Readings for today: Judges 1-2, Luke 7:1-35
“And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them.” (Luke 7:22)
The gospel is good news. Somehow that message has become twisted in our world. So many see the gospel as bad news. They see it as restrictive. Oppressive. Ignorant. Unjust. Judgmental. Condemnatory. But nothing could be further from the truth. When people encountered Jesus, they found new life. Literally. The blind would begin to see. The deaf would begin to hear. Lepers would be cleansed and restored to community. The dead were raised. Everywhere Jesus went, new life broke out. Joy was His constant companion. Restoration and reconciliation followed in His wake. And yet, it was never enough. Eventually the praise turns to hate. The cries of adulation turn to calls for condemnation. Crucifixion. It would be the most baffling thing in the world except that it’s nothing new.
The people of Israel have just buried another great leader. A leader in mold of Moses. A man who led them faithfully for decades. They’ve come a long way since Egypt. No longer slaves. No longer living under tyranny and oppression. No longer a foreign people in a foreign land. They have come through the fire. They have come through the flood. They have come through the wilderness. And God has provided every step of the way. He gave them food to eat. Water to drink. He gave them victory over their enemies. All of this is good news! It’s something every Israelite should know by heart. And yet we read this heartbreaking verse, “And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.” (Judges 2:10) How is this possible? How is it possible to forgot the good news?
Sadly, I see the same thing happening all around us today. A generation rising who has forgotten the good news of the gospel. A generation who do not know the Lord or the work He has done. A generation who has bought the lie that the good news is actually bad news. And just to be clear, this has very little to do with age. This isn’t about young or old. This is not a complaint about “kids these days.” It has to do with the spirit of our day. We are living in a time when everyone wants to do what is right in their own eyes. Everyone wants to be free to follow whatever desires seem good to them. It’s very similar to the time of the Judges. A time in Israel’s history where she suffered horribly. A time in Israel’s history where terrible and tragic things took place on a regular basis. It was a time in Israel’s history where sin held sway and wreaked havoc on people’s lives. So we shouldn’t be surprised when a mass shooter opens fire in a King Soopers. We shouldn’t be surprised when sexual abuse scandals come to light in Washington DC, Hollywood, and even in the sacred precincts of the church. We shouldn’t be surprised when parts of the world starve to death while other parts live in abundance and plenty. We should grieve and weep and our hearts should break but we shouldn’t be surprised. After all, when the good news is rejected, all we are left with is bad news. And the world is full of bad news these days, amen?
So what’s the answer? The church. The people of God filled with the Spirit of God walking in obedience to God going forth to share the love of God with the world. The church has always been God’s answer to the problems that exist in the world. Jesus Himself said, “whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:12-14) Imagine a church who loves the way Jesus loved? Imagine a church who sets her heart on serving the poor? Healing the sick? Visiting those who are in prison? Imagine a church who gives sight to the blind? Helps the deaf to hear? Embraces the lepers of our day? Imagine a church who laid down her arms in the culture war? A church who laid aside her pursuit of power and wealth and cultural privilege and instead gave herself away for the sake of the gospel? Would this not be good news? Would not the world catch a glimpse of the Kingdom?
You say, it’s not possible. I know how you feel. I too find it easy to despair. But then I see the good news in action. I see it in the lives of ordinary people who do extraordinary things in the name of Jesus. I see it in the lives of foster parents who take children into their home. I see it when business owners give ex-cons a second change. I see it when couples fight for their marriages. I see it when addicts find healing and embrace in community. I see it when rich and poor come together in real relationship. All of a sudden needs are met. Lives are changed. All in the name of Jesus. I see it globally as entire villages come to know Christ. Abuse rates drop. Addiction rates plummet. Communities start to experience the blessing of a new way of life. The sick are healed. The dead are raised. Yes, I’ve seen these things with my own eyes. The good news is real, friends! It’s news our world is desperate to hear and experience for themselves. As we celebrate Easter this year, let’s remember where we go from here. We cannot keep this message to ourselves! It is a message designed to be personally delivered to every person on the face of the earth. Who are you sharing the good news with today?
Readings for tomorrow: Judges 3-7, Luke 7:36-8:39