The Advent of Goodness – December 18, 2013

Suggested Reading: John 11

Goodness, like kindness, is an underrated virtue. In fact, today it is often used as a negative term, as in “goody two shoes.” To be good is to be perceived as weak or naive. To be worldly, jaded, cynical, and tough are attributes of our heroes these days. From Iron Man to Wolverine, our modern heroes may be powerful, but they are unpredictable and deeply flawed. They may have some light in them, but they seem to be mostly shadow. Perhaps this is a result of the pervasive cynicism we confuse with wisdom.

Jesus stands out in the midst of our culture as the ultimate hero, and one that is nothing but good. His motivations and His actions might be puzzling, but that they are good, there is no question. Jesus stands alone with omnipotent power partnered with untainted goodness. His love is unending, His sacrifices immeasurable, and His kindness transforming.

He faced a crowd armed with stones, ready to kill, using just a few words and some scribbling in the sand, and in so doing saved a woman in need. When faced with systematic wickedness and the desecration of a house of prayer for all peoples, Jesus cobbled together a whip from some rope, flipped the tables, and drove the robbers from the temple. He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, raised the dead, and went about doing good wherever He went. When asked by His Father to lay down His life for the world, He wrestled in prayer, and freely chose to give His life for all of us. He was brave, powerful, and always good.

You would think that His goodness would draw people to Him. But being good is a prophetic act, and those who love the darkness hate the light. Jesus’ goodness in the midst of a wicked and depraved world shone brightly and was a challenge to those entrenched darkness. Simple goodness was a threat.

The religious and political leaders of the day were so invested in their own power and prestige that they could not allow someone to wander around doing good. One of the final turning points in the gospel story, the point of no return, was when Jesus brought Lazarus back to life. Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha. He raised Lazarus from the dead as a demonstration of God’s power and goodness. The people marvelled! The religious leaders decided to kill him. They all recognized His miracles, but some believed while others plotted murder.

The baby in a manger brought God’s goodness into the world, and through us it shines on today. We are the people of light. The Spirit of Christ, of goodness, lives in us.

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Questions:

What qualities of goodness have you seen in others?

How can you live out of His goodness and shine Jesus’ light into the world today?