God saw that it was good - August 16, 2010
God saw that it was good - August 16, 2010
"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."
Luke 12:32-40
As God finished every aspect of creation, the Bible says "he saw that it was good." Search as we might, it's pretty hard for us to grasp quite the extent of God's evaluation of "good" regarding all that he brought into existence. Perfection as only the almighty God could produce it permeated everything. From there it was a long fall when Adam and Eve spoiled God's perfection with their disobedience. Because of sin, what's truly good is now far removed from here, in every respect.
That doesn't stop us from trying to find it in our sin-broken world, however. It's tempting to describe our lives as "good" with square footage or fulfilled wish lists. But as Jesus reminds us, these are the things that wear out over time. They're stuff that deteriorate and are destroyed. They're not real treasure, but as our hearts are drawn to them, they're a distraction from our purpose as Christians.
Jesus focuses Christians on their purpose in life: be ready for your master's return. "Don't look at all the things around. Don't let them trip you up. Be ready for my return every moment." It's hard to be ready when you're searching for good things to patch up your fears. So the Lord says first, "Do not be afraid." Through him there's no reason to be afraid. But it doesn't always seem so now; now we wait in a sinful world. But Christian waiting looks forward to what is truly good. "It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes." It will be good when the master of all things serves his servants. Imagine that! But of course, that's not hard for you to imagine. You've seen it. Your master, Jesus, stretched his hands to the cross. He paid for all of your imperfect acts and thoughts. He experienced exhaustion and death. He rose to live again. You know what's good; what's been given. "Your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom." There's no fear in the kingdom—forgiven of every sin; living under the care of the one who made everything good to start. Your master made it yours now. You wait to see it firsthand when he returns. Focus on what's good and be ready to receive it.
Heavenly Father, you’ve given me your whole kingdom when you gave me your Son to pay for my sins. May I this day see that good as my primary goal. As I enjoy all your good gifts, may I be ready in all I do to see you in all your goodness. Amen.
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