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Donald Trump recently published a picture on Truth Social—which has since been deleted—in which he is clearly presented as being someone like Jesus Christ. It’s impossible not to view this as being anything but blasphemy, and hence it’s only right that he has since deleted it.  

Some Christians, such as Mike Foster from Answers in Genesis, have argued on social media that the picture is a political parody of the current ‘Woke Pope’ who is an outspoken critic of the Trump administration. However, Donald Trump himself has said he was presenting himself as a ‘doctor’ and that to consider him as any kind of religious figure is an example of, ‘fake news’. 

I’ll leave it for you to decide, but I’ve never seen any kind of medical professional pictured like that! I mean, why is he wearing a red religious shawl—much like the Pope routinely wears—rather than a stethoscope? 

What’s more, who’s the sick person he’s supposed to be healing? I’m not into conspiracy theories, but as some people have pointed out, he looks an awfully lot like Jeffery Epstein. And don’t get me started on the weird, angelic figures coming down from the sky behind him…

While far from being the greatest President ever—regardless of what he might claim—Donald Trump has done many things which I think we can be grateful to God for. For example, pushing back against D.E.I, boosting the economy and securing the border. But that doesn’t mean his political competency should provide cover for his lack of many glaring character flaws. 

The ‘Greatest Sin’

Trump often glories in his list of achievements in a way which would make even the greatest world leaders in history blush with embarrassment. Trump’s greatest flaw is his hubris or pride, and this is also the most serious. C. S. Lewis argues in chapter 8 of Mere Christianity, pride is the ‘great sin’. As Lewis explains:

I now come to that part of Christian morals where they differ most sharply from all other morals. There is one vice of which no man in the world is free; which everyone in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else’ and of which hardly any people, except Christians, ever imagine that they are guilty themselves. I have heard people admit that they are bad tempered, or that they cannot keep their heads about girls or drink, or even that they are cowards. I do not think I have ever heard anyone who was not a Christian accuse himself of this vice. And at the same time I have very seldom met anyone, who was not a Christian, who showed the slightest mercy to it in others. There is no fault which makes a man more unpopular, and no fault which we are more unconscious of in ourselves. And the more we have it ourselves, the more we dislike it in others. 

The vice I am talking of is Pride or Self-Conceit: and the virtue opposite to it, in Christian morals, is called Humility. You may remember, when I was talking about sexual morality, I warned you that the centre of Christian morals did not lie there. Well, now, we have come to the centre. According to Christian teachers, the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind. 

Other political leaders might have all kinds of significant short comings, but the sin of pride is the most disastrous of all. Why? Because like a moral cancer it infects everything else it touches. 

By the way, it’s also why the biblical qualification for a man who would seek to be an overseer or ‘elder’ in God’s church involves his character (see 1 Timothy 3; Titus 1). The primary competency Scripture says is that he must be “apt to teach” (1 Tim. 3:2; 2 Tim. 2:24).

Eat Grass!

Daniel chapter 4 is particularly apposite right now to all of this. There we read of Nebuchadnezzar, the pagan King of Babylon, who was completely puffed up with pride. Nebuchadnezzar was given a dream which prophetically announces his own downfall and future restoration. Central to the dream’s message is this truth:

The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men. (Daniel 4:17)

Despite the dream’s warning—and explicit explanation—its content is fulfilled. Nebuchadnezzar is divinely humbled and in the midst of him glorying in his great power and wealth, while the “words were still on his lips”, see Daniel 4:31. In short, Nebuchadnezzar loses his mind and for “seven times” he is reduced to eating grass like a dumb beast until he will “acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes.” (Daniel. 4:32)

I sincerely pray that Donald Trump comes to a real and saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I’m praying that in His infinite mercy and divine sovereignty the Greatest King of all Kings might humble this small, but extremely proud, king to humbly confess His Name. 

The LORD did it for Queen Elizabeth who confessed Christ Jesus as her Saviour, and I’m hoping that He will do it not just for her son King Charles, but also for the President of the United States and Prime Minister of Australia as well. Would that they all would bend the knee and acknowledge that Jesus alone is Lord! As we read in Philippians 2:5-11,

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,

Did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

But made Himself nothing, 

Taking the very nature of a servant,

Being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

He humbled Himself

And became obedient to death – even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place

And gave Him the name that is above every name,

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

In heaven and on earth and under the earth,

And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is LORD,

To the glory of God the Father. 

– Mark Powell