Today’s world is extremely chaotic. Not that it hasn’t always been chaotic, but some things taking place in modern times have made things crazier and left us feeling more uncertain. Two major culprits are the increase in the number of people on our planet, along with our level of connectivity. In addition, humanity is continually faced with extreme situations, forcing us into social, financial and economic crises. We are also dealing with some of the greatest political and social challenges of our lifetime. Everything from the COVID-19 crises to sexual scandals inside and outside the Church, our world is plagued with complex and divisive issues. If your heart aches every time, you turn on the news or think about the problems of today, think about what Jesus is experiencing. If Jesus were still walking on this earth today, how would He respond? The best way to figure out the answer is to look at Jesus’ teachings and character, which we can find directly in scripture.
Jesus would spend time with the misfits.
Jesus was always looking at ways He could touch the lives of the sick and the poor. He never shied away from an opportunity to help someone in need. Jesus had a servant’s heart. It is reported that 150 million people, or two percent of the world’s population, face some form of homelessness. More than 20 percent of the world’s population lacks adequate housing. We know if Jesus was in human form today, He would preach about helping the poor and needy.
Our Savior identified with those who were homeless throughout His ministry. In fact, He talks about homelessness directly in Matthew 8:20, which says, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Jesus stayed in the homes of whoever welcomed Him. He even stayed outside at times. The apostle Paul, a devoted follower of Jesus, also found himself in homeless situations. We see throughout the New Testament Jesus and His disciples giving to the poor. If Jesus was walking this earth now, He wouldn’t just talk about serving the misfits of society. He would live it. We would witness Him caring for those so commonly rejected from society. He would also call us to do the same.
Jesus wouldn’t bite His tongue.
Jesus would be appalled by some of the things He’d witness happening in our world. Since God is all-knowing and all-seeing, we know He is already aware of everything taking place around us. It’s heartbreaking. Throughout the book of Revelation, particularly chapters 2 and 3, Jesus speaks directly to the seven churches. He tells them exactly how He feels about each one, including His likes and dislikes. Jesus would likely ask many questions, like why there is so much disbelief and little faith when scripture is right before us to guide our lives? He would also ask why there was a great deal of stealing, violence and cheating when we gave the Ten Commandments as a model for our lives? He would emphasize the importance of reading God’s Word to answer our problems and desires. He would also remind us of these two important commandments, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40). He would have so much to say to us directly.
Jesus would actively pray.
Jesus was always in prayer mode. First Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to “pray without ceasing.” While this doesn’t mean that we pray every single moment of our lives, Jesus came the closest to this model. He prayed everywhere. He prayed when He was alone, before meals, when He needed to make important decisions, before and after healings, when it was time for Him to do the Father’s Will, among other things. The same would be true if He were here in today’s world, especially with all of the troubling events and situations taking place in front of us.
Jesus would show us what having a close relationship with God looks like. He would challenge us to pray about all of the world’s problems and ills. He would call on us to pray before we decided on elected officials. He would call on us to pray before we made important, life-changing decisions in our lives. He would call on us to pray for our enemies, even after committing a major offense against us. There is no greater model of prayer than Jesus. He gives us the perfect outline of how we should pray.
Since we know the Bible is the true Word of God, we have great insight into how Jesus would navigate today. All we have to do is look at His approach to situations throughout the Bible. Hebrews 13:8 reminds us that “Jesus Christ is the same as yesterday and today and tomorrow.” Let's look at Jesus’ life and His ministry, before and after His resurrection. We see Jesus calling his disciples to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). Jesus called us to do this very thing, to go out and teach the very same message. If we follow Jesus’ example in scripture, we can better respond to the world's problems today.
