How Would Jesus Feel?

Almost everyone has heard a Christian propose answering a difficult problem by asking: “What would Jesus do?” In many cases, that is a useful starting point, but it has its limitations. For one thing, if we have in mind the actual historical Jesus, we have to understand the context of his life. Even though he was remarkably progressive and insightful for his time, he was a wandering rabbi in a desperately poor society, with many of the superstitions, biases and intellectual limitations of his culture. Like most Jews, he believed an apocalypse was near, probably within a generation or two. (The Gospel of Mark records Jesus as telling listeners that some of them will not experience death but will see the Kingdom of God. Mark 9:1.) Admonitions to listeners to sell all their goods and give them to the poor have to be understood with this apocalyptic vision in mind.
A second problem is this: Figuring out what Jesus would do is difficult in the case of modern problems. What would Jesus do about sending more troops to Afghanistan, taxing the bonuses to AIG employees, or bailing out the auto industry? Still, this can be useful question if we can capture the timeless principle involved. I suggest backing up one step and asking: “How would Jesus feel?” Again, it doesn’t make sense to be too literal and speculate about what the historical Jesus would feel about any question – whether it is the role of women, homosexuality, pre-marital sex, or anything else. Instead, we should apply the central message of Jesus: loving God and loving our neighbors are the highest laws of life. This message then becomes a guide for a basic perspective on life. As I explain in The Uncertain Believer, committing ourselves to a principle of compassion for others gives us a framework for living. Asking how Jesus would feel is a metaphor to remind ourselves about the importance of starting from a compassionate perspective.
Committing ourselves to the principle of compassion still doesn’t give us complete answers to what we should do about Afghanistan, AIG or the auto industry although it does provide a starting point. For more personal questions – how should I treat my spouse, my children, my co-workers -- it can take us very far toward the answer. It’s a good bet that today one or more of the following will happen: someone will say something offensive to you, someone will treat you unfairly, or someone will need your help. In the few seconds you have to figure out how to respond, try asking: How would Jesus feel?