WWJD?
Talk about your catchy pop Christianity, asking WWJD is seriously in some folks' habit pattern when faced with a decision. Not that it's a bad question, it's just that so many people (most of us, like me) make assumptions as to what he'd do that are just silly. Trying to guess at the mind of God is folly. We will only know what he chooses to reveal to us. He offers us examples from the scripture. Would Jesus go to or host a party with alcoholic drinks? At the wedding in Cana, he brought the booze. Would Jesus pay taxes to a government that condoned, even funded the killing of innocent babies? He said, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God's." He also reveals his character to us through his holy spirit. Prayer is a two-way conversation.
WWJD? Certainly, he'd come as a conquering king and deliver them from Roman oppression. Wouldn't he? Surely he'd be a political activist to try and overrule the injustices of our land and stomp out all the immorality? Wouldn't he? I bet he'd be a Republican. Wouldn't he?
Rather than asking WWJD and "taking a stand for Christ", these days I'm more apt to ask what's more important, my agenda or the people it affects? Are people drawn to activists or neighbors? Did Jesus take issue with Roman law or did he eat dinner with the short tax-collecting guy? Did he protest houses of ill repute or did he forgive the sinful woman? Making The Almighty God fit into our political viewpoint is exactly how the Jews missed their Messiah. It's dangerous to start thinking Jesus would like our ways more than someone else's. It's risky to believe we are right. The truth is that when Jesus comes back (and even he didn't know when that would be), it may look very different than what we expect. "I can see it now--at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, 'Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.' And do you know what I am going to say? You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don't impress me one bit. You're out of here." Mat 7:22,23 The Message
WWJD? Certainly, he'd come as a conquering king and deliver them from Roman oppression. Wouldn't he? Surely he'd be a political activist to try and overrule the injustices of our land and stomp out all the immorality? Wouldn't he? I bet he'd be a Republican. Wouldn't he?
Rather than asking WWJD and "taking a stand for Christ", these days I'm more apt to ask what's more important, my agenda or the people it affects? Are people drawn to activists or neighbors? Did Jesus take issue with Roman law or did he eat dinner with the short tax-collecting guy? Did he protest houses of ill repute or did he forgive the sinful woman? Making The Almighty God fit into our political viewpoint is exactly how the Jews missed their Messiah. It's dangerous to start thinking Jesus would like our ways more than someone else's. It's risky to believe we are right. The truth is that when Jesus comes back (and even he didn't know when that would be), it may look very different than what we expect. "I can see it now--at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, 'Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.' And do you know what I am going to say? You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don't impress me one bit. You're out of here." Mat 7:22,23 The Message
posted by Amy at 9:13 AM
4 Comments:
LOVE it! Thanks for the reminder. Miss you guys.
Dave, hello from above the ocean! I'm back and look forward to talking to you. I hope all is well with you, Amy, and the kids (yay for teens!) Do you know? We're having a boy! He's growing and kicking up a storm-Jules is in the 3rd trimester already! Talk to you soon.
Your friend and brother in Christ,
steve
Yeah, well said and worth saying. You guys should move to Vegas or something.
"Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Mat 7:21)
I actually spend a lot of time wondering what Jesus would do - or more accurately, what Jesus would have me do. Of course doing it in every situation is another story!
Let's have beers someday - I have some cool Moroccan stuff for you.
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