Just recently I went to a church revival. I didn't want to go, but a friend of mine thinks my sould needs to be saved. Saved? From what? Am I that spiritually dead that I need something to fill a 'void' in my wretching soul. I don't think so, but they do. I humored them.
At the revival they were spouting out propaganda for the appocalypse. The end is near. The war rages on in the holy land and he will come down to save us, so on and so forth. After listening to them for a while I asked the preacher in charge, "What would Jesus do?" I got alot of answers out of the bible from the preacher. There were people in the crowd that gave me jaded answers. It was what they would do. I asked them if they met Jesus. No? Then how do they know what would Jesus do? The preacher turned back to the bible, flipping through it frantically until he found some passage that he liked. I raised my hand again and said, "That's what Jesus did! You're looking up history. In all my life I haven't found anyone that actually knows what Jesus would do."
So I pose this question to everyone here on Progressive U...Do you know what Jesus would do?
The Iraq war rages on. The United States has overstayed their welcome. Soldiers are dying for a lost cause. What would Jesus do about the Iraq war if he were here?
Everyday the new is filled with awful stories of murder, rape, child abuse and neglect, dirty politics, bad business ethics gone wrong....wicked human nature that Jesus would forgive if you ask him to? But what would he do if he were here? Asking for forgiveness after doing the evil things we do is easy? Is that enough? What would Jesus actually do to save us from ourselves?
Would Jesus save the endangered species and clean the air or fix the hole in the ozone layer? Or is earth just meant to deteriorate? Would Jesus save our planet?
Would he cure the uncurable diseases like HIV/AIDS?
I know that the WWJD phenomenom came around as a basic reminder to live our lives according to the bible and Jesus. A reminder to forgive and turn the other cheek, love your neighbor, and be good to hookers throughout our everyday life. It's a cute catch phrase, but I don't think that anybody actually thinks about what he would actually do?
What would Jesus Do?
Most of what he did that we know is talk. The only acts of suppressing evil were against money changers in a church as I recall.
This seems to be the closest thing I can recall that applies to your question.
Matthew 12
34O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
35A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
36But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
This is not to say that you or your Christian freinds are either. That can only be seen from your actions. It does seem to say that if you are trying to do good, then the things you say will represent good, and if your own evil greed fills your heart then that will come out as well.
So if you hear a person being kind, and suporting good and helping their fellow man that is a good person. If a person is being hateful and mocking others that also tells you something. How you spend Sunday mornig is not a determining factor, it is the other six days while you are doing all you are able.
What would Jesus do?
Love God
Love his neighbor
Love his enemies
Show mercy
Encourage others to be good through his actions
Confront evil
Repent from false beliefs
You already knew all of that why did you ask?
"Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much."
Oscar Wilde
I ask because the most religous of people seem to forget what Jesus actually stood for and what he did. But what he did then doesn't tell me what he would do today in our time. The troubles of the world when Jesus walked the planet almost seem insignificant compared to the troubles we are faced with today. People take for granted so many things that Jesus taught and use the bible as a weapon for their own agenda. I don't think that's what Jesus would do, but that's what alot of people who claim they represent him do. I think it's a valid question.
I have never failed. I have successfully discovered 10,000 ideas that don't work.
-Thomas Edison
the ideas were what it seems he wanted people to learn from, they created a bunch of superstition to make it more like their older religions. He did predict that it would happen, and gave a simple way to evaluate the faithfulness.
"By their works shall you know them"
It is just too simple for people.
I do not agree with this:
"The troubles of the world when Jesus walked the planet almost seem insignificant compared to the troubles we are faced with today."
Are you kidding?
Slavery was universal, most 'free' people were indentured, or were serfs.
Nearly half of the children born died before they grew up.
Religion was mandatory, including required tithes in most societies.
Capital and corporal punishment was the rule.
If a Roman soldier killed you there was little chance of any punishment for the deed.
Women were slaves to their husbands.
The wrong words could result in your execution.
Starvation was a part of the normal cycle.
14 hour work days were considered normal, and ONE day off per week was the norm.
I could go on, but I think you get the picture.
If you think the Iraq war is bad, with one of the lowest casualty rates in history, read a little about this one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Jewish-Roman_War
A strong argument could be made that Jesus added a little to the improvements, but that is another blog.
"Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much."
Oscar Wilde
I completely agree with you that they problems then are just as bad as they are now. I should rephrase what I mean when I say problems. I was thinking in terms of human nature. Then there was slavery, execution, corporal and capitol punishment, but it's almost like they didn't know better. That's the way it was then, but we've come so far. But human nature now seems darker and more evil over all. There's hate crimes, descrimination, and I don't want to even get started on the sick twisted desires of child molesters...that's not even counting the wars and countries that are being torn apart right now (I'm not just talking about Iraq). It just seems there is more and more of that type of thing going on. It's sick and evil and that's what I meant that our problems now seem to be more than what they were then.
I have never failed. I have successfully discovered 10,000 ideas that don't work.
-Thomas Edison
Human nature is pretty much identical now and then. I think any perception that things are worse today is a result of MUCH better press coverage.
The ray of hope that I think makes things better is education. A great deal of ignorance and cruelty still goes on, but it is not nearly as universal as it once was.
"Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much."
Oscar Wilde
Good point. I concede. I just hope more and more people realize what Jesus would do. But ignorance is bliss. People would rather walk around blind to the truth because that's what they're confortable with. Thanks for your time and your wisdom!!
I have never failed. I have successfully discovered 10,000 ideas that don't work.
-Thomas Edison