What IF?

What if!

What if Jesus had been living in your town during His 3 years of ministry?  What if He would have to pick His disciples from the people of your town, or maybe your church? Would he have chosen any pastors as His disciples?  What about the big car dealer that donates a car for the pastor to use?  Maybe instead it would be the used car dealer that finances cars by the week and a “low mileage car is the one with only a 100,000 miles on it?  Would He have chosen the car mechanic to follow Him?  Maybe He would pick the man picking fruit out in the field? Would He have picked the president of the big bank in town or the “pay day” loan shark located on MLK Street? (most every town has an MLK Street)  Would He have picked the owner of the pawnshop?  Would He have picked the head political leader in your town or the political activist always challenging the establishment?

What wedding would He have chosen for His first miracle?  Would He have transformed water to wine or grape juice? 

What kind of boat would he have been in when he fell asleep and the storm came up.  Would it have been a yacht or an old beat up fishing boat with the smell of fish guts and scales on the deck?

What church would have had to replace the roof after the “Four” tore a hole in it to let the lame man down?  Would there have even been a hole?  Would the church’s security been there to stop them from putting a ladder up to get on the roof?  Would the lame man have been healed in your church?  Would the “Four” have had to carry him out again because Jesus would have said, “I did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief”? (Matt 13:58)

Who would have been raised from the dead after being dead four days?  Would He have overturned any tables in your church?  Would any church pastors have confronted Him because He healed the lame man?  Would he have hung around the red light district with the prostitutes. Which prostitute would have anointed His feet with oil?

Where would He have preached the Sermon on the Mount?  At the big sports arena with the 7,370 square foot Daktronics video screen?  At the big church on the corner with the digital acoustic and video setup?  At the local high school football field?

Where would he have spent His days?  Playing a few rounds of golf at the private Golf Club, with the wealthy donors?  Or play bocce ball at the retirement center?  Would He spend His days out on the water fishing for trophy fish or hanging around the shrimp boats out in the bay?

Maybe He would serve food to the homeless at the homeless shelter?  Hand out food at the Food pantry?  Visit the Memory Center (irony of the name) filled with those whose lives are void of memories past, present or future?  Visit the children’s hospital, talking and sharing with kids hooked to IV tubes, PICC lines and feeding tubes?  Visit the VA home comforting veterans haunted by demons of alcohol, drugs, bad choices and past war experiences?

What if He would have had to acquire something to ride on or in for His triumphant entry?  Would it have been a fancy Lexus convertible donated by the wealthy dealer from the big church on the corner?  Would it been a beat up pickup truck from the guy who picked fruit? 

Where would He have had reserved a room for His Last Supper?  Would it have been at the 5 star resort or a room over a bar somewhere in the red light district?

Where would He have sweat blood when He was agonizing his imminent death? In the garden area at the 5 star resort or the neighborhood park over on MLK Street

Who would have claimed His body?  Who would have prepared His body for burial?  What cemetery would have provided a burial crypt?

WHAT IF?