"What would Jesus do?"

This is what a banner says that the Occupy London protesters have put up outside St. Paul's Cathedral. In an article in the Guardian the Rev. Richard Coles cleverly answers this question simply with: "Not what we want".

And this is another example of how questions can help believers to share the Gospel. For all the simplicity of the Gospel, the answers to some of our questions aren't always predictable or safe. There is always a surprising, even paradoxical answer to some of our most basic questions.

As the Rev. Coles reflected on the PR disaster created by the way St Paul's Cathedral handled the protesters he said: "Christianity began with a PR disaster, on a hill outside Jerusalem. Out of it came unimaginable possibilities for new life and the transformation of the world, not in spite of the disaster but because of it."

In some way, the Lord Jesus was pointing the same out to the man we read about yesterday (Matthew 19). He asked: "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus then proceeds to create for him a little PR crisis of his own by requiring him to sell all his possessions, give it the money to the poor and come follow him. After realising that he can't the man walks away - sad. He asked: "What should I do to get to heaven?" and Jesus answered: "Not what you want to do..."

Out of this crisis - after realising our own inability to love God and our neighbour - God can finally be the Saviour we need. Jesus' response to his confused disciples after the rich man left gives us a clue to this: "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Prayer
Our Lord Jesus Christ, help us to see that you save us from ourselves and at great cost to yourself. As we see this, help us to be in wonder and amazement that the Creator God would die to save us. Amen