Luke 6:12-13 “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles.”
What is this election about? For some voters, their enthusiasm for a brash mold-breaker borders on idolatry. For others, the same leader incites boiling rage and acts of violence. People I know personally are rather far from these extremes. A few may still be weighing things right up to election day. Recently, a famous pastor who sees life through a strongly Calvinistic lens, endorsed the passive approach of not voting on Tuesday, largely based on his revulsion toward both candidates and, I suspect, his theology regarding human volition.
I prefer to accept that there is mystery inherent in God being fully sovereign yet allowing humans the freedom to make real, moral decisions that lead to actual consequences for good or evil. Thus: Should a faithful Christian make a choice in this election or simply stand aside and let others select the next President of the United States? Since God cares deeply about all of our choices, how might he think about this one? Pondering these things, I have filled pages on a legal pad and written at length in my journal. But in this post, I will not rehash those thoughts or what other writers have already eloquently argued leading up to November 3.
Instead, I’d like to take a look at how Jesus chose the imperfect characters he would work most closely with during his public ministry. After spending the night in prayer on a mountainside, he selected twelve men from a wide variety of backgrounds and temperaments. Drawing from the four Gospels, here are several descriptors of the men Jesus chose:
Brash and impulsive: Peter had the audacity to rebuke Jesus to his face (Matt. 16:22), drawing the strongest of responses from our Lord. Later, when Jesus warned that his disciples would abandon him, Peter declared that he never would, even if the other disciples did and even if it cost him his life (Matt. 26:33-35). Despite all the boasting, Peter failed miserably just hours later. Another disciple, Philip, failed Jesus’ test by blurting out a faithless answer without giving thought to the God-Man standing before him (John 6:5-7).
Narcissistic: A short time after Jesus told of his approaching arrest and execution, his disciples began to argue among themselves. When Jesus asked what the quarrel was about, they kept quiet because they didn’t want him to know. He knew. They were arguing about who was the greatest. Their leader was about to die and all they could think about was their own self-exaltation (Mark 9:30-34). At another time, the brothers James and John enlisted their mother to request “a favor” of Jesus. She asked that when he eventually would establish his kingdom, he would place her sons at the very top of the power structure (Matt. 20:20-24). Shockingly, this egotistical request also came shortly after Jesus spoke of his coming death.
Sinful: Levi (aka Matthew) had left his career as a tax collector (Mark 2:14), a despised but lucrative job exploiting fellow Jews on behalf of their Roman oppressors while lining his own pockets. And Levi continued to associate with the worldly and unsavory crowd he’d emerged from (Matt. 9:10-11). Another disciple, Simon the Zealot, on account of that first century moniker, once had a reputation as a terrorist.
Behaving badly under pressure: When Jesus was arrested, Peter recklessly slashed his sword, not at one of the armed soldiers, but at a mere servant (John 18:10). Moments later, Peter and all the other disciples deserted Jesus and fled (Matt. 26:56). Soon after that, Peter did the unimaginable – when questioned, he denied he knew Jesus, supporting his lie with curses (Matt. 26:69-74).
What was wrong with Jesus that he chose these men? Was he not disgusted to be associated with such attitudes and behaviors? Shouldn’t he instead have despised them for their personal flaws, selfish ambitions, bad manners, inconsistencies, and outbursts? Of course he didn’t choose them to be his leader (a logical impossibility), but he did choose them for the purpose of teaching and shaping them for what he wanted to accomplish. They were works in progress. The key was that they remained with Jesus over the years, even when others found it much easier to escape the controversy and walk away (John 6:60-66). Jesus chose imperfect men who repeatedly failed to understand and put into practice what he taught them. But they stayed in close contact with him, respected him, and permitted him to influence their lives.
Since I have yet to encounter any detailed coming-to-faith stories, I’m not making a claim that either candidate is a disciple of Jesus. But each has his influencers. It is very important to consider the beliefs, character, and testimony of the people surrounding each candidate. There was much on display, for example, at their respective national conventions.
One last thing: Jesus warned his disciples that, no matter their background, by associating with him instead continuing in their former ways of life, the world would hate them. John 15:18-19 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” By choosing to take a stand against evil and for righteousness, Jesus’ flawed followers could expect to be misunderstood, mocked, despised, falsely accused, shouted down, raged at, and passionately hated. Think about it.
Father, as Jesus prayed, so will I: Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. I accept your will, whether your divine plan is to bring suffering and restrictions that cause Americans to turn to you, or to retain liberty for your followers to worship and communicate the gospel openly. Currently, examples of both are happening in this world. But while you give us a choice, help me and all your people to choose wisely for good.
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This week: Christian, vote your conscience. But if you haven’t prayed fervently about your decision – even fasted and prayed – do it before Tuesday. Over the past several months, my wife and I have been gathering with a small group of prayer warriors every Monday evening to fast and pray for America. We will continue right up to the moment we cast our votes on Tuesday morning … and keep on praying for our country long after that day becomes history.
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