by Francisco Banda III
What would happen if we as Christians would do the unthinkable — something that those in Christian circles would consider socially unacceptable or against Scripture?
My daughter, Ruth, began college a year ago. It is her first time being away from home and living on her own, so our prayers were for protection and a good group of Christian friends. Her first night she met a group of students and quickly started making friends. This group included a goth girl, a rocker girl, a “normal girl” but with parent issues, and a boy who dressed very feminine and wore make up.
This didn’t sit too well with us, so it was up to us to convince her to find a new group of friends — that is, until she made something known: One of the first things she told them was that she is a Christian and that if they were not OK with it, she would have to find a new group of friends.
Jesus did the unthinkable
Ruth fits the example that Jesus modeled. When the Pharisees brought the adulterous woman to Him, He did not condemn her but told them that He is the Light of the world and that anyone who follows Him has the Light of life (John 8:12). Throughout His ministry, Jesus did the unthinkable: what was considered to be against the law, customs, and social norms.
He sat and dined with tax collectors and sinners. He told them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. Now go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, rather than sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matthew 9:9-13).
Jesus purposely walked through Samaria to encounter the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. He revealed to her that He was the Christ and the Living Water (John 4).
A leper said to Jesus that if He was willing, He could heal him. Jesus touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed” (Matthew 8:2, 3).
Jesus did these things, not to be a rebel but to save the sinners, to redeem the outcast, and to show compassion to the needy.
Doing as Jesus does
For those old enough to remember, there was a movement years ago with the letters WWJD that stood for “What Would Jesus Do?” People would wear bracelets and clothing with these letters to remind them to ask in every situation they found themselves, “What would Jesus do?”
If Jesus is the Living Water, then we are the well people draw Him from. Day in and day out, we encounter, talk to, and befriend people from outside our Christian circles, so we must ask, “What would Jesus do?”
Jesus is the Light of the world, and His followers are the light of the world. Jesus did the unthinkable, and His followers must do the unthinkable as Jesus did.
World of darkness
Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house” (Matthew 5:14, 15).
It is dark out there, a world filled with the lost, the outcast, and the needy. However, in this darkness the light shines brightest — in the unthinkable, the place Christians look upon it as socially unacceptable. When we remove ourselves, the light is hidden, unable to reveal the true light, Jesus Christ.
Sowing seeds
What would happen if we as Christians did the unthinkable?
Throughout the school year, Ruth and her new friends ate together, hung out together, and had fun together, getting to know each other more and more. As her friends found themselves in hardships and difficult situations, they came to Ruth and asked if she could pray for them. That light was far-reaching: The mother of the feminine-looking boy has asked that Ruth keep him in her prayers.
When we do the unthinkable, the seeds are sown for an encounter with Jesus, the Living Water. The sinner will be saved, the outcast will be redeemed, and the needy will find compassion.
