Was Jesus radical? We need to start by defining radical. According to dicionary.com, radical means extreme, especially as regards change from accepted or traditional forms. As we consider this definition, I believe we can say that Jesus was radical. Here are some examples from the Scriptures:

“And Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, ‘I will; be clean.’ And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” [Matthew 8:3.] This was radical because Jesus touched the unclean, according to the law.

“But Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.’ And He laid hands on them and went away.” [Matthew 19:14-15.] When Jesus considered children by taking time with them, He was performing a radical act. At the time, children were not considered important in society.

“And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and His disciples.” [Matthew 9:10.] Jesus ate with sinners, which was not what the religious leaders of the time would do. This was radical.

“He is not here, but has risen. Remember how He told you, while He was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise. And they remembered His words.” [Luke 24:6-8.] This is proof that Jesus considered women as important. They followed Him and ministered to Him. He gave them the words concerning His death, burial, and resurrection. Radical? Yes. Women were often considered property, but Jesus raised up their status to sister.

There are many more examples in the Scriptures of how radical Jesus was. We will take time now to consider in what way He was the most radical, and why we are to follow His example. The most radical thing about Jesus was that He trusted His Father each and every moment of His life. This is what makes Him radical. Yes, His teachings were radical, but they flowed out of His life of depending on His Father.

“Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to accomplish His work.’” [John 4:34.] The will of God was the motivator for the life of Jesus. He yielded Himself to the Father’s will. This was, indeed, radical. In our human nature, we desire to do things our way. We want what we want, right? So much of the time, we don’t even consider the ways of Jesus. We need to adopt the radical attitude of our will being yielded to our Heavenly Father.

Where did his strength come from? “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He (Jesus) departed and went out to a desolate place, and there He prayed.” [Mark 1:35.] For Jesus, the idea of living without connection to the Father was not acceptable. He got up early, and He prayed. It doesn’t tell us what He prayed for, but we know He prayed perfectly. What’s so radical about this? There’s the sacrifice of sleep. This made the relationship with the Father more important than another hour to sleep. Prayer gave Him the strength He needed for the day.

There are many times when Jesus retreated by Himself to pray. However, this was not always the case. Jesus prayed in front of the disciples in John 17. In this prayer, He prays for those who will be disciples in the future. He prays that we will be one in Him. That’s radical! People from different backgrounds and earthly families becoming one family in Christ! As part of the Family of God, we are to trust in the Father and seek to do His will. This is the example given to us by Jesus. How awesome would it be if the Family of God actually lived like Jesus? It would be so radical that the world would take notice.

Today is a great day to start to live in a radical manner! We can put on our God remembrance hat, remembering His presence, His direction, His will, and is loving care. When we do this, our lives will change in a radical way!

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.” [Galatians 2:20.]