What Would Jesus Do?
What a novel idea! Set aside the church’s self-prescribed “principles and practices”, and search the living Word to find out what Jesus would do. Here are some things Jesus would not do:
Overlook, dismiss, or hide abuse
When a church or family ignores spousal abuse, it enables the abuse to continue and flourish, and allows the abuser to perpetuate his criminal behavior. For many churches, it is easier to pretend everything is okay than to admit failures and dysfunctions within the congregation.
“If another believer sins, rebuke him . . .” (Luke 17:3 NLT) Jesus would expose the sin, offer grace and forgiveness to the sinner, and allow him to experience the consequences of his sin.
Make blind or unwise assessments
Even though she had a black eye from the beating by her husband, the pastor told her “your husband isn’t a wife beater.” He suggested that she submit to the elders of the church as they worked out this problem with her husband—who was the pastor’s close friend and largest financial contributor of the church.
Jesus would say, “You shall know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” He would show the abuser the truth about his own wickedness, offer him the choice to repent, and then walk with him on the path to restoration and healing.
Place more value on the sanctity of marriage than the safety of women and children and the sanctity of life
Women who are battered should not have to choose between safety and the support of their church. However, many times they are reprimanded for leaving an abusive husband and coerced into quick forgiveness and reconciliation before the abuser has truly changed his behavior.
Excerpt from What Would Jesus Do? 1998 FOCUS Newsletter
Copyright FOCUS Ministries, Inc.
My teenaged daughter recently spent time with her new pastor who was trying to encourage her during a rough period. This pastor (female) apparently said to her something along the lines of “He can’t be THAT bad…” after she shared a little of our live with our abusive husband/father whom we have lived apart from for nearly 3 years. She has learned that my estranged husband is a former minister. I really wish more pastors understood or had the courage to face the truth about abuse within church-going families. Being respecters of persons rather than exercising church discipline is destroying lives.