If Jesus had FB, what would it be like?
1) FB would need to provide a ‘dislike’ button for Jesus’ account.
2) The number of dislikes probably outnumbers the likes.
3) Fickle-minded followers: The likers of his current post became dislikers in his next post. The crowd that welcomed him on the donkey with palm leaves and garments on his path probably same people shouting ‘Crucify him!’ few days later.
4) Who like his posts? Prostitutes, lepers, the lame, the blind, the poor, the sick, the tax collectors, the women, the children, non-Jews… in short, the marginalized and/or outcasts of the Jewish society.
5) Who dislike his posts? Pharisees, Sadducees, the experts and teachers of the Law (the elite, educated and esteemed) and whoever felt threatened by His popularity… and those who hated His rebuke of them for their hypocrisy.
6) He also had invisible or silent likers. Nicodemus went to him in the middle of the night. Perhaps, his inbox might be full of private messages from them. Peter followed him from a distance when he was on trial.
7) Jesus posts public messages to unpopular people.
The Samaritan woman at the well – was a Samaritan (despised by the Jews), a woman (considered lesser status than a man) and also an adulterous wife (having 5 husbands)
Zacchaeus, Jesus called down from the sycamore tree and he invited himself to Zacchaeus house.
Matthew, the tax collector, Jesus called him to be His disciple while he was at the tax collection counter.
The woman who anointed him with perfume, washed his feet with tears and dry them with her hair, Jesus praised her and said her story will be told everywhere and every time the good news is preached.
The woman bleeding for 12 years, Jesus called out from the crowd to heal and forgive.
The adulterous woman waiting to be stoned by accusers, Jesus forgave and told her to sin no more.
8) Implications: He sends friend requests to notorious/unpopular people whom the educated, elite, rich and favored people of society would not want to befriend.
More than just friend request, Jesus made intimate life-changing conversations with these people.
9) Photos posted by his followers: sermon on the mount, foot-washing for his disciples; feeding the 5000 and the 4000; sleeping on the boat and calming the storm; healing the blind; freeing the demon-possessed; children on his lap; entering Jerusalem on a donkey with crowd singing Hosanna, waving palm branches and spreading garments on his path.
10) Unposted photos: prayer in the garden of Gethsemane; temptation in the desert; on the road via Dolorosa; agony on the cross; chatting at the well with the Samaritan woman; chasing away the temple vendors in anger and all the painful and unpleasant experiences that the usual posters of FB today would not post… We only want to post the beautiful, the funny, the pleasant stuffs that make us feel good.
FB of a certain kind: the Jesus kind! Any followers?