What would Jesus do?

[Mara]

What would Jesus do?  Did you ever ask yourself this question? I have, many times.

One way of approaching the discovery of what Jesus would do is to find out what he did do and then contrast that with what he did not do.

He did do the will of the Father in heaven.  Jesus was devotedly, submissively subject to the will of the Father in heaven. (128:1:12)  (128:7:2)

(136:6:8) He was not a Messiah coming to multiply bread and wine. He came not to minister to temporal needs only; he came to reveal his Father in heaven to his children on earth, while he sought to lead his earth children to join him in a sincere effort so to live as to do the will of the Father in heaven.

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He was God incarnate and He came to show us God living in a man and to join Him as He leads us to do the will of our Father in heaven.  In it’s essence this is what Jesus would, if he could, do within an individual.  Seems to me what Jesus would do is the complete opposite of all selfishness.

100:2:4   Spirituality becomes at once the indicator of one’s nearness to God and the measure of one’s usefulness to fellow beings. Spirituality enhances the ability to discover beauty in things, recognize truth in meanings, and discover goodness in values. Spiritual development is determined by capacity therefor and is directly proportional to the elimination of the selfish qualities of love.

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( 140:8:11) Jesus came presenting the idea of active and spontaneous kindness, a love of one’s fellow men so genuine that it expanded the neighborhood to include the whole world, thereby making all men one’s neighbors. But with all this, Jesus was interested only in the individual, not the mass. Jesus was not a sociologist, but he did labor to break down all forms of selfish isolation. He taught pure sympathy, compassion. Michael of Nebadon is a mercy-dominated Son; compassion is his very nature.

[Mara]

Mara wrote:. . . find out what he did do. . . .

He went into the hills a lot to commune with his Paradise Father;  to converse with him; to enjoy a stroll; to formulate plans for the remainder of his Urantia bestowal; to make decisions about what he would do and what he would not do.  He would go to the hills for a rest and to pray.

 ( 145:5:2) Jesus went out in the hills to pray so many times because there were no private rooms suitable for his personal devotions.

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He was alone in the hills about his Father’s business. (147:0:1)  In ” The Lures of Maturity” Rodan said this:

( 160:3:1) Whence then comes the energy to do these great things? Look to your Master. Even now he is out in the hills taking in power while we are here giving out energy. The secret of all this problem is wrapped up in spiritual communion, in worship. From the human standpoint it is a question of combined meditation and relaxation. Meditation makes the contact of mind with spirit; relaxation determines the capacity for spiritual receptivity.

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What does a person do if there are no hills nearby to go to recharge spent energies?  Read poetry ( 195:7:15), appreciate some music ( 44:1:14 ) (44:1:12); how about finding something to laugh about (48:4:1).  Or. . . ?

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I’m going to tell you about something that started happening in the environs of my home last fall here in the northern hemisphere.  Is this a what would Jesus do story?  Well, sort of, in retrospect.

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Last fall a friend and I started a weekly prayer circle in our community.  In the environs of my home a rat problem occurred on my property at about that same time.  The way these two things are connected is one, my neighbor is a hoarder and two, my neighbor is on our prayer list.  The way I found out about the rats happened like this – one night the patio motion-sensor security light went on and I looked out the window and saw three rats playing around.  A few days later in the twilight of the evening I saw a fat rat playing in the rain gutter of my neighbor’s home.

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I’m a country girl so I don’t mind getting my hands dirty or dealing with disgusting problems.  I got some bait at the hardware store.  It is very green in color and comes in pretty good sized rectangular blocks.  Imagine a T-shaped 21  cm or 4 inch tubular thing about 5 feet long and turned upside down.  That’s the bait dispenser.  Both ends are open.  Then I set up a motion sensor at one end, cause I want to know when something is entering one or the other ends.  It’s very annoying to hear the double beep when it goes off.  And it does go off.  One night during study group it went off six times!  I went through a lot of bait, so much so that I started buying it on Amazon cause it was cheaper.

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I did not then and do not now keep silent about the rat problem.  It’s really a community problem, made public not only via my complaints to the Board, but by others as well.  Another neighbor began to observe rats scurrying in the street and across properties in broad daylight.  One rat was run over by a vehicle in front of my place.  It stands to reason that if you have a next door neighbor who is a hoarder, you are subject to having a rat problem.  And the neighbor does not have water, because this person who has been fined by the City and red-tagged, turns the water back on to satisfy the authorities, then promptly turns it off once they leave.  The fire department has been out several times.  Authorities have taken the person to the hospital for observation, and the person doesn’t stay around, but calls a taxi to come home.  In the meantime I’m the rat patrol.

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The public health department referred me to vector control and a technician came and told me more than I ever wanted to know about rats.  I was given a different kind of bait dispenser box thingy and a jaws-of-death-snapping trap.  One night I heard a bazaar noise. It would start and then it would stop.  I thought it was in my house. I grabbed my cell and a flashlight and crept toward the kitchen.  I then realized the noise was outside.  Then, boing! it hit me – it was the rat trap and a rat was dragging it. I went out and smacked the rat with my slipper.  Then I smacked it again to make sure I killed it. And I killed others.  And I called my neighbors to inquire whether they noticed rats, and they did, and too had the vector guy come out.  They too put out traps and caught rats.  Really, the neighborhood got overrun.  No one doubts the source of the rat problem.  I’ve been very vocal about it.

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I think the home next door will be demolished eventually, due to interior mold, rats and God knows what else.  If it catches fire, God help us.  In the meantime I’m on rat patrol.  Rat patrol is not unlike yard maintenance, moving the grass and such.  It’s just something that needs doing, like watering the plants.  This has been going on for such a long time that my neighbor is angry with me.  Just this morning as I was opening he the clubhouse door, my neighbor came around the corner and we met at the door.  I asked, “Are you joining us for prayer circle?”  And the response was, “Hypocrites! You’re all hypocrites! Close the door so I can get by!”  I felt the sting of it.

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What would Jesus do?

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Later, a friend said I should have said, “I am praying for you.”  But that thought never crossed my mind.  I went in and the door closed.

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[Mara]

Mara wrote:  He would go to the hills for a rest and to pray.

And he sent his associates out for r&r too.

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( 143:3:1)  About this time a state of great nervous and emotional tension developed among the apostles and their immediate disciple associates. They had hardly become accustomed to living and working together. They were experiencing increasing difficulties in maintaining harmonious relations with John’s disciples. The contact with the gentiles and the Samaritans was a great trial to these Jews. And besides all this, the recent utterances of Jesus had augmented their disturbed state of mind. Andrew was almost beside himself; he did not know what next to do, and so he went to the Master with his problems and perplexities. When Jesus had listened to the apostolic chief relate his troubles, he said: “Andrew, you cannot talk men out of their perplexities when they reach such a stage of involvement, and when so many persons with strong feelings are concerned. I cannot do what you ask of me–I will not participate in these personal social difficulties–but I will join you in the enjoyment of a three-day period of rest and relaxation. Go to your brethren and announce that all of you are to go with me up on Mount Sartaba, where I desire to rest for a day or two.

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He said, “I will not participate in these personal social difficulties. . . .”

He also said it is not good to be alone to prevent falling into the miseries and mischief of isolation.

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193:3:2   “Peace be upon you. I have asked you to tarry here in Jerusalem until I ascend to the Father, even until I send you the Spirit of Truth, who shall soon be poured out upon all flesh, and who shall endow you with power from on high.” Simon Zelotes interrupted Jesus, asking, “Then, Master, will you restore the kingdom, and will we see the glory of God manifested on earth?” When Jesus had listened to Simon’s question, he answered: “Simon, you still cling to your old ideas about the Jewish Messiah and the material kingdom. But you will receive spiritual power after the spirit has descended upon you, and you will presently go into all the world preaching this gospel of the kingdom. As the Father sent me into the world, so do I send you. And I wish that you would love and trust one another. Judas is no more with you because his love grew cold, and because he refused to trust you, his loyal brethren. Have you not read in the Scripture where it is written: ‘It is not good for man to be alone. No man lives to himself’? And also where it says: ‘He who would have friends must show himself friendly’? And did I not even send you out to teach, two and two, that you might not become lonely and fall into the mischief and miseries of isolation? You also well know that, when I was in the flesh, I did not permit myself to be alone for long periods. From the very beginning of our associations I always had two or three of you constantly by my side or else very near at hand even when I communed with the Father. Trust, therefore, and confide in one another. And this is all the more needful since I am this day going to leave you alone in the world. The hour has come; I am about to go to the Father.”

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Jesus was alone, so to speak,  in the hills, but his friends were often near at hand, except on these two occasions of import (134:8:9) (136:3:2).   It’s a beautiful thing to have a friend you really trust where the trust is mutual and spiritual, someone you can fellowship with and talk about what Jesus would do.  Jesus communed with God to sort things out.  What human could comprehend the burdens, problems and decisions facing him?

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(126:3:14)  To all appearances he became commonplace and conventional, though he did long for someone who could understand his problems. He craved a trustworthy and confidential friend, but his problems were too complex for his human associates to comprehend. The uniqueness of the unusual situation compelled him to bear his burdens alone.

[Sabinatu]

@Mara – I tend to go back to what the Material Son and Daughter usually do to raise the children of God on planets like Urantia – they teach  “hygiene”.  Whether the selfishness of a hoarder or of a “slum lord”, it does not matter because the rest of us have the RIGHT to make our lives less miserable through honest work.  What right of “property” safeguards the pet evils of the owner when HYGIENE is involved?

I would tell the neighbor that s/he has no “natural right” to create health hazards for everyone else and take them to small claims court to get paid for all the rat management costs you are bearing.  Pussyfooting around such maladjustments to living as hoarding does no good for the hoarder or the neighbors. Gotta face that problem head on, so to speak…

These devices help – http://www.walmart.com/ip/Pest-Offense-Electronic-Pest-Repeller/13008326

Default google search for “rat” problems is NYC

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rats_in_New_York_City

[Mara]

Mara wrote:  I did not then and do not now keep silent about the rat problem. It’s really a community problem, made public not only via my complaints to the Board, but by others as well.

So what does my story have to do with “What would Jesus do?”  On the surface of the story I and my other neighbors have a problem stemming from the manner of living of my next door neighbor.  Is this not a group problem?  It is! Therefore any action regarding the cure of the problem in is the hands of the governing group –  in my case the board of directors, elected by the community and who serve without remuneration.

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The other aspect of the story concerns my personal relationship with my neighbor.  It is this part of the story that applies to what-would-Jesus-do.

[Sabinatu]

@Mara – the hoarding is a sign that the neighbor is not capable of having NORMAL relationships with others (respect, cooperation, cherishing their uniqueness, etc.) , one on one you are throwing your pearls to swine, so to speak.

This is a group problem.  Let the “social brotherhood” handle it.

[Mara]

What would Jesus do?

Sabinatu wrote: hoarding is a sign that the neighbor is not capable of having NORMAL relationships with others (respect, cooperation, cherishing their uniqueness, etc.) , one on one you are throwing your pearls to swine, so to speak.

I see.  You’ve concluded this person isn’t capable of having normal relationships.  How did  you arrive at your conclusion?

What would Jesus do?

 

[Anonymous]

Mara wrote:

I see. You’ve concluded this person isn’t capable of having normal relationships. How did you arrive at your conclusion?

What would Jesus do?

I’m not sure if I missed something in your story Mara but, yes rats will nest in places where they can easily hide, but what or where is their food source coming from?  If you are implying that this hoarder is not removing garbage or trash, then what would be the underlying reason for this?  Also, there would need to be a large source of water, somewhere to sustain a large number of rats, and then what is their size in relation to other rodents.  Are there any cats around, which might help in control?

[Sabinatu]

Mara wrote:

What would Jesus do?

Sabinatu wrote: hoarding is a sign that the neighbor is not capable of having NORMAL relationships with others (respect, cooperation, cherishing their uniqueness, etc.) , one on one you are throwing your pearls to swine, so to speak.

I see. You’ve concluded this person isn’t capable of having normal relationships. How did you arrive at your conclusion?

What would Jesus do?

I don’t know what Jesus would do, exactly. Maybe someone can help you with an episode from Section IV that could serve as an inspiration for your particular situation with the neighbor, I am drawing a blank…

I tend to default to people who are qualified, supposedly, handling non-violent mental health issues. Hoarding has been added to the list of disorders that impact the ability of the disordered person to have normal relationships with others – seems like that list gets longer every year.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsive_hoarding

“….Compulsive hoarders may be conscious of their irrational behavior but the emotional attachment to the hoarded objects far exceeds the motive to discard the items…..”

[Vern]

Sabinatu wrote:  …Compulsive hoarders may be conscious of their irrational behavior but the emotional attachment to the hoarded objects far exceeds the motive to discard the items…..

Hi Sab, I see you have zeroed in on a specific problem and presented it with respect to the topic of what would Jesus do?

How to achieve a balanced personality in someone who may lack courage to address their own imbalance?

Only in this initial life experience do we have the option of wasting time as a technique of dodging situations or of circumventing disagreeable obligations.

If there are things which could have been learned but were not, the Mansion World teachers will ensure are mastered before any further progress is made. To permanently eradicate animal vestigial traits:

1. procrastination,
2. equivocation,
3. insincerity,
4. problem avoidance,
5. unfairness, and
6. ease seeking.

Those things which you might have learned on earth, but which you failed to learn, must be acquired under the tutelage of these faithful and patient teachers. There are no royal roads, short cuts, or easy paths to Paradise. Irrespective of the individual variations of the route, you master the lessons of one sphere before you proceed to another; at least this is true after you once leave the world of your nativity.  ^{[Paper 48:5.7, page 551:2]}

Only in this initial mortal life do we have the grace of partial progress before death terminates the material life vehicle.

One of the purposes of the morontia career is to effect the permanent eradication from the mortal survivors of such animal vestigial traits as procrastination, equivocation, insincerity, problem avoidance, unfairness, and ease seeking. The mansonia life early teaches the young morontia pupils that postponement is in no sense avoidance. After the life in the flesh, time is no longer available as a technique of dodging situations or of circumventing disagreeable obligations. ^{[Paper 48:5.8, page 551:3]}

What would Jesus have us do?

• Use our time well.
• To sincerely do the best we can with what we have.
• Honestly, be who we are.

[Sabinatu]

I think “equivocation” might be an animal trait only in humans

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equivocation

[Vern]

Sabinatu wrote:  might be an animal trait only in humans

hahahah

equivocate |iˈkwivəˌkāt|
verb [ intrans. ]
use ambiguous language so as to conceal the truth or avoid committing oneself : [with direct speech ] “Not that we are aware of,” she equivocated. See note at lie.

Animals cannot lie. Humans have a capacity for deviation from truth which far exceeds the inherent limitations of animals. Equivocation is but one such distortion of truth. To know truth of any situation in personal relationships one needs to go to motive.

With animals, the motivation is basic self interest………survival……….the next meal.

[Mara]

Mara wrote:  The other aspect of the story concerns my personal relationship with my neighbor. It is this part of the story that applies to what-would-Jesus-do.

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Astute readers understand the difference between the social problems and difficulties associated with the interactions of the individuals in a working group, who as a group, are attempting to cure a problem presented by a member of a community, vs the individual believer (me) who asks the question what-would-Jesus-do? in regard to the self-same member who is also the next door neighbor.

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The working group – the board of directors – is not a religious group, though some members might be religionists.  I don’t know.  The problem of rats was presented to them many months ago, though the hoarding issue has been going on for years. I have given up on this working group to effect a cure.  BTW thanks to those of you who offered me suggestions about how to deal with the troublesome rodents.  The rodent problem merely provides a real life situation and backdrop to the question what-would-Jesus-do?.   And the perplexity I have is a religious problem and a relationship problem with my neighbor who is also a believer.

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This reference might not apply in every detail, but I offer it for consideration.

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144:6:3   Andrew and Abner alternated in presiding over these joint meetings of the two apostolic groups. These men had many difficulties to discuss and numerous problems to solve. Again and again would they take their troubles to Jesus, only to hear him say: “I am concerned only with your personal and purely religious problems. I am the representative of the Father to the individual, not to the group. If you are in personal difficulty in your relations with God, come to me, and I will hear you and counsel you in the solution of your problem. But when you enter upon the co-ordination of divergent human interpretations of religious questions and upon the socialization of religion, you are destined to solve all such problems by your own decisions. Albeit, I am ever sympathetic and always interested, and when you arrive at your conclusions touching these matters of nonspiritual import, provided you are all agreed, then I pledge in advance my full approval and hearty co-operation. And now, in order to leave you unhampered in your deliberations, I am leaving you for two weeks. Be not anxious about me, for I will return to you. I will be about my Father’s business, for we have other realms besides this one.”

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[Sabinatu]

“…..I am the representative of the Father to the individual, not to the group….”

@Mara,  So keep talking with the SOT about it, in “private”. 

Jesus knew how to touch such maladjusted minds, but only if he saw that the person was capable of soul growth…

You have a “board of directors” as lords over yours, and your neighbor’s residences?  Yikes. So no wonder why they are useless in fixing any real problem of habitation – they are a fake fee-collecting layer of busybodies….see, I am not the best person to help you out with the personality thingy….would never buy into a place with a “board of directors”…

This disappeared as a motto from the “Libertarian” political party website over a decade ago because it was too lucid (common sense) and an ideal – “The ONLY role of government is to protect the INDIVIDUAL against force and fraud.” A board of directors will always be the source of force and fraud against the individual – it’s their “job” to suck out the maximum from the human commodity, short of actually cooking and eating the person, cannibal style – but who knows, might happen with the way things are going….

Follow a rat – I assumed everyone had found the nest, for real….might not be the hoarder, could be an extreme animal lover somewhere….the “gated communities” are interesting – LOL  Keeping the world out, or keeping the residents away from doing hurt to the world…?

 

 

[Mara]

Mara wrote:  I asked, “Are you joining us for prayer circle?” And the response was, “Hypocrites! You’re all hypocrites! Close the door so I can get by!” I felt the sting of it.

No, I’m not keeping this private. I’m bringing another part of the story to the fore.  The sting of it was an angry  rebuke.  The reason for it (my best guess) is that my neighbor resents I made such a big stink about it in the neighborhood and that I did not spare any suggestion as to the origin of the problem.  This isn’t the first time I elicited snappishness from my neighbor since I went public.

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But today after prayer circle I needed spiritual counseling from humans about this very problem. I was fortunate that four of the people stayed back to listen to me lay out this situation and one other troublous situation very much on my mind this morning.  I asked them, “What would Jesus do?” Honestly you guys, you need human help too sometimes.  This is an example of confiding trust and these four are believers.  That makes all the difference to me.  They know me and they know my neighbor, and they know the other person I haven’t yet mentioned to you with whom I have a perplexing relationship.   I do not think Jesus means for us to bear our burdens alone.

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     (126:3:14) […] He craved a trustworthy and confidential friend, but his problems were too complex for his human associates to comprehend. The uniqueness of the unusual situation compelled him to bear his burdens alone.

[Author]

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