We Christians often ask, “What would Jesus do?” and we know we are supposed to imitate Jesus, becoming more like He is as we reach people with His Gospel. But sometimes we get a little cloistered in our comfy little churches and get uncomfortable with the people outside them to whom Jesus has called us to go. Sometimes we end up just as self-righteous as the Pharisees in Jesus’ physical days.
This makes me wonder, would I get along with Jesus if He came today? Would I even realize He was Jesus? Which makes me wonder this: Am I actually getting along with Jesus right now, or am I getting along with my idea of Jesus?
If Jesus came today like He came the first time, would Christians in churches realize who He is? Would we be like the religious leaders in the Gospels and dislike and even hate Jesus because of all the weirdos and horrible people He would probably be hanging out with? Would we go hang out with Jesus and those people, too? Would we simply stand on the edge and observe, watching it all on the news, maybe showing up just to see things once in a while? Would we be trying to get rid of Jesus, telling Him to go somewhere else? Would we try talking Jesus out of hanging out with those who need Him most, simply because those people are undesirable? Would we talk to Jesus like He doesn’t know what He’s talking about and like we’ve got it all figured out? When Jesus came the first time, He was pretty radical and provocative. I don’t have a reason to think He’d be any different if He came today, and I don’t have a reason to think that humans won’t be humans and get uncomfortable with all the stir.
But since Jesus is actually still alive and well today, working in the world and in His people, then that certainly demands the questions: Are we really getting along with Him? Are we connecting with Jesus Himself? Are we doing what we’re supposed to be doing with our lives and with the Gospel? Are we telling who we are supposed to be telling about Jesus? Are we reaching into all the world, not just by sending money to missionaries, but also by reaching into the lives of the people around us? Do we really know who Jesus is? Are we behaving ourselves as if we really know who Jesus is? Is Jesus proud of us?
Jesus is just as radical and provocative today as He was a long time ago. I’m not saying we need to go running around making nuisances of ourselves just for the sake of being provocative, but I am saying that maybe sometimes we need to stop and think about whether we’re actually doing what Jesus would do. Sometimes we need to stop and think about whether what we think Jesus would do is what He would actually do.
Related:
Would I React Differently?
We’ve Become the Pharisees