Do It Like Jesus

How did Jesus . . . . ?

I’ve often wondered how Jesus did things. How did He handle those delicate little issues? My wife asked recently, “I wonder if Jesus ever got spanked as a kid?” I think she was thinking about the extra days travelling his parents had to do to go back to the temple to find him and take him home to Nazareth. I often wondered how he handled the men breaking through the roof to lower their crippled friend down to him. How did He handle the owner of the house? Who paid for that roof to be mended?

Let’s face it – bad happens; trouble happens; illness happens. I suppose you could say that life happens. Jesus saw all these things. We get surprised by things. We get disappointed by things; frustrated, angered, and let down by people and things. How did Jesus deal with all of that? And how should we deal with it too?

When confronted by the woman caught in adultery, in John 8:1-11, Jesus said "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone." With this simple phrase, Jesus silenced an angry crowd ready to stone a woman caught in adultery. He then turned and started writing in the sand. What did He write I wonder? I heard a preacher once who said He was possibly writing the names of all the men who had used this woman – starting with the Pharisees and Sadducees. As they saw they could be ‘unmasked’ each of them walked quietly away. Pure speculation of course, but fascinating nonetheless.

So it is, when we find ourselves in any situation, we must ask ourselves, “What would Jesus have said, or done?” By doing this, I believe we are silently asking the Holy Spirit for His advice – same as Jesus probably did.

In times gone by, much was made of ‘Little Jesus, meek and mild’. We know that is simply fantasy because Jesus was anything but meek and mild when He turned the traders out of the temple. “You have turned My Father’s house into a den of thieves!” Hardly meek and mild words. Then He made a whip and drove them all from the temple! Hardly a meek and mild man – more a righteously angry man. Jesus was blunt to the point of offensive. Imagine what would be made today of His utterly non-PC expression of “Whitewashed sepulchres” or “Brood of vipers”. No, everything Jesus said or did was aimed straight at the heart of the matter – full of good old fashioned common sense – a quality that has long gone by the board these days. He really seemed to go out of His way to offend the religious of His day, yet not at the expense of deferring or not answering the problem or issue at hand.

So it is that perhaps we can learn our greatest lessons from Jesus. It was in His dealings with people that we see Him at His best. He healed the sick – all of them. He fed the hungry – all of them. Then having gained their attention, he taught them. He was the walking epitome of loving our neighbours. He was the example to us of the Great Commission in action. In every situation, He seemed to communicate with the Father and ask Him, “OK – what shall I do now?” We know the result of His obedience of course – He was crucified dead and buried, and rose again. Then He introduced us to His ‘best friend’ and our new best friend, helper, and teacher – the Holy Spirit.

How did Jesus . . . . ? He worked with the Father and the Holy Spirit; Jesus trusted them and was obedient to what they told Him to do or say. Perhaps that’s another lesson for us to learn today. The old hymn says it all

Trust and Obey,

There’s no other way,

To be happy in Jesus,

But to trust and obey.