Jesus and the Government

There is a question about how Jesus would handle or feel about the government's dealing with the poor; i.e., who should be responsible for the poor; the government, the church, the individuals?  And would Jesus weigh in on the Republican/Democrat wrangling over how the government should budget and assist the poor, lower and even middle classes?

I can't say that I have all the answers on this one.  Of course, we always want to go to the Bible to get our answers.  The best way to solve this is to look at what Jesus said, and what He did during His time on earth.  Note these passages:

Matthew 22:17  Jesus was asked, "Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?  He realized that they were trying to trap Him, so He called them "hypocrites."  Then He said, "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, and render unto God that which is God's." 

Matthew 26:8  The woman came and anointed Jesus' feet with expensive perfume.  His disciples asked, "Why this waste."  Jesus answered, "..the poor you have with you always; you will not always have me."  This is just one of the many passages that show that Jesus was not about the physical...but the Spiritual.

Matthew 6:34  Jesus told them not to worry about what they would eat, or drink or wear.  Here again, Jesus is putting the emphasis on the Spiritual, not the physical.

In all of Jesus teaching, He showed that He was not interested in the actions of government.  His interest was in the soul, in serving God, in preparing for the next life.  He did teach about the good Samaritan who reached out to the injured man; taught us to help our "neighbor." 

Jesus lived during the oppression of the Roman Empire.  He could have railed against the abuses; but rather, He showed respect for the government and impressed upon us the need for individual responsibility.

Thanks for reading.  Have a God filled week.