In an online comment recently, a woman implored me and other believers to accept gay "marriage" in the name of harmony. Her implication was that Christ would want believers to not stir up the kind of division that is resulting as Christians assert their beliefs in traditional marriage. Her question: What would Jesus do?
What would Jesus do?
Initially asked with the best intentions, I think it's about time to put the question to rest, at least as far as public discourse is concerned. While the Spirit may provide wisdom and guidance to sincere believers, slogans are fair game for anyone, and are often used with no regard to context or true meaning. Some of the finest religious scholars of His day, most in fact, did not understand or appreciate the actions of the Christ. How much less can we trust politicians and lobbyists whose goals have nothing to do with God?
God has proclaimed that His thoughts are often unfathomable to mankind. That is the reason that the Holy Spirit was sent. Even then, trying to "know" what the Son of God would do in a tense situation would be difficult task. I prefer relying on the history and examples that He left for us whenever possible. Then there is no need to guess.
When Jesus went into the temple, in the Court of the Gentiles, he saw not worship, but a market place. Merchants were profiting from the sale of "unblemished" sacrificial animals. Moneychangers were profiting by converting foreign currency to the denominations required for offerings. Any or all of these could have been justified as needed services, assuming that the exchanges were done honestly, but the scriptures imply that was hardly the case. And as for the location, Christ was very specific: This was to be a place of worship for all the nations, not a market.
On that day, the Prince of Peace took violent action. He turned over tables. He scattered the coins. He made a whip, and chased the merchants away. The people came, religious and secular, to challenge His actions, and He stood there against them.
Now Christians are being asked to stand by as marriage, the symbol for Christ's covenant with the church, is made into a mockery. Worse, we are demanded to participate, and some who claim Christ as us to accept this meekly. And yet, I seem to hear the Spirit whisper "No." I see the examples in scripture, and I remember that "holy" means "set apart." If we participate in all of the things the world calls good, if we do not even raise our voice to make known the objection, how are we set apart?
James wrote that faith without works is dead. Sometimes the most difficult action of all is to refuse. It was the challenge of Daniel. It was the challenge of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And now it is fallen to us. Each of them passed the challenge and were honored before God and men. How will believers of today fare?
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