A taste of who Jesus is and what it looks like to walk and talk like Jesus

Imagine the classes offered at such a church: being genuinely kind to hostile people, returning blessing for cursing, living without contempt, living without lust, speaking simply (see Matthew 5). 

In order to change the dimensions of the self so that these behaviors grow from within, such classes include time for questions and discussion so that students can offer ideas of what these behaviors look like (discipline of community). Students do exercises from Scripture to envision how Jesus did these things (study, meditation). They then role-play these situations and offer testimonies of successes and failures (confession, prayer, celebration). What happens in such a class is . . . nearly magical. Attendees get a taste of who Jesus is and what it looks like to walk and talk like Jesus. 

They begin to grieve their sarcastic comebacks and manipulative speech. Apologies occur among participants regarding that last heated discussion about the church budget. Jesus becomes the center of attention as all begin wondering, How would Jesus live his life if he were in my shoes? 

TODAY’S EXPERIMENT - Reflect on Jesus in this scene: On the Via Dolorosa, as Jesus carried his cross and suffered the effects of mental and physical torture, he noticed among the crowd following him some women who mourned and wailed for him. In this moment (where I would have been self-consumed), he turned to them in great concern about their future: “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children” (Luke 23:28, NIV). He warned them of the impending horror of the destruction of Jerusalem. Imagine these women years later remembering his words and saving themselves and their children. 

Jesus never stopped looking out for other people. A few hours later he could naturally say, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). When I’m suffering, I struggle not to think that everything is about me, yet Jesus in his great need turned to address the needs and hurts of others! O Jesus, help us have the kind of heart that naturally turns to comfort and help others. If you wish, turn to Luke 23:27-31 and review what comes before it. Consider what it would be like to have this heart of Christ. What does this experience make you want to pray to God?