What Would Jesus Undo?
BY BRITTANY SCHICK
What Would Jesus Undo?
There’s something deeply uncomfortable about this question. Not “What would Jesus do?” We’ve learned how to answer that one safely. But “What would Jesus undo?” That question disrupts. It asks more of us.
In Matthew 15, Jesus isn’t addressing outsiders. He’s speaking directly to the religious insiders—the ones who knew Scripture, valued tradition, and believed they were doing things the right way.
The Pharisees question Jesus about ritual. About why His disciples don’t follow the expected customs, the age-old traditions meant to signal faithfulness and reverence. On the surface, their concern seems reasonable. Tradition mattered. Order mattered. Structure mattered.
But Jesus turns the question back on them.
“Why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?”
That is the tension we’re meant to feel.
Somewhere along the way, tradition had begun to replace obedience. Appearance had edged out compassion. Systems created to honor God had become excuses to avoid loving others well.
Jesus names it plainly: honoring God with lips while hearts remain far from Him.
That line should give us pause.
Because it is possible—alarmingly possible—to say all the right things, sing all the right songs, follow all the right rhythms, and still miss the heart of God entirely. Jesus is not anti-tradition. He is anti-anything that substitutes form for faithfulness. He undoes religion that looks impressive but costs nothing. He dismantles faith that protects comfort while neglecting obedience, mercy, and love.
Hebrews reminds us that worship is not only something we proclaim—it is something we offer. A continual sacrifice of praise. A life that publicly aligns itself with Jesus, not just in word, but in posture and practice.
Romans presses the truth even further.
True worship is not confined to a moment or a ritual. It is the daily offering of our lives—our bodies, our choices, our patterns—placed on the altar again and again. Living sacrifice is not convenient. It disrupts routine. It forces us to examine the places where faith has become familiar but no longer transformative.
So perhaps the question Jesus presses on us this week is not abstract.
What would Jesus undo in me?
What habits, assumptions, or long-held spiritual practices have quietly taken precedence over obedience? Where have I chosen what feels comfortable over what is faithful? Where has tradition shaped my behavior more than love has shaped my heart?
This week, may we allow Jesus to examine not just what we practice, but why. Jesus does not ask for polished performance. He asks for surrendered lives. If something needs undoing to get us there—He will not hesitate.
Reflection Questions
- Where in my life has faith become more routine than relational?
- Are there traditions, habits, or expectations I hold tightly that may be keeping me from obedience or compassion?
- In what ways might I be honoring God with words while resisting Him with my life?
- What would it look like for my worship to extend beyond Sunday and shape my everyday choices?
- If Jesus were to undo one thing in my life right now, what do I sense it might be—and why?
A Closing Prayer
Jesus, search our hearts. Undo anything in us that keeps us close in appearance but far in truth. Strip away what is empty, convenient, or hollow. Teach us what it means to worship You—not just with words, but with lives fully offered. May our faith be real, costly, and rooted in love. Amen.