Chapter 32

The Applicant - Fiction

Satan continued to bedevil Jesus for quite some time. At one point, he set Jesus on the pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem and began to offer unsolicited career advice.

“Your issue, Son” he said, looking out over Jerusalem, “is visibility.”

Below them, people moved through the Temple courts. Priests, merchants, worshippers, soldiers. A large audience with strong demographic diversity and excellent organic reach.

Jesus said nothing.

“You have a compelling story,” Satan continued. “Son of God. Humble beginnings. And you’ve got a disruptive message. But it’s a crowded field, this messiah business. No one knows who you are. And you’re making claims that are hard to believe.”

“What do you mean?” said Jesus.

“Well, are you the son of God or God himself? You need clearer messaging. You need to establish a personal brand.”

And Satan had a point. “Messiah” was a crowded field with Jewish prophets, Democratic Socialists and dirty guys emerging out of the desert. Jesus needed differentiation. Why was he different?

Satan pointed to the edge of the roof. “Jump.”

Jesus looked down.

“You fall,” said Satan. “Angels swoop in and catch you in front of everyone. One dramatic moment and the market understands your value proposition.”

Jesus thought. I don’t do stunts.

“It’s not a stunt,” Satan said. “It’s a brand activation.”

The Temple was the perfect venue. High traffic. Religious credibility. Excellent sightlines. By sunset, everyone in Jerusalem would know the name Jesus. Merchants would sell tiny wooden replicas of him being caught by angels.

No wandering through villages. No explaining parables. No relying on twelve tagalongs who barely understood the mission.

One jump could save three years of organic ministry.

“This is how people will know you are real,” Satan said.

Jesus had heard enough. “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.”

Jesus could have jumped. The angels would have come. The crowd would gasp. The priests would fall to their knees. The Romans and the Pharisees would stop screwing around with him. He’d be untouchable.

But that was not what Jesus was about. He didn't want an Emmy. He wanted to save the world. He wanted to change people's hearts.

If he jumped, they would not have become disciples. They would have become subscribers waiting for the next piece of content. “Heal the sick, man. Bring that guy back to life! Fly!”

The first miracle would require a second. A higher roof. More angels.

Jesus walked away from the edge.

He chose the slower path: teaching, healing, rejection, misunderstanding and eventually death. Terrible branding. No content calendar. No professional headshot. Not even a LinkedIn Premium account.

He didn’t want people to follow him because he could fly. He wanted them to follow him because his message made sense.

It was a terrible personal-branding strategy. It was also the point.