a tax collector and a zealot

Jesus has called us to love one another but the challenge is that we live in a society where we divide on many fronts. We divide based on race, based on denominations and based on politics. The same was true in Jesus’ day. If you were a Jew in Israel at the time of Jesus there racial divisions between Jews, Gentiles and Samaritans. From a religious standpoint, you could be a Pharisee, a Sadducee, or a host of other religious groups. And back in Jesus' day there were political differences. Take two of Jesus' followers for example. When Jesus calls Matthew, he was a tax collector which meant he was pro the Roman government. Tax Collectors got rich off their own people by collecting more taxes than were owed, using the authority of the Roman government to do it. But there's another follower of Jesus called Simon the zealot. Zealots hated the Roman government and wanted to overthrow them, even by force. From this we learn a powerful principle that says. "That which unites us as followers of Jesus is far more powerful than the myriad of societal issues that try to divide us." Folks, listen, if a tax collector and a zealot can follow Jesus in love back in Jesus' day then a republican and a democrat can follow Jesus in love today.