What would Jesus say today?

Jesus's fierce protection of children speaks directly to the allegation that social media platforms deliberately harmed young people for profit. His warning about those who cause children to stumble emphasizes the grave responsibility adults and institutions have toward the vulnerable. This trial centers on whether powerful corporations exploited children's developing minds, making this ancient warning remarkably relevant.

Jesus's identification with prisoners and strangers challenges both sides of this debate. His words remind us that how we treat the detained and the foreign reflects how we treat Christ himself. The Georgia residents' struggle reveals that proximity to suffering often transforms abstract policy debates into moral reckonings about human dignity and compassion.

Jesus's promise of abundant life stands in stark contrast to policies that diminish care for wounded warriors. These veterans already sacrificed their health and well-being; attempts to reduce their support reveal a system that can treat people as expendable rather than precious. Christ's vision calls us toward restoration and wholeness, not bureaucratic reduction of care for the suffering.

Jesus condemned religious leaders who focused on minor details while ignoring justice and mercy—exactly what's happening as politicians debate blame instead of helping affected communities. The sewage crisis, particularly impacting the poor, represents the "weightier matters" Jesus prioritized. His rebuke calls leaders to stop posturing and start serving those suffering from their neglect.

A nurse who spent her life caring for others was killed by those meant to protect, embodying the tragic inversion of peacemaking into violence. Jesus blessed those who bring peace and healing—exactly what healthcare workers do. This death challenges us to ask whether our systems of authority reflect Christ's peace or perpetuate harm against the very servants who heal our communities.

Jesus's radical call to love enemies directly challenges the war-or-peace calculation. While national security is complex, Christ's teaching reminds us that violence should be the last resort, not the first instinct. His words invite leaders to exhaust every diplomatic avenue and see adversaries as human beings made in God's image, not simply targets.

Jesus's warning about divided kingdoms speaks to America's fractured public health system, where political division undermines our collective ability to protect the vulnerable. When states must create separate health guidance because federal institutions have lost credibility, the entire house is weakened. Christ calls us toward unity in serving the common good, especially protecting children's health.

Jesus began his ministry by declaring his mission to liberate the poor and oppressed—those trapped in systems they cannot escape. Declining social mobility represents exactly this kind of captivity, where birth circumstances become destiny. Christ's words challenge us to dismantle structures that bind people in poverty and create pathways to the abundant life he promised for all.

Jesus's question about gaining power at the cost of one's soul applies to our rush toward AI capabilities without ethical guardrails. Military advantage means nothing if we lose our humanity in the process or create systems we cannot control. Christ reminds us that some victories are actually devastating losses when they compromise fundamental moral principles.

Jesus proclaimed truth as the path to freedom, yet corporate pressure silences voices questioning how faith is used politically. When networks suppress interviews discussing religion and politics, they prevent the very truth-telling that Jesus said brings liberation. His words remind us that authentic faith fears no honest conversation and that suppressing difficult discussions serves power, not truth.