What Do You Think Jesus Would Do About Current Events?

Y’know, I sometimes wonder how Jesus would take current events.  When approached with the issues that occupy our time, what would he say?  Would he be outraged like us?  Would he choose sides and condemn side x or issue z?

Could we load him up on our bandwagon and parade him around town?  “Jesus is on our side!  Gaze upon us and despair!”  Or something like that.

Of course, thinking of our Lord like that carries with it the burden of being wrong.

I always love the story in Joshua 5:13-15 that illustrates this.  The Israelites are poised to strike the Promised Land and bring divine judgment upon the people who live there and their sins that God says have piled up to heaven over the last 500 years.

At this point, Joshua looks up and sees a man (one could argue the Pre-Incarnate Christ), standing with his sword in his hand.  This heavenly being calls himself the Commander of the Lord’s army. The conversation between Joshua and The Lord’s commander goes something like this:

Joshua: “Are you for us or against us?”

The Lord’s Commander: “No.  You serve me.  I am here for The Lord’s purpose, not yours.”

Joshua is given a grace-filled reminder of where he stands and where his place is.  The Lord has not come to serve his people’s needs but has come to execute His own plan.  The Israelites are merely the tools to witness or achieve the events about to transpire.

The lesson.  You cannot bandwagon God.  God is not a tool for our use or subservient to our agenda.

So how can we extend this lesson to Christ?  If brought the issues of police brutality, people rioting, foul weather, accidents, what would he say?  How could we build our agenda off him just like everyone else tries?

Jesus of course would refuse to be boxed in by our issues.  As always, he would turn it back on us.

This is what happens in Luke 13:1-1-5.  The conversation goes something like this:

Crowds: “Jesus, did you hear about how Pilate stormed the temple and slaughtered people as they worshipped God and were offering sacrifices!  What do you think about that?”

Jesus: “Sounds like you should repent, or something worse will happen to you.  Remember that tower that collapsed and killed 18 people?  Yeah, that means you should repent even more.”
Jesus doesn’t take victim mentality.  He does not stand with oppressors.  He has come to do his own work.  “The kingdom of God is here!  Repent and believe the Gospel!”

You can’t and you won’t showboat Jesus for whatever agenda you or I have.  All issues come to the same heading: We live in a broken sinful world that will be brought under God’s judgment.
So what can you or I do about all these various events of plague, weather, corruption and death?  First and foremost - Repent and fall under Christ’s reign.  The days are evil, and they are coming to an end.  Jesus is bringing that end.

So before that judgment comes, fall under the mercy and grace of Christ, who by his death has reconciled us to God his Father and who now, by his life, will save us from that wrath of God that is to come.

After that, turn and act accordingly to our confession of faith on whatever issue is up for grabs on the given day.  Love your neighbor as yourself.  Since you now live in Christ’s kingdom, purchased by his own blood, we see things differently than the rest of the world will and we will act differently because of it.

God grant that to us for Jesus Christ’s sake!  Amen.  

Pastor Andrew