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“Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.” – Mother Teresa I won’t necessarily describe myself as a “news junky” but I enjoy discovering odd, interesting news items and sharing them with my wife, Charlotte. One recent item was about a middle-aged Maryland man who had been found dead in a house with 124 snakes. Many of the snakes were exotic and illegal to own, and included rattlesnakes, cobras, black mambas and even a 14-foot Burmese python! Initially, the man’s cause of death was given as natural causes. I’m sorry but in my humble opinion, the odds of someone dying of natural causes in a house full of snakes are pretty slim. And sure enough, a subsequent autopsy showed that the man had died Often, though, the news doesn’t give us the whole story. An issue that initially seems obvious often becomes more complex on further examination. There are times when I read something buried in the “news” that directly contradicts the prevailing narrative. The late radio broadcaster Paul Harvey called his show “The rest of the story.” He fittingly concluded his broadcasts with the phrase, “Now you know . . . the rest of the story.” There were times when Jesus also told “the rest of the story,” truth that couldn’t be found elsewhere. In the Sermon on the Mount, he repeatedly said, “‘You have When I was much younger, in my early teens, there was a translation of the New Testament called “Good News for Modern Man” or “Today’s English Version.” Later, after the Old Testament portion was added, it became known as the “Good News Bible” or “Good News Translation.” I know I’ve shared this story before but around that time I heard my Sunday School teacher, a fiery old Baptist preacher, say, “The Bible is not good news. It’s bad news because it tells people they’re going to Hell!” To his credit, he wasn’t alone in condemning “Good News for Modern Man.” Evangelicals at the time—and today—hated it for various reasons. One reason may have been that it simply wasn’t the good old King James Version they’d grown up reading. But, as I’m sure you know, the word “gospel” means “good news.” It’s good news because, among other things, it tells people they don’t have to go to Hell (Rom. 6:23). It tells them about a loving God who sent a savior to purchase their pardon (1 Pet. 1:18-19). It tells them—and us—“the rest of the story.” When Jesus came, the people of Israel had been waiting for centuries for the one who would redeem them and their nation and lift them out of oppression and despair. The gospel means that same redemption is ours as well (Col. 3:11). It means the story doesn’t end with condemnation. It means the cross is not the end, that there’s an empty tomb and beyond. It means resurrection morning and the day after that, and the day after that, etc. It means living by love and not being ruled by fear. For Peter, his denial was not the end (John 18:15-18, 25-27; 21:15-19). For the thief on the cross, condemnation was not the end (Luke 23:39-43). For Thomas, his doubts were not the end (John 20:24 29). And for us, a frightening diagnosis is not the last word for our lives (2 Cor. 4:16-18). Our bank balance is not the final measure of our worth (Matt. 10:29-31). Our savior has promised that there is something beyond our Earthly experience (John 14:1-4), something wonderful that not only gives us hope for the future but brings a new dimension to the present. And that’s a promise worth sharing. “‘You have heard the law that says, “Love your neighbor” and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.’” (Matt. 5:43-48 New Living Translation.) |
