That was a popular question few decades ago, further popularized by the acronym WWJD. It was a simple way to get people to think before they act, and with the hope they’d make the right decisions. It fell away rather quickly for many reasons, one of which is, can we really know what Jesus would do in any given circumstance?
That said, if I created a poll that asked: If Jesus were alive on earth today, would he wear a mask? I’ll bet the results would be an even 50/50.
The fact that our opinions would be split on the question means we’re asking the wrong question, and our motives for asking are improper. It’s placing Jesus in the middle of an argument and asking him to take sides so we can point to the opposition and say, “See? You’re wrong!”
Sure, no one that I know of has asked this particular question, but they’ve asked others (such as would Jesus be a Republican or a Democrat; would he approve of turning people away at the border; etc.). I also wouldn’t be surprised if people have thought of this question and just haven’t asked it outright yet.
Regardless, Jesus won’t take sides, because this is a human question, not a godly one.
Some might at this point say, “Aren’t you assuming to know the mind of God here? How do you know he won’t take sides? This is an important question!”
Sure, for us. Not for Jesus. Whether or not people wear a mask does not determine the health of their soul. Jesus won’t assume that someone wearing a mask knows and follows him anymore than someone not wearing a mask doesn’t know or follow him. Eternally speaking, the question is irrelevant. He will, in the end, ask, “Is your mind, body, and soul right with me?”
So what’s the point of this entry? Is it about masks, what Jesus would do or not do, or something else?
We’ve been in a frenzy about a virus to the point of obsession for the last four months. No matter where we go or what we do, it’s literally in our face. We can’t escape it from the news, from social media, and at every gathering (online or in person), it’s too often the main subject of discussion.
I think we need to stop and return (or keep) our focus to Jesus, because no matter what—whether it’s a hurricane, earthquake, virus, or disease that’s about to destroy our body, he’s still in control and—both figuratively and literally—has our soul well in hand.
Set your minds on the things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ~ Colossians 3:2-3 (ESV)
Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 3:12-14 (ESV)
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I am not sure I understand/follow the logic of your thoughts on this. To me, the Scripture you quote is, to me, simply a restatement of John 3:16, that is a reminder to those of us who consider ourselves Christians, that we need to adhere to God’s Word as we live our mortal lives if we want a chance at living an eternal life with God, i.e. put our trust in God’s Word, not in material things of this earth or desires of the flesh. Thus, Christians, at any time after going astray of God’s Word, may re-right our relationship with God by “forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,” As more fully stated in Colossians 3:5-17 (ESV):
“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Thus, to me, asking yourself WWJD in a situation that you might find yourself, is a valid question every Christian should ask themselves each time they find themselves in such a situation that the question is a reasonable one to ask. The answer to that question is one every Christian should determine on there own, after prayer, reading the Bible, and much meditation and thought… and not solely on what they are told by their family members, friends, fellow Christians, or even the leaders of their Church or government, as everyone is subject to giving in to the same temptations and sins. It is a personal decision made within the relationship each Christian has with God, with the understanding God will judge us based on the the decisions we make and our subsequent thoughts and acts as mortals. So, even the evil doers who have previously held themselves out as Christians after they first acknowledged “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son as our Savior,” have a chance at eternal life with God, by, in God’s judgment, later resetting their “minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”
Thus. it is my opinion, if you are a true Christian, you should ask yourself the question WWJD, when appropriate, and be public and open with your answer, as long as by doing so you are doing God’s work… which means there can be times in which we should let the evil doers have their way, when doing so furthers God’s Word. I say all this being fully aware that one of the problems we have as Christians is that we are so loving, caring, and forgiving that others, who are evil doers, work their way into our Churches and lives just to take advantage of our loving, caring, and forgiving nature. The good news is that God has given us instructions on how to handle each such situation, but I will leave that discussion for another day, since it is far from the message you intended to convey in your most recent blog, which is, in my understanding, that God is focused on His love for every one of us and his desire to live eternity with every one of us, no matter what we may have done in the past.
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“…God is focused on his love for every one of us and his desire to live eternity with every one of us no matter what me have done in the past.” That’s not the intended message of my entry. It’s how people are using Jesus and what they think he would do as a bludgeon to get other people to do what they want. Remember the beginning of my entry where I said when it comes to certain circumstances, not everyone will agree that Jesus would do A instead of B. As such, they are asking the wrong question. My intent was that our focus should always be on Jesus and his will—certainly not on other humans. If my entry implied that I apologize, because I meant to say the exact opposite.
Nor is it about trying to determine “what Jesus would do,” but seeking and discovering what Jesus expects and wants us to do. The first is an assumption, the second is an anticipation.
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Sorry, my responses often tend to discuss my thoughts and beliefs on issues that are important to me and are only remotely related to the issues you raise. Though it is no excuse, I often also see it in my occupation, though in most of those situations I believe the opposing attorney is intentionally trying to confuse the judge involved in the case in an effort to gain an advantage in the case. I do however agree that our focus, as Christians, “should always be on Jesus and his will—certainly not on other humans.”
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