Jesus, Take The Wheel

How would Jesus drive?

I’ll admit it’s a strange question. And, believe me, I don’t lie awake at night contemplating whether Jesus would prefer driving a Jeep Liberty or a Toyota Avalon. I posit the question because commuting is a fairly substantial portion of each day, and I think about how it intersects with my faith.

Seriously, how we drive is an extension of who we are. Further, if we so choose to display messages on our vehicles via bumper stickers or the like, we’re also sending a message to the general public. So, as I’m driving down the tollway in the morning, you can imagine my perplexity at the Saturn View with the “Jesus Loves You” bumper sticker that speeds past me and cuts me off.

Am I supposed to pay more attention to the message of the bumper sticker or the message of the driving? I suppose it’s not that different from delineating the message of the individual who wears a cross necklace and performs an unsavory action. Even so, if you decide to label yourself voluntarily on the road, you should think twice before hitting the gas. For the believer, how should he or she behave when behind the wheel?

I don’t think I’m breaking any new ground when I say a believer seeks to model his or her life after Jesus. Following Christ should affect your entire way of life—how you approach everything. As a result, there’s no room for making exceptions for certain areas of your life (i.e., God can have control of my entire life except for my mouth because I still want to cuss). Believers should emulate Christ in all pursuits—even while driving.

So, again, how would Jesus drive?

Based on the character of Jesus and what we can learn from Him in the Scriptures, we can determine a few things:

Jesus would be a law-abiding driver.

Yes, Jesus would follow the rules of the road. The Messiah knew no sin and followed the Father’s will to perfection. From the Scriptures, we can gather that Jesus wouldn’t speed down the road or run a red light when the cops weren’t present.

Matthew 22:21 says, “Then He said to them, ‘So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.’” The Pharisees recognized Jesus was a man of integrity and intended to trap Him with a test. Should money be used to pay government taxes? Yes! Believers should pay what is owed to the government and pay to God what is His. In similar fashion, believers are called to follow the laws of the land in addition to God’s law.

Further, Romans 13:1 states, “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” Paul was explicit in carrying out the Word of God, stating that believers should be model citizens in any government. To be sure, those in authority are established by God for all authority comes from Him. As a result, if the government passes a law not to take a right turn on red, you should take care to follow the law because it came from a higher authority.

Jesus would be a model driver by keeping the laws of the roadways. While racing down the highway is a constant temptation for me, Jesus would never feel the need to break the law.

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[quote bar=”true” align=”center”]Am I supposed to pay more attention to the message of the bumper sticker or the message of the driving? I suppose it’s not that different from delineating the message of the individual who wears a cross necklace and performs an unsavory action.[/quote]

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Jesus would care about the journey, not just the destination.

When I drive, I am almost always focused only on the destination and arriving on time (if not 15 minutes before). On the other hand, Jesus would care about the destination, yes, but He would also be concerned about the journey.

I love the story of the woman at the well. John 4:4-6 describes the setting: “Now He had to go through Samaria. So He came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as He was from the journey, sat down by the well.”

We see a lot about the person of Jesus in this story. In particular, Jesus, on His way to Galilee, took a route through Samaria in order to make a rest stop in Sychar. Why? Jesus was traveling to His destination, but He knew the importance of the journey—He needed to talk to the woman at the well at this appointed time. He was tired, but He still made time for the one lost sheep.

Additionally, the story of Lazarus comes to mind. The words of John 11:21 resonate with me: “‘Lord,’ Martha said to Jesus, ‘if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’” Seriously, God…had You been here when we needed You, this wouldn’t have happened. Our lives are dictated by time, but this is not so for the timeless One. Although Jesus was late by our limited understanding, He was right on time to display the glory of the Father.

Jesus would not succumb to road rage.

Dan Rather once said, “Americans will put up with anything provided it doesn’t block traffic.” There’s more truth in that statement than we’d probably like to admit. If it’s not traffic, something else may engender rage in us as we drive—reckless drivers, drivers who text, honking horns, etc.

Jesus wouldn’t give in to road rage. In fact, He likely wouldn’t get angry in traffic at all. Has Jesus ever been angry? Yes. John 2:14-15 describes such an instance: “In the temple courts He found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So He made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; He scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.”

In this case, Jesus displayed righteous indignation. The people were prostituting the House of the Lord, making it a marketplace rather than a house of worship. Jesus never sat silent in the face of sin or when the Lord’s will was being violated. Jesus is filled with zeal for carrying out the will of the Father. It’s hard to imagine that qualification applies to bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Further, Galatians 5:22-23 describes the fruit of the Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” When I think about losing my cool on the road (and it can happen quite a bit), I realize it doesn’t square with the fruit. At the very least, I don’t exemplify peace, forbearance, or self-control. I can try and convince myself that it’s cathartic to yell during rush-hour, but it’s not true. If Jesus embodies the fruit of the Spirit, He wouldn’t be boiling on the turnpike.

What message are you sending with your driving? Do you drive like Jesus is sitting in the front seat, or do you drive like a demon?

Z. Montgomery