Good God, Good News

Have you ever seen a painting that moved you? Like, it touched a piece of your heart in a way you didn't know a bunch of oils on a canvas could. You're walking through a museum. You stop to take a look. And the longer you look, observe, let the details sink in, you're struck in awe and wonder. This piece of art will forever be a part of the way through which you see the world.

Not unlike what I think the Gospel should be.

I've been really wrestling with something lately. What is the Gospel. If you've been in any traditional Christian church, you've likely heard that word, gospel.

What is it? How have you heard it explained?

It had for a very long time been a word that felt very mysterious for me. Like, you either understood it or you didn't. And it never felt like a simple answer. I've heard terms like "plan of salvation" or "atonement" tied to it. I've heard messages about how Jesus died on the cross for my sins and it's my duty to share that message with people. I've heard it preached countless times about it being a gift of personal salvation. Or sadly, a transactional "get out of jail free card" type message where the question asked at the end would be "if you were to die today, would you go to heaven or hell?"

Fear, conditions, anxiety. All of which I have felt at the gospel message at times.

But what does it actually mean?

The Greek word for gospel in the New Testament is euangelion. It means "good news". In the Roman world, "euangelion" was used for announcements of imperial victories or the birth or accession of an emperor. So when the New Testament writers used it for Jesus, it carried a subversive edge, announcing a different kind of King and kingdom.

Good news.

This already feels different than a lot of the messages I was taught.

But I still wrestle with what that looks like in our day to day lives. What does the good news of the new King mean for me and the people I know? What did it mean for the people who encountered Jesus?

Every summer our friends gather on our back patio. Sometimes the conversations stay light. Other times they become deeply personal or theological. Those evenings are some of my favorite moments of the year. As we were discussing the gospel one night, one of our very best friends, Joel, asked this, "if the gospel means good news, who is the news good for?"

Hard stop. Think about that question.

It hit me. I bring up this question frequently. It ignited something in me.

If the gospel means good news, who is it good for? Yes, I'm repeating it. Because it's worth wrestling with. People, (and I've been guilty of this too) tend to "other" people. The people we disagree with. The people who live a lifestyle we don't think is right. People with a different political affiliation. And in some churches, the people "of the world". Church people are safe and good. Culture and the people "out there" are bad.

Are we actually representing good news?

Our prime example is the one who had FOUR gospels written about him. Jesus. He was a Jew. He lived within Israel's story and honored the covenant God had made with His people. Yet throughout His ministry, He continually challenged the social and religious boundaries that kept people at arm's length from one another.

What we see is Jesus sitting with people who were "othered". Tax collectors, women (who at that time didn't have as much value as a man), non-Jewish people. All of whom were written off by the majority of the Jews and Jewish leaders.

One example is Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, who was wealthy. Tax collectors in that culture were despised, seen as traitors who collaborated with Rome and often padded their own pockets by overcharging people. So Zacchaeus wasn't just unpopular; he was the kind of person religious people crossed the street to avoid. Jesus dined with Zacchaeus in Zacchaeus's home. After which Zacchaeus said he was going to give half of his belongings to the poor and pay back four times anyone he wronged. This is found in Luke's gospel, chapter 19:2-10. Zacchaeus encountered Jesus and was changed.

We see Jesus going through places like Tyre and Sidon, Gentile (non-Jewish) areas. A Canaanite woman came and asked for him to heal her daughter. There is an interesting conversation that happens but ultimately she willingly acknowledges his kingship and he heals her daughter. This is found in Matthew's gospel, chapter 15:21-28. One thing to note here, the readers of this gospel would have heard that she was a Canaanite and that would have been a red flag. They were historically seen as enemies of the Jews.

Then there's the story of the Samaritan woman. Jesus goes out of his way to meet her where she's drawing water from a well and they dialogue. Some might say debate. They are apparently alone, which at the time was a huge issue. Women didn't have value to sit at the feet of the Rabbis. And yet, he intentionally does so. Not only that, she is one of the first that Jesus openly admits that he is the Messiah. She is changed. She preaches to her city where many come to believe. This is found in John's gospel, chapter 4:4-26, 28-42. Again, Samaritans would have been considered enemies. And a woman? This would have been radical.

Jesus didn't simply tolerate the people others rejected. He welcomed them. He saw them. He restored their dignity.

So, I ask again? What is the gospel?

What if the gospel is love, wholeness and transformation? What if the gospels are trying to show the kingdom of a new King, but this King transforms with radical unconditional love, mercy, healing and wholeness? What if to spread the gospel means we should operate as his hands, feet, heart. To love in a transformative way with everyone we come across?

Close your eyes and picture living in a world where Jesus is literally the king. What would you expect it to look like? Would people be treated as less than? Would he model an "us vs them" mentality? Would He pick favorites? Would he blast people on social media for thinking, looking, operating different than him? Or would he welcome all willingly, love unconditionally, be a safe space for restoration?

So, asking Joel's question again, but through this new mindset, "If the gospel means good news, who is the news good for?"

Similar to that piece of art in the museum, I think the Gospel should be good for everyone. Good for the person who votes red, blue, or nowhere at all. Good for the lifelong believer and the one who's never set foot in a church. Good for every race, every body, every mind, and everyone across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum.

It should be something we all stop and observe, look deeper at, to allow the details to sink in and let it change us forever. A way through which we see the world and interact with it. It should be something that once you encounter it, your life changes for the better, ultimately changing those around you. It should be something that becomes this unshakable force. We become those pieces of art, changing others by reflecting the good God.

Because the love and transformation of Jesus was, and still is, good news for everyone. He didn't heal people from a distance and move on. He touched them. He sat with them.

To experience a good God and a good gospel should change our lives. It should bring restoration through connection with others. It should mean everyone's needs are met, every person is seen, everyone can experience loving relationships. It should mean radical, unrelenting love and grace and peace. Who wouldn't want that?

So I leave you with these words from Paul. In Romans chapter, 12, he says this:

"Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality. Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down. Get along with each other; don't be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don't be the great somebody. Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. "I'll do the judging," says God. "I'll take care of it." Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he's thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don't let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good."

Romans 12:9-21 (MSG)