Just a few weeks ago I sat with a friend who posed a scenario that he had been weighing, uncertain of how to proceed or where his ultimate stance would land. In response to his dilemma, I asked him, “What do you think Jesus would say to you if he were sitting here right now?” His reply was thoughtful, profound, and illuminated the depth of his relationship with Jesus. As our conversation continued, we both agreed that my original question would be nearly impossible to answer if one lacked an intimate relationship with Jesus.

It makes sense, doesn’t it? If someone were to ask you, “What do you think Ed would say about that?”, but you and I had never met, there would be no way for you to answer with any clarity. At best, you might venture a guess on the basis of what others have told you about me, but even that would be rather suspect. Without a relationship, how would you ever dare to guess what Jesus might say to you?

This all came to mind for me when I read a scripture that appears in both the 10th chapter of Mark and the 18th chapter of Luke. A rich man approaches Jesus and asks of him, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” At first, Jesus gives a relatively simple answer and begins to quote the commandments. When the rich man replies that he has upheld these commandments since he was just a boy, Jesus replies with a far more personal and specific answer: “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” It makes it seem like Jesus asks some things of all of us, and perhaps more specific things to us as individuals. For this one man, Jesus’ reply was “sell everything and give it all away.”

What would Jesus say to you if you asked him what was needed to inherit eternal life?

Would he remind you of your anger or your impatience? Would he invite you to look through a new perspective? Would he challenge your envy or greed? Perhaps the real question ought to be, do you know Jesus well enough to consider his answer? Do you know yourself well enough to be honest about what might need to change?

As we walk through this summer season, I encourage you to consider how Jesus might respond to you if you asked him a few of these questions. If you’re not so sure what he might say, or why he might say it, perhaps there’s an invitation to get to know him a bit better. If you know what he might say to you, perhaps there’s an invitation to act upon his words for your life.

Friends, I mean this as earnestly as ever: I would love to hear your story. The more I walk this road of faith the more I realize how meaningful it is to sit with others, to learn from one another and share our experiences. If you have a few minutes, an open lunch break, or can find a morning for coffee or tea, please reach out. I’d love to sit together.

Be well, friends.

– Ed Sutter