the difference between power and authority? 20:55 Have you ever thought about that? 20:57 power is the ability to make others do your will 21:04 whether they want to or not 21:05 authority, on the other hand is the ability to influence others 21:12 because they recognize that what you say is legitimate and right 21:18 authority means you have credibility 21:21 and the ability to influence action 21:23 because of that credibility 21:25 Jesus had all the power in the universe that at his disposal 21:31 He was after all the Son of God 21:33 but He chose to have authority rather than earthly power 21:37 that is in fact what one of His temptations is all about 21:42 when Satan took Him to a high mountain and said 21:44 "I will give you all the kingdoms of the earth 21:45 just bow down to me" 21:47 but Jesus refused to make political compromises 21:51 with the rulers and the Pharisees 21:54 or with the devil 21:56 you see,Jesus'kingdom is the kingdom of the heart 22:01 He told the people:" The kingdom of God is within you" 22:04 it's not a political power 22:06 the politics of Jesus is all about influence 22:10 not coercion or power 22:12 the result of that influence in our lives 22:15 is called conversion. 22:18 the heart can not be forced 22:21 it can only be won 22:24 and that is the key to Jesus' politics 22:28 the next day was Monday 22:31 four days before the Passover 22:33 Jesus again leaves Bethany an returns to Jerusalem 22:37 on the way He did a very strange thing 22:39 He cursed a fig tree 22:40 Why did He curse the fig tree? 22:42 the fig tree was supposed to have fruit but it didn't 22:47 Jesus went to get a snack on the way to Jerusalem 22:51 and expecting to find figs 22:53 He found a perfectly healthy fig tree but no figs 22:56 and He cursed it 22:57 and it died later 22:59 what He was doing was acting out a parable 23:06 People who are supposed to have the fruit of righteousness 23:10 and don't were like this fig tree 23:12 and that's up the stage for His entrance 23:17 His second entrance into the temple 23:22 let's turn to Mark 11:15-19 23:27 Mark 11 talks about Jesus' second visit to the temple 23:41 and beginning with verse 15 23:44 it says:" On reaching Jerusalem 23:47 Jesus entered the temple area 23:49 and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. 23:53 He overturned the tables of the money changers 23:55 and the benches of those selling doves, 23:57 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise 24:00 through the temple courts 24:02 And as He taught them He said 24:03 'Is it not written 'My house will be called a house of prayer 24:08 for all nations? But you have made it a den of robbers'' 24:12 the chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this 24:16 and began looking for a way to kill Him 24:17 for they feared Him, 24:19 because the whole crowd was amazed at His teaching. 24:22 When evening came 24:26 they went out of the city." 24:28 Once again we have a picture of Jesus exercising authority. 24:35 Now there is a little physical power going on here too 24:38 after all He tipped those tables over Himself, 24:41 He drove the animals out 24:43 but why did He do that? 24:45 was He in fact trying to establish His kingdom 24:50 finally by the exercise of physical power and position 24:54 No! not at all! 24:56 In fact He would willingly end his career and His life 25:00 for the sake of the truth 25:02 Rather than protect the temple 25:04 and make it richer and more prosperous 25:07 He ended the profit making system 25:10 and gave away the benefits to all nations. 25:13 Human politics, especially Machiavellian politics 25:18 is usually, I should say always self-serving 25:22 and self protecting. 25:24 and yet Jesus said: "My house should be house of prayer 25:29 for all nations." 25:30 Cleaning the temple was not Jesus way of taking over 25:35 Had He wanted to He could have 25:37 in fact as the priests and the rulers 25:39 ventured back into the temple 25:40 they expected to see Jesus setting up His Kingdom 25:46 This was His big chance 25:48 and instead they found the sick healed 25:53 the blind restored to sight, the deaf receiving their hearing 25:56 and the crippled leaping for joy 25:59 this was the essence of Jesus kingdom 26:02 His actions were incomprehensible to the 26:05 priests and rulers. why? 26:06 because they knew of only 26:07 one way of acting- Machiavellian self-interest 26:12 as we look at Jesus who He was and what He did 26:16 we realized how corrupt our bodies often are 26:21 our self-protectionism, our pride, our ambition 26:26 fade into nothingness as we look at Christ 26:30 He leads us to glory 26:33 by the road of suffering 26:37 that's not the Machiavellian way 26:39 it's not the road of popularity 26:42 it's not the road of worldly success 26:44 it's not the road of power 26:47 it is however the way of hope 26:50 of peace and of love 26:51 this is the politics of Jesus 26:54 He called Himself the way, the truth and the life 26:58 the way of Jesus makes no sense 27:01 unless you know Jesus 27:03 who is this Jesus? 27:06 Is the Son of God 27:09 His disciples declared:" This is Jesus, the Messiah 27:14 the prince of life, the redeemer of the world " 27:18 and even the prince of the powers of darkness 27:23 Satan himself had to admit 27:25 and acknowledge Him saying 27:27 " I know thee who thou art, the holy One of God " 27:32 The politics of Jesus is not about grasping for power 27:37 the politics of Jesus 27:39 is about influence, the authority of Christ 27:42 to win our hearts to Him 27:43 and giving the benefits of the kingdom 27:46 to everyone, to all nations 27:49 Who do you say Jesus is? 27:51 Is He your savior? 27:53 Will you accept His promise of salvation today? |
Revised 2014-12-17