Author Topic: Some random thoughts on "What would Jesus do?" (Read 2052 times)

stefferweffer · « **on:** February 11, 2011, 09:58:23 AM »

Several years ago someone came up with this catchy proverb. I have nothing against the proverb itself. It is an absolutely biblical concept. Jesus is our example, and as Peter wrote, "we should follow in His steps." When we talk about being "Christ-like", we mean that we want to be more like Him, to the best of our ability.

But it didn't take long for the phrase "What would Jesus do?" to be used in ways that I feel lessen the weight of His example, and distract us from what is most important. The phrase is thrown around today, usually by well-meaning religious people, but regarding rather trivial things.

I was reminded of this recently when someone said "Jesus wouldn't play such and such a game", while implying that He'd play a different game. And I was left thinking two things - 1) How do we presume to have any idea what Jesus would do in that situation?, and 2) How do we know that Jesus would play ANY game?

We hear things thrown out there like "Jesus wouldn't have the biggest house in town. He'd have the modest one over there." I get the concept - that Jesus would not obsess over worldly goods, but how do we know that He'd have a house AT ALL? He had "no place to lay His head" during His earthly ministry before, why would it be different if He were on the earth now? Entertainment - "Jesus would not go see R rated movies" (I agree), "He'd go see the G and PG movies" (Really? What verse or example do you use to show that He would do that?) Many also presume that Jesus would go to sporting events, play games, use the internet, read fictional stories, wear certain types of clothing, etc - despite no evidence that I am aware of for this. The problem with this is that people start focusing not just on what Jesus would NOT do (which I think is appropriate), but also start ASSUMING Jesus would participate in things that WE like to participate in. This just seems dangerous to me, and I would never presume to tell someone what Jesus would be doing if He we here, other than it would all be good and for the glory of God and the helping of His fellow man.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not here to say that what we all do for entertainment, or where we live, or what we drive, is wrong because Jesus would likely not be doing those things. These are liberties (to the extent that they are not sinful), and they are enjoyments and times of refreshing that God blesses us with in this life, and the author of Ecclesiastes tells us to cherish these times. God is fine with us enjoying those pleasant and wholesome times with friends and family (in moderation), but that doesn't mean that Jesus would participate in them if He were here. Jesus was SO spiritual and SO focused on constantly doing good for others that I'm just hesitant to tell my son something like "Jesus would see this movie."

So I implore us to put the phrase "What would Jesus do?" back in its proper context. These are just examples. 1) When we are facing a temptation to sin, what would Jesus do? 2) When we are "bored", and are seeking another opportunity to just gratify ourself, what would Jesus do? 3) When we are made aware of someone in need and we know that we can help, what would Jesus do? 4) When we find someone lost in sin and looking for answers, what would Jesus do? 5) When we are being assaulted in so many different ways by our enemies, what would Jesus do? 6) When we are distressed and need to talk to someone, what would Jesus do? In other words, He is our example for OVERCOMING SIN in our life, and for DOING GOOD TO ALL PEOPLE, NOT for which game to play (primarily because we have no example of such things). The best answer to "What would Jesus do?", in my opinion, is to open up God's word and study "What DID Jesus do?" We don't need to focus so much on the hypotheticals in the modern United States of 2011 if we remember the tools and discipline that He used to overcome sin 2000 years ago. The "tools" that worked for Him back then will still work for us today, if we just give them a try.

Thanks for listening and for sharing your thoughts, as always.

STAMP · « **Reply #1 on:** February 11, 2011, 10:05:40 AM »

Philippians 1:21 - "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."

I would DO anything if I was loving God and loving others.

Prof Underwood · « **Reply #2 on:** February 11, 2011, 10:49:09 AM »

Quote from: stefferweffer on February 11, 2011, 09:58:23 AM

How do we presume to have any idea what Jesus would do in that situation?

If you told me that you were trying to find my wife, and knew that she was somewhere in a movie theater, I am confident that without knowing ahead of time I could tell you where she was. I could see what was showing, and because I know my wife so well, I would know which movie she would choose to watch. I think the same thing is true of Jesus. As we spend more time getting to know Him through studying scripture and spending time with Him, we increase our ability to be able to predict His will.

I agree with your overall point that it is easier to know for certain what Jesus would NOT do, than it is to know what He WOULD do. And I also agree with your overall point that what Jesus WOULD do is probably quite different than what we often expect. However, I just wanted to point out that I do think that we can get good at knowing what God's will for us is in specific situations.

Sean · « **Reply #3 on:** February 11, 2011, 11:16:41 AM »

I agree with the heart behind this topic and wish this was posted in the normal section rather than the "cool kid" section.

stefferweffer · « **Reply #4 on:** February 11, 2011, 11:19:14 AM »

If someone would like to move it there I would not object.

soul seeker · « **Reply #5 on:** February 11, 2011, 01:20:38 PM »

I said the phrase you quoted, and I still stand by it. Also, I still think it applies to that other situation because I think Americans have lost sight of who Jesus is and what he did.
Where you are wrong is your synopsis of my perceived implication(s). I stated that people should think about all they do...I, in no way, was implying that Jesus would endorse Redemption. You made that inference. Also, I disagree about what we can presume Jesus would do if he lived on earth because he DID live on earth, and we have a record of what he did.
If you go back and read my entire post, then you will see that I question that I spend in ALL of my hobbies. I didn't single anything out, instead I focused on Jesus' mission: to connect with other humans and share with them about God's love. Also, if you read Chan's book (where I pulled my thoughts from), then you will see that is his driving point: loving God by way of our actions of loving other people.

I could be reading your implication wrong, but it seems that your "imploring" in the final paragraph is directed at me, and my response is that I never took it out of context. In my opinion, you read my post (or inferred) out of context because I started by saying I agreed with Sean (more of an encouragement to Sean than anything). The card game Redemption along with many of my other hobbies had to be put on hold because I am studying my Bible more (both Old and New Testament), so I hope you aren't presuming (or directing at me) that I don't read my Bible because I disagreed with you about playing MtG. Again, maybe I'm reading you wrong because your entire post/thread is dealing with my quote, but I want you to know my side as well in case I'm reading you right.

stefferweffer · « **Reply #6 on:** February 11, 2011, 02:24:57 PM »

Then we have misread each other. I may have misread what you were trying to say before, and you are misreading me if you feel this was directed any any specific persons. I apologize if it was hurtful. Our conversation just reminded me of many other times I hear that expression and cringe a little because of the context in which it is used. It sounds like we are in agreement that we need to focus more on using Jesus as our example to overcome sin in our lives and to help other people. And you are correct that the only things we can know for certain that Jesus would be doing if He were still on earth are those exact things He did before. Like I said, I do not believe that Jesus would be participating in many of the wholesome activities that we engage in for entertainment today, because entertainment and gratification of Himself was not normally on in His mind. In like manner though, I do not feel one can go to the opposite extreme and label all the things we do to relax and have fun as wrong just because Jesus did not do those things. We just can't be guilty of falling in love with this world and making ourself the primary guiding factor of everything we do. Especially when we consider the words of the song "This world is NOT my home. I'm just passing thru..."

soul seeker · « **Reply #7 on:** February 11, 2011, 02:42:15 PM »

I appreciate your response, and I, too, think we are in agreement that we should focus on Jesus as our example. I appreciate and accept your apology, and I apologize if I came off as offensive while defending myself.

To further clarify myself (which is in agreement with your above post):
Though agreeing with Sean, I was hoping with my other post (in regards to MtG) to turn the tide of conversation from "wrong or right/ sinful or not sinful" to "what is our ultimate purpose with our actions and God's opinion of those actions." I don't know if it's my age or where I am at spiritually, but I am reflecting on this more and more. If I died, then what will I be remembered for? Has my actions reflected God's love and furthered His kingdom? Will he say to me "well done" and that I was "good and faithful"? Sometimes I do wonder if we focus on our own lives and entertainment (regardless of what it is) too much. Francis Chan says he believes that is one of the problems of American Churchgoers: they think of this home (earth) more than their future home (eternity).

I've discovered that the more I focus on my future home, then more questions about living down here come up and I find myself changing some of my actions. Like another song says, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus....and the things of this Earth will grow strangely dim." May God use me to build the only thing that will last: His kingdom.

EDIT: was purely grammatical.

golgotha · « **Reply #8 on:** February 11, 2011, 04:22:41 PM »

Prof, I like your comments, but let me throw something out there. My Dad and my brother both like woodworking. They each have multiple saws. The only Saw I like is R rated and we won't get into that here. My idea of a tool, is either an insult or a good band. Their idea of a tool is something completely different. Just because my Brother knows more bout the aspect of my dad that likes woodworking and carpentry, doesn't nessacarily mean he knows my dad better/more than I do. He just knows a different part of him than me. And yeah, I can honestly not say what my dad would do with some wood and the tools he has....I can't honestly say I know if he spent the Home Depot gift card I gave him for Christmas yet or not.
Because we all have different relationships with Christ, and maybe know slightly different aspects of Him, could we have slightly different perspectives on "what Jesus would do." I was raised in the church, and wasn't ever really that bad of a kid. I know God forgives us throu Christ's sacrifice. But I'm pretty sure an addict who found God would have a much better grasp on forgiveness than I. I could be totally wrong on this as well. But I hope what I'm trying to say makes a little sense.

soul seeker · « **Reply #9 on:** February 11, 2011, 04:56:28 PM »

Golgotha, I disagree. I think everybody can know God's forgiveness. In fact, I think that it's a huge misunderstanding that those who were brought up in the church can not have a good testimony. Related point: you do not have to be wild to know what forgiveness is.

My personal theory from observation: Kids brought up in the church have a harder time experiencing what repentance is, God's forgiveness, and/or salvation. Why? Well, for a variety of reasons.
One, they can rely on a solid foundation of religiosity with their special language of Christianese.
Two, over-zealous parents needing the psychological comfort of knowing that their child is secure in Heaven (paternal protection if you will). These parents will take the slightest hint of "believing in God" wording, at even the youngest of ages, to feel better about their child's futures.
Three, as a result of following parent's morals or the parent's constantly recounting your "salvation story," church assumption sets in because of their "goodness." As the child gets older, then the assumption grows, and therefore makes it socially awkward for this child to truly put their faith in Christ.
There are many other reasons, but I think my point is becoming evident. "Church kids" are struggling with seeing a reason or need to repent at all. What does God need to forgive them of...they are good already. What do they need to be saved from because they have "grown up in the church?"

Semi-related note: That's why I think the Pharisees often get a bad rap (that's another one of my soapbox theories/rants. However, in short, they are synonymous with hypocrite, and yet they were "church kids" striving to follow God and keep the covenant. Remember this: some realized that Christ was the Messiah and followed him and their forgiveness was as real as Peter's.

The son who stayed at home needed his father's love as much as the prodigal did.

SomeKittens · « **Reply #10 on:** February 11, 2011, 04:59:16 PM »

True, but look at most pastors who are good at what they do, and their testimony. They usually have some sort of crazy story about their lives. (Though that lines right up with what you're saying, they're the ones who appreciate it the most.)

Feel free to contradict me on this, Jon(athon), I don't know your testimony.

Sean · « **Reply #11 on:** February 11, 2011, 07:46:54 PM »

Quote

but look at most pastors who are good at what they do, and their testimony.

Samuel
John the Baptist

Two really good "pastors". I don't recall them going through any rebellious teenage years.

Minister Polarius · « **Reply #12 on:** February 12, 2011, 01:18:45 AM »

tl;dr, but WWJD is mostly used as a cutesy way to get people do to stuff you want them to these days. The sentiment behind it is absolutely great and valid, but the phrase itself has become weak and powerless.

cg097 · « **Reply #13 on:** February 13, 2011, 03:56:31 PM »

Quote from: Sean on February 11, 2011, 07:46:54 PM

Quote
but look at most pastors who are good at what they do, and their testimony.
Samuel
John the Baptist

Two really good "pastors". I don't recall them going through any rebellious teenage years.

Samuel, probably not; John the Baptist, I don't know, the Bible doesn't say.

The M · « **Reply #14 on:** February 13, 2011, 04:15:53 PM »

They were human. And like most humans, they sinned. I wouldn't be surprised if they had those feelings, but controlled them.

Sean · « **Reply #15 on:** February 13, 2011, 06:18:43 PM »

Quote from: cg097 on February 13, 2011, 03:56:31 PM

Quote from: Sean on February 11, 2011, 07:46:54 PM
Quote
but look at most pastors who are good at what they do, and their testimony.
Samuel
John the Baptist

Two really good "pastors". I don't recall them going through any rebellious teenage years.
Samuel, probably not; John the Baptist, I don't know, the Bible doesn't say.

You missed the point entirely.

Quote

I wouldn't be surprised if they had those feelings, but controlled them.

I have no idea what you're talking about.

cg097 · « **Reply #16 on:** February 14, 2011, 04:55:43 PM »

I don't think I missed the point. You said that Samuel and John the Baptist were pastors and you didn't recall them going through any rebellious teenage years to prove that some pastors weren't rebellious as teenagers. However, they were human and could have been rebellious at some point in their lives, but if they did, it is not mentioned in the Bible.

Alex_Olijar · « **Reply #17 on:** February 14, 2011, 06:40:06 PM »

Quote from: cg097 on February 14, 2011, 04:55:43 PM

I don't think I missed the point. You said that Samuel and John the Baptist were pastors and you didn't recall them going through any rebellious teenage years to prove that some pastors weren't rebellious as teenagers. However, they were human and could have been rebellious at some point in their lives, but if they did, it is not mentioned in the Bible.

No, you completely missed the point that you don't need to commit heinous sins to be a great prophet or preacher.

SomeKittens · « **Reply #18 on:** February 14, 2011, 09:25:15 PM »

I don't think anyone tried to make the point that you did. Both SoulSeeker and I said that church kids don't have the same understanding of grace and salvation that some others that didn't get saved until later do.

soul seeker · « **Reply #19 on:** February 14, 2011, 10:27:18 PM »

Quote from: SomeKittens on February 14, 2011, 09:25:15 PM

I don't think anyone tried to make the point that you did. Both SoulSeeker and I said that church kids don't have the same understanding of grace and salvation that some others that didn't get saved until later do.

"I don't think that word means what you think it means."

Actually and more technically, no one will have the same specific understanding of grace and salvation because all of our walks of life are different. In addition to this, what I was trying to say earlier was that a "church kid's" testimony is just as valid, important, and impactful (not a word according to Firefox, so substitute "useful" instead if you need to) as someone's testimony who was saved much later after a "party" lifestyle. In short, I would encourage people to not discount, compare, or demerit a "church kid's" testimony.

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Author Topic: Some random thoughts on "What would Jesus do?" (Read 2052 times)