What Would Jesus Do?—And What Will You Do?

What would Jesus do? Much has been said about that little catch phrase. Some take it seriously, some snicker about it, while others don’t care one way or the other. For Epiphany, however, the question can be useful.

Epiphany means the manifestation of a divine being. Obviously, in the Christian tradition, in the season of Epiphany we are thinking about the Divine revealed in Jesus. So asking What would Jesus do? in this season makes sense.

Well, if I want to know what Jesus would do now, I first have to ask: What did Jesus do? When I read the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ ministry, I see that he showed incredible compassion for the poor, healed and comforted the sick, taught the Way of God to those who followed him, had great passion for the Temple, fed the hungry, and was self-sacrificing, putting the needs of others before his own.

Now, was Epiphany a one-time deal? After Jesus came along, gave of himself, loved everybody, and revealed God’s Presence—was that it, over and done with?

Not so fast. There is such a thing as legacy. Jesus didn’t just suck up all that Presence and take it back to heaven with him—he handed it on as a living legacy to you and to me. So the simple question What would Jesus do? takes on profound implications for me—oh yeah, and for you, too.

In the living legacy of Jesus, part of our work is to be Epiphany. We who have the surname Christian have taken it upon ourselves to continue the revelation of God to the world. By understanding the faith and values by which Jesus lived, we can take on that same devotion and live our lives accordingly. We can show compassion for the poor, feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, comfort the sick, and put the needs of others, friends and strangers, before our own. When we live like that, God’s Beauty shines out in the world, and the darkness is held at bay.

So are you up to being Epiphany? If you are, here are a couple of questions for you: What did Jesus do? and What will I do in this moment ... and this ... and this ...?”

Joel t