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Give to Caesar What Belongs to Caesar

Why the Church isn’t meant to be a political movement.



3 min read

Lately, I’ve had this unsettled feeling when I think about the Church in America. It’s hard to explain, but it feels like we’ve started drifting. Like we’ve gone from being a people who follow Jesus to a people who follow political agendas and call it faith.


I don’t mean every church or every Christian, but it’s hard not to notice how deeply intertwined conservative politics and Christian identity have become. So much so that in some circles, questioning the politics can feel like questioning the gospel. Which is wild, but that's where we're at.


The pressure to pick a side is loud. It shows up in the tone, in the fear, in the way some churches talk more about defending “truth” than demonstrating love. I feel it too.


But when I look at Jesus, I don’t see a guy trying to build political alliances or take down His local Roman outposts.

Even back then, people wanted Him to step into the fight. They wanted Him to lead a rebellion. Take down the empire. Reclaim the throne, Jesus!


But He didn’t. In fact, He said, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s” (Matthew 22:21). He didn’t campaign. He didn’t run for office. He didn’t build an army or a political strategy. He fed people. He healed the sick. He welcomed the outcasts. He sat at tables with the wrong people. He washed feet.


And He loved, deeply and without condition. Not just the ones who followed Him, but also the ones who mocked Him.


That kind of love feels hard to find right now.


What’s being called a “revival” in some places looks more like religious nationalism dressed up in church clothes. It’s not transformation. It’s not the gospel. It’s branding and it’s easy to miss how dangerous it is because it comes wrapped in Jesus’ name.


There’s a version of Christianity being promoted right now that isn’t actually about Christ. It’s about keeping power and about creating a spectacle. And it’s subtle enough that people cheer for it without realizing what they’ve lost in the process.


Jesus never asked us to build empires. He asked us to lay our lives down.

Even back then, people wanted Him to step into the fight. They wanted Him to lead a rebellion. Take down the empire. Reclaim the throne.


But He didn’t.


In fact, He said, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s” (Matthew 22:21).


He didn’t campaign. He didn’t run for office. He didn’t build an army or a political strategy. He fed people. He healed the sick. He welcomed the outcasts. He sat at tables with the wrong people. He washed feet.


And He loved—deeply and without condition. Not just the ones who followed Him, but also the ones who mocked Him.


That kind of love feels harder to find right now.


What’s being called a “revival” in some places looks more like religious nationalism dressed up in church clothes. It’s not transformation. It’s not the gospel. It’s branding. It’s PR. And it’s easy to miss how dangerous it is because it comes wrapped in Jesus’ name.


There’s a version of Christianity being promoted right now that isn’t actually about Christ. It’s about keeping power and about creating a platform, a spectacle, a show. And it’s subtle enough that people cheer for it without realizing what they’ve lost in the process.


Jesus never asked us to build empires. He asked us to lay our lives down.

Even back then, people wanted Him to step into the fight. They wanted Him to lead a rebellion. Take down the empire. Reclaim the throne.


But He didn’t.


In fact, He said, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s” (Matthew 22:21).


He didn’t campaign. He didn’t run for office. He didn’t build an army or a political strategy. He fed people. He healed the sick. He welcomed the outcasts. He sat at tables with the wrong people. He washed feet.


And He loved—deeply and without condition. Not just the ones who followed Him, but also the ones who mocked Him.


That kind of love feels harder to find right now.


What’s being called a “revival” in some places looks more like religious nationalism dressed up in church clothes. It’s not transformation. It’s not the gospel. It’s branding. It’s PR. And it’s easy to miss how dangerous it is because it comes wrapped in Jesus’ name.


There’s a version of Christianity being promoted right now that isn’t actually about Christ. It’s about keeping power and about creating a platform, a spectacle, a show. And it’s subtle enough that people cheer for it without realizing what they’ve lost in the process.


Jesus never asked us to build empires. He asked us to lay our lives down.

I don’t have all the answers for where this is headed. But I keep coming back to how Jesus moved through the world. He didn’t ignore truth. He didn’t water it down. But He didn’t wield it like a weapon either. He led with compassion, not control. He was steady, not loud. Clear, not flashy.


He didn’t come to take sides. He came to change hearts.


And if the Church forgets that, I’m not sure what we’re left with.

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