Whenever election time comes around in the US, the air is filled once again with polarizing partisan rhetoric. It is the candidate's job to paint his or her opponent's views, policies, administration in the starkest of terms when contrasted with his or her own. It's the candidate's goal to convince you and I that he or she will "do a better job," understands the "founding principles of America" better, or isn't an "Washington insider," etc. etc. Furthermore, candidates tell the story of the American dream again, selling us on hope that this is the "land of opportunity," that we can "make it, if we work hard." Each candidate wants us to believe that their election will ensure this outcome, remake the world.

I have a confession: I've bought into this sort of thinking more times than I'd like to admit. I confess that I have too often believed that the election of a particular candidate is the determing factor in my well-being or the well-being of those for whom I care. I've believed that if "those guys" are in office, the world will go to hell in a hand-basket. But if "my candidate" is elected, there will be justice, peace, [add your utopian ideal here]. I confess that I've fallen prey to the seductiveness of political coercion.

Politics in Jesus' day were not all that dissimilar. There were loads of political factions, all vying for power in the world, and in the cities. There were religious leaders who wanted the people to be righteous. There were also religious leaders who merely sought to ensure the status quo wasn't upset, so that they could maintain their lifestyles. There were also religious revolutionaries, ready and willing to take up arms against oppression, injustice. It's even possible the political spectrum in Jesus' day was more partisan, more divided, than our own is today in the US. Nevertheless, in Jesus we see a different politic, a different ethic, a different Way.

Jesus didn't cave in to the political pressures of his day. In fact, he boldly rejected them! When he forms his motley crew of leaders, he drew them from the very polar extremes of the political landscape. On one end, for example, tax collectors represented complete capitulation to the ruling oppressors. Tax collectors were willing to side with the State over their religious and ethnic brethren—even to the point of exploiting them for financial gain. On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, Zealots were revolutionary terrorists, willing to use violent insurgency to remake the world. Jesus calls both tax collectors and Zealots to be his disciples.

In Jesus, the systems of this world have ended for his disciples. No matter what political partly, or philosophy, or camp we claim, Jesus calls you and I to be his disciples instead. When we become Jesus' disciples, we leave behind those labels, those affiliations, and we pledge our allegiance to one King only, one candidate. When we become Jesus' disciples we take up a cross like his, die to ourselves, and to the world, so that we can follow in his footsteps. When we put our hand to the proverbial plow of discipleship, there is no going back. Jesus characterizes discipleship as costly. Jesus demands our complete loyalty; he won't share our hearts with anyone.

This is good news for many reasons, not least of which is this: There is actually only one hope for this world, and it isn't a political party, it isn't a political philosophy like "small government," it isn't even the United States of America. The one hope of the world is Jesus. Only he can actually remake the world. Only he can actually ensure justice, peace and righteousness. Only he is the rightful King. But it isn't because he has superior power to coerce—though he does. Jesus is the rightful King of this world because only the rightful King would be willing to lose his life to save us. Only the rightly King loves us like Jesus.

Following King Jesus is the only cause for which I'm willing to die. I won't be co-opted by the political systems of this world because only in following Jesus is there true liberty, true freedom. The political systems of this world are seductive, but we must reject them all. We must make Jesus our King and serve him only. We must live as his disciples. That is the way the world is being remade.