Earlier this year, Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop in Lakewood, Colorado, who refused to bake a cake for a homosexual ceremony, appeared on The View.
One of the women asked, “What would Jesus do?” Then, without presenting any evidence, and with the hostess of the show adamantly agreeing, she concluded he would have baked the cake.
But would he?
People often ask “What would Jesus do?” to determine what they or someone else should do in a given situation. And often, they conclude that Jesus would have done the “nice” thing, gone along with what the other people in the situation wanted, and not upset anyone.
But they forget that Jesus did not go along with what other people wanted. Instead, he always did what his Father wanted him to do. He constantly exposed the hypocrisy and hard-heartedness of the Pharisees, who the people looked up to as the perfect examples of followers of God. And he forgave the humble of heart who truly wanted to know God.
However, “What would Jesus do?” is not a valid question to ask to determine what you or anyone else should do in a given situation. Why?
First, Jesus had a different mission from any of us. He was the messiah sent to redeem man by:
- living a perfect life
- dying for our sins
- God raising him from the dead after three days.
None of us were called to do any of that. Christians today are called to speak God’s Word to people with humble hearts, to give them the ability and the opportunity to choose to walk with God. We are not called to be “nice” and make everyone feel justified in what they do so they’ll be happy with us.
Second, the question is often answered by speculation, without consulting the Bible. That speculation:
- promotes the person’s personal beliefs by attributing them to Jesus
- can be used to justify just about any action and condone any sin.
The Bible is very clear that homosexuality is an abomination to God. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire and brimstone (lava) because of it. Genesis, Leviticus, Romans, in fact, many places in both Old and New Testaments show that God’s opinion of homosexuality has not changed over the centuries.
But is there any indication in the Bible of what Jesus might have done if confronted by homosexuals?
Jesus was confronted with a woman taken in adultery, by the religious leaders, in order to accuse him.
John 8:2-11:
And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.
And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
Adultery was a capital crime in ancient Israel. It required death by stoning. Jesus was not the legal judge. But what did he do? Jesus:
- wrote in the dirt to give himself time to ask his Father what to do
- did not participate in the crime
- did not condone the crime
- acted with compassion
- did not condemn the woman.
Jesus said, “Go, and sin no more.”
Homosexuality was also a capital crime in ancient Israel. It also required death by stoning. No one in ancient Israel would have considered trying to have a homosexual ceremony, let alone going to a business to ask for help with their ceremony. However, based on what he did concerning the woman taken in adultery, Jesus:
- would have asked his Father what to do
- would not have participated in the crime
- would not have condoned the crime
- would have acted with compassion
- would not have condemned the people.
If his Father would have told him to do the same thing He told him to do concerning the woman taken in adultery, he would not have baked the cake. Jesus would have said, “Go, and sin no more.”
John 3:17:
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
No one can be saved by someone who condemns him. Nor can anyone be saved by someone who participates in, or even condones, his sin.
Jesus said, “Go, and sin no more.”
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