PALM SUNDAY AND POLITICS? PART I

‘You will be a forest-dweller here for only a short time, and then with me you will eternally be a citizen of that Rome whence Christ is Roman’ Purgatorio xxxii

Recent article by Isaac M. Morehouse would have Our Lord and Saviour indifferent to the world of politics, and I might add, indifferent to the governing authority of the Romans. According to the author, it is as if Our Lord and Saviour is promoting libertarianism and teaching his disciples on the art of distancing oneself from the realm of politics. According to the author this libertarian doctrine of Christ can be found by studying Our Lords entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

Now as far as I can discern from reading modern conservative and libertarian views on the governing authority of the Romans during the time of Christ, one comes to the conclusion that Jesus Christ and his disciples took no account of the importance of the authority of the Roman Emperor. Since the authority of the Roman Emperor is now in the dust bin of history and of no concern to modern men today then it stands to reason that Jesus Christ himself dismissed this Imperial Authority as well. Modern men have no need to be governed by Imperial authority, so therefore Jesus Christ had no need as well. This is the modern conservative and libertarian view of Imperial Authority, so one might as well project that same anti-imperial mind set on God himself. So if one takes this prejudice view of Imperial Authority, that it is not necessary for governing men, then one would most likely project this view on to others when reading the life of Jesus Christ and his disciples. Basically if ones view is already clouded by xeno-imperialism then it will show in ones interpretation of Divine Scripture.

Now if there is one necessary thing that I have learned from those medieval writers such as Dante and William of Ockham who defended the rights of the Roman Emperor against the abuse of the Roman Pontiff, it is this: Read Divine Scripture for what it is. Add no more than is necessary to the words that are already found in Divine Scripture. This is the easiest way to win the argument for Imperial Authority against those who would add too much to the words of Divine Scripture when defending the ‘temporal authority’ of the Roman Pontiff. If it is not found in Divine Scripture, if Our Lord did not give the example or speak those very words, then one is adding their own personal opinion, which of course is easily dismissed as simple opinion and not authoritative pronouncement of Divine Scripture. So, hey, if it is not found in Divine Scripture, then it is not an argument from Divine Scripture. So many arguments are won just by pointing out what is actually written down in those passages of Scripture one is using to defend one’s position.Now to set the scene of the events that took place on Palm Sunday, using the very words of Divine Scripture: Jesus was near Jerusalem, five days before His Passion:

‘he added and spoke a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately be manifested.’

Here are the very words found in St Luke, Jesus because he is God knows all things. He Knows what his disciples are thinking. He knows the errors that his disciples have embraced. One Office of Christ is to teach. He teaches using parables. He now is about to teach his disciples on the parable of the pounds. Now I do not intend to comment on the whole meaning of this parable, but just a few lines to show the contrasting world views of Isaac M. Morehouse as opposed to the teachings of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

First Mr. Isaac M. Morehouse view on the libertarian meaning of Palm Sunday, a view that would have Christ promote only the use of spiritual solutions to the world’s ills and general immorality as opposed to the use of authoritative political force to bring about peace and justice.

‘Let us never forget that the freedom He brings transcends this world, and His peace cannot be attained or spread by force.’

Yet in the very parable of Our Lord before he entered into Jerusalem, he tells his disciples the opposite of what Mr. Isaac M. Morehouse claimed in his article that Jesus Christ and His peace cannot be attained or spread by force.

‘ But as for those my enemies, who would not have me reign over them, bring them hither, and kill them before me. And having said these things, he went before, going up to Jerusalem.’

Now reading the above words from the very lips of God himself, it is evident that the second Person of the Blessed Trinity was certainly not teaching contempt for authoritative political force, no instead he was teaching his disciples on the necessary use of force to bring about peace and justice to a kingdom. He was advocating the neccessary use of force.