Discerning What Jesus Would Do
No sooner has Sheldons Rev. Henry Maxwell challenged his congregation to live by the question What would Jesus do, he is faced with answering their inevitable question, How can I tell what Jesus would do if he were in my situation? Heres the point in the novel when Maxwell must answer that question. He is meeting with the group of his congregants who have taken the pledge to do as Jesus would do. Together, they are sorting through the questions and challenges that the pledge has brought to them
Im a little in doubt as to the source of our knowledge concerning what Jesus would do, said Rachel Winslow. Who is to decide for me just what he would do in my case? It is a different age. There are many perplexing questions in our civilization that are not mentioned in the teachings of Jesus. How am I to tell?
There is no way that I know of, replied the pastor, except as we study Jesus through the medium of the Holy Spirit. . . . You remember what Christ said, When the Spirit of Truth is come, he shall guide you into all the truth. . . .
There is no other test that I know of. We shall all have to decide what Jesus would do after going to that source of knowledge.
What one church member thinks Jesus would do, another refuses to accept as his possible course of action. Will it be possible to reach the same conclusions in all cases? asked President Marsh.
Mr. Maxwell was silent some time. Then he answered, No, I dont know that we can expect that. . . . But we need to remember this great fact. After we have asked the Spirit to tell us what Jesus would do and have received an answer to it, we are to act regardless of the results to ourselves. Is that understood?
It was understood, and the group forged on in ways that changed all of their lives, and their town, too.
