Common ground 2

Dear Friend,

Thank you for your thoughtful and engaging response, which I received. Your reflections demonstrate a deep commitment to wrestling with the implications of Jesus’ teachings, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue this conversation in the spirit of mutual edification. Your thesis that Jesus was apolitical, framed through the lens of perception as illusion and forgiveness as healing, offers a stimulating perspective. While I find much to affirm in your passion for Christ’s transformative power, I’d like to gently probe some points and offer a perspective shaped by Reformed convictions, particularly Abraham Kuyper’s doctrine of sphere sovereignty and the comprehensive lordship of Christ.

Affirming Common Ground

Your emphasis on Jesus as the ultimate healer, restoring wholeness through forgiveness, resonates deeply with my of salvation as a holistic restoration of our relationship with God (Col. 1:19–20). Your insight that healing moves us toward holiness echoes the Reformed doctrine of sanctification, where the Spirit conforms us to Christ’s image (Rom. 8:29). I also appreciate your focus on perception shaping interpretation, acknowledging that our fallen minds often project our desires onto reality. The Reformed tradition, with its commitment to the noetic effects of sin, affirms that our understanding is clouded apart from the Spirit’s illumination and the authority of Scripture (1 Cor. 2:14).

Your recognition of paradox in Jesus’ teachings is another point of convergence. Like you, the Reformed tradition embraces paradox—not as contradiction, but as a reflection of God’s infinite wisdom transcending human categories. Your statement that “there is nothing outside of God” aligns with Kuyper’s bold claim that Christ’s sovereignty extends over every sphere of life, proclaiming “Mine!” over all creation. This shared conviction provides a good foundation for our discussion.

Engaging the Apolitical Thesis

Your core argument seems to be that Jesus was apolitical, with politics being part of the illusory world of perception that He transcends. You interpret Matthew 22:21 (“Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s”) as a call to reject material idols (coins) in favor of our heavenly inheritance, emphasizing the spiritual over the temporal. This reading rightly highlights Jesus’ redefinition of power and authority (John 18:36), but I’d suggest that, in the Reformed tradition, Jesus’ teachings engage politics as part of God’s created order, not as an illusion to escape.

As alluded too in my previous reply, Kuyper’s sphere sovereignty offers a helpful framework here. He taught that God ordained distinct spheres—family, church, state, etc.—each with its own authority under Christ’s lordship. The state, while fallen, is not illusory but a God-given institution for justice and order (Rom. 13:1–4). When Jesus acknowledges Caesar’s claim, He affirms the state’s limited role within God’s economy, not as ultimate but as subordinate to divine authority. This doesn’t endorse Caesar’s idolatry but recognizes that even flawed structures serve God’s purposes. For Kuyper, Christ’s kingship doesn’t abolish politics but calls Christians to redeem it through faithful stewardship, promoting justice and the common good.

Your analogy to Socrates is insightful—both he and Jesus challenged cultural powers without holding office. Yet, Jesus’ proclamation of God’s kingdom (Mark 1:15) had political implications, subverting earthly authorities by asserting God’s reign. His actions, like healing on the Sabbath (Mark 3:1–6), disrupted social and religious hierarchies, confronting the status quo in ways that were not apolitical but prophetic. Kuyper would see these as evidence of Christ’s lordship over every sphere, including politics, which Christians are called to engage without idolizing.

Perception, Reality, and Creation

Your view of perception as projection, creating illusions like sickness or politics, raises questions about reality. You argue that Jesus repurposes perception for healing, revealing the truth of God’s kingdom. This resonates with the Reformed emphasis on renewing the mind (Rom. 12:2), but I’d caution against equating the material world with illusion. In Reformed theology, creation is good, though fallen (Gen. 1:31; Rom. 8:20–21). Politics, as part of God’s created order, is marred by sin but redeemable. Kuyper’s vision encourages Christians to engage temporal realities, not to escape them, trusting that Christ is reconciling all things (Col. 1:20).

Your interpretation of healing in Mark 2:5, where forgiveness liberates from false beliefs, is compelling. The Reformed tradition would agree that forgiveness restores wholeness, impacting every sphere. For Kuyper, this includes politics, where Christians apply gospel principles to advocate for justice and mercy. Your call for forgiveness in all spheres aligns with this, suggesting that politics, while not ultimate, is a field for Christ’s redemptive work.

Simplicity and Faithful Engagement

You note that your interpretation’s simplicity inspires joy, optimism, and love, a beautiful measure of theology’s fruit (Matt. 7:20). The Reformed tradition values clarity in proclaiming the gospel but also embraces the complexity of applying it to a fallen world. Kuyper’s framework invites us to navigate politics with humility, not as an illusion but as a sphere under Christ’s lordship. Your question—whether an interpretation yielding joy and love needs correction—is reflective. I’d suggest that truth, not just fruit, must guide us, and Scripture, illumined by the Spirit, is our standard.

An Invitation to Continue

I’m grateful for your desire to “chew on this” before adding more, and I share your commitment to digesting this fully. Our differences hinge on whether Jesus transcends politics as illusion or transforms it as part of creation.

Thank you for this enriching exchange. May we continue seeking Christ’s truth together, guided by His Spirit (John 16:13). Another area of possible discussion would be “Dominion” found in (Genesis 1:26; 2:5). The word dominion is used in the KJV. Some believe this translation is misleading, leading a license to rape and pollute the earth. 

In His service,

Jack