Sharing Scripture — January 8, 2022

What motivates people to back certain political candidates, and then stick with them once their flaws become apparent? Neuropolitics, the science that looks at how our brains affect our politics, shows that there are physical differences in the brain, which predispose people to lean toward certain political persuasions. This research also reveals that we tend to support the candidate whose leadership style appeals to us, rather than their positions on particular issues.

Author and psychoanalyst Dr. Gail Saltz analyzed the psychology that motivated the supporters of four of the main presidential candidates in the 2016 election. Looking at the messages of these candidates, she finds that one is anger-based, another is fear-based, yet another is “refreshingly authentic,” and the last one is quixotic. “The goal of each of these candidates is to get their primary voters to come out and vote,” she explains. “To do that you have to emotionally stir them a pretty fair amount. You have to galvanize them.”

Since each candidate displays one main leadership style, no single candidate can appeal to all voters, all of the time.

The book of Hebrews, however, reveals that Jesus truly is all things to all people. The author of Hebrews reminds us that Jesus will fulfill the promises that we find in Scripture. We can be sure of that because Jesus embodies several different roles, and we can embrace whichever aspect of Christ’s character that appeals to us.

Jesus is our King (Hebrews 1:8). Christ is the legitimate ruler not only of this earth, but also of the whole universe. Jesus fills that role for those of us who need strong leadership.

Jesus is our mediator (1 John 2:1). When we need someone to stand up for us in the heavenly courtroom, Christ is that person. Jesus also provides us with a new and better covenant of grace, so we can be free of the fear of legalistic judgment (Hebrews 8:8-13).

Jesus is our champion when we are too weak or wounded to fight life’s battles (Hebrews 2:14-16).

Jesus is our high priest, when we need a comforter and a confidant (Hebrews 5:5-6).

The message of Hebrews is that Jesus is our all-in-all. When we have Jesus, we need no one else.

Applying: If you are involved in a class or small group, explore the ministry strengths that your members exhibit. Is there a significant spiritual gift that you are missing? Can you get the training necessary to fill that gap?