SUPERCALIFRAGALISTICEXPALODIOUS news!
It’s not Good News, its SUPERCALIFRAGALISTICEXPALODIOUS news!
The Good News or Gospel is simple! God loves all people. Don’t make it more complex than it needs to be.
Christians often throw the word, “Gospel”, or “Good News” around. When pressed to explain what the good news is, I rarely here that it concerns God’s love for all People, no strings attached. More often it is framed with the good news of Jesus death that appeased God so that humanity could be forgiven. We call it Good Friday for a reason. I do believe that some authors in the Bible probably believed that. They were after all raised in cultures that based their relationship with their gods, in the need for blood atonement. There is another important story line and major thought in scripture about what the Gospel is, and it doesn’t have to do with Jesus’ death.
How can Jesus call his disciples asking them to share the “good new” as the first act of their calling if he hasn’t explained his death? The earliest Gospel says it clearly,
Mark 1:14-15 (NRSV)
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God,
and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”
What is this Good News that Jesus is referring to? This is the 14th verse in the Gospel’s opening chapter. What is this good news? Is it expressed in the first 13 verses, or was it something the author assumed everyone knew? I think it is expressed in those first 13 verse, specifically, verses 4-5:
Mark 1:4-5 (NRSV)
John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
The Good News is that the forgiveness of God, or a relationship with God is no longer constrained to the Temple, and it’s open to All People from the whole Judean countryside, Jew and Gentiles, rich and poor, those who qualified to enter the temple and those who didn’t. This is not only good news, its GREAT NEWS that we take for granted. And Jesus continues to proclaim and call disciples to proclaim this good news. He’s not dead, he is starting his ministry and he is confident to call disciples to this simple message that John started and Jesus continued.
God loves lepers, blind, demon possessed, women and the poor. The day is over of Blessings and Curses from the days of Deuteronomy. Those who follow God will be loved by God and blessed. Those who do not keep the commandments, the Law, who do not have a relationship with God, they will be cursed. (Read Deuteronomy 28). It’s over. There is a radically new call which requires a full 180degree mental shift. God is on the loose, out of the temple, and available to all people. ALL PEOPLE. I hope that is your calling to share that!
Gone are these days! Live in the freedom and love of God that God sends upon all people. That God blesses you