I was a comic book nerd as a middle schooler and one of my favorite lines was “What If”. Now I’m not sure how it all worked, but I think it was an independent writer who took the characters and made what C.S. Lewis called “Supposals” between comic book worlds. For Example. What if… Kal El (Clark Kent) crashed his space ship in Gotham instead of Smallville. Then according to the author you’d have a Superman type character parading around in a Bat suit with a Batman attitude. I seem to remember it got kind of ugly. (DC’s What if… style comic was actually branded “Elseworlds“, but followed the same premise).
I’ve had this thought on my mind for few weeks now and like all the other post topics I have scheduled, it just hasn’t made it to print until now.
What if …. Jesus was more concerned about the opinion of man than the opinion of God? or
What if …. Jesus did what those around Him thought he should do?
As I’ve read through the N30X Challenge this week, two passages with Jesus addressing the very same idea with one of His disciples in both Matthew and Mark intrigued me.
Here’s a short list since there are possibly thousands of conceivable answers. The possibilities in bold are my favorite. (you know, in the rhetorical sense)
* He… never would have had people who needed redemption in his Genealogy i.e. Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and the one who was Uriah’s wife. Matt 1
*Never would have been as helpless as an infant. Matt 1
*Never would have stepped foot in Egypt. Matt 2
*Never would have submitted Himself to earthly authority called parents. Matt 2
*Never would have let an inferior human baptize him. Matt 3
*Would have done everything Satan said he had to do to prove he was “the man”. Matt 4
*Never would have begun His ministry in Galilee. After all they weren’t wealthy enough to support Him. Matt 4
* Would have never called and expected common fishermen to change the world. Matt 4
* Never would have healed anyone, since he was too scared to be like God. Matt 5
* Would Have Never Clarified False Ideas about Church in the Culture promoted by the Supposed Religious Authority. Matt 5-7 ( this one is my favorite!)
*Would have never even gotten close to the Leper. At least not without Germ-X. Matt 8
*Would have never Healed the Centurions servant. Since outsiders aren’t important. Matt 8
*Would have never called Matthew to leadership because of how everyone else would have perceived the move, after all they knew His past. Matt 9
*Would have never sent out the 12 with authority because after all, No one could do it as good as He could. Matt 10
*Would Have never preached strongly about the need for repentance and faith. Matt 10
*Would have glossed over what becoming a Christian would cost. Matt 10
*Would have never made the gifts of the have-nots equal to the have’s
*Would have never stood up boldly against those in authority. Matt 12
*Would have never used stories to bring the teaching of the kingdom down to human level. Matt 13
*Would have never planned for the future by preparing others to be leaders. Matt 16
(BTW: Jesus’ organization exploded, not imploded after He was gone)
* Would not have taught on money because you can lose followers that way Matthew 17.
*Never taught on how to resolve conflict. Since he would have many unspoken resentments himself. Matt 18
*Never would have taught on marriage and sex since those are things you just shouldn’t talk about. Matt 19
*Would have made it easy for the rich to follow Him. Matt 19
*Never would have confronted the stupid, ungodly things going on in the church and certainly not with that tone of voice. Matt 21
*Never would have deferred glory to His Father , or praised Peter since His life is all about Him. Matt 22
* Would have never cried in front of people. Matt 23
*Would have never told His followers that a tribulation like none other in the world was awaiting them. (not good advertising) Matt 24
*Would never admit that he didn’t know something and tell you to ask the proper person. Matt 24
*Would have made the Christian life about holing-up instead of taking risks. Matt 25
*Would never let a woman worship Him lavishly, too undignified! Matt 26
*Would have never implemented a system of Neuro-Associative Conditioning to recreate the moment of rebirth in our hearts and minds. Matt 26
*Would have charbroiled Judas were he stood, with lightening from the sky (OK that’s probably just what I would have done). Matt 26
*Would have let the Cup pass from Him. Matt 26
*Would have called Angels to torch the soldiers and heal His wounds. Matt 27
*Would have performed wonders to prove His personality, rather that purchasing our souls to prove his love. Matt 27
*Would have never let women have a place among the church
*Would have never entrusted the Mission that he was just tortured to start to imperfect people.
23Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”