The Christian Letter, Volume One: Chapter 43
“And see, one came and said to Him, ‘Good Teacher, what good shall I do to have everlasting life?’ And He said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good except One—Elohim. But if you wish to enter into life, guard the commands.’” (Matthew 19:16-17).
The Messiah, the Word, gave the Good Word to the one seeking salvation. Ah, but for every hundred times this verse is preached, ninety nine times men delve into arguing about whether He is good or not, for every one that men say, “The Messiah, when asked about salvation, said to keep the Commandments.” He offered the gift of following Him. Yahoweh is Keeper of Sabbath. He robs not. He gives no false testimony. Yes, Yahoweh is Holy and Good, and we are to be holy as He is Holy. Scripture never claims we can be perfect at being good, as all have gone astray; therefore, we look towards our Father, Yahoweh, for Salvation, for His goodness, and for His Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is the goodness that comes from Him, not of self. It is the difference between being righteous, and being self-righteous.
In all this, we must examine our heart. What question flows from within? Am I following the Good Shepherd in the Torah of Elohim? Or: Should I argue about whether He is good or not, which just seems silly? Nevertheless, so it is known: The Messiah, Elohim, is good. In addition: The Messiah, Elohim, kept the Commandments, and said, “Follow Me.”
“And you shall be set apart to Me, for I Yahoweh am set-apart, and have separated you from the peoples to be Mine.” (Leviticus 20:26).
“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore, your eye is good, all your body shall be enlightened. But if your eye is evil, all your body shall be darkened. If, then, the light that is within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! No one is able to serve two masters, for either he shall hate the one and love the other, or else he shall cleave to the one and despise the other. You are not able to serve Elohim and mammon.” (Matthew 6:22-24). A good eye is a way of saying a cheerful giver, while a bad eye indicates a stingy heart. The only cure is to cut out the bad eye by giving away that which blinds you (see the rest of Matthew 19).
In Matthew 12:10-15 we see the Messiah healing a man on the Sabbath and calling it good to do so. Will He heal your bad eye this Sabbath? Yah longs for us on His Sabbath. Does He find we long for worldly gain more? Which is truly spiritually good? Elohim, or money? A good eye, or a bad eye?
The rarity of goodness tries to sink my heart into the depth of sorrow. The other day someone said to me, “Hello, how are you today?” I get asked this question, as I am sure most everyone does, fairly often. This time was different, though. A stranger said hello, and smiled … and meant it. My heart swelled with happiness because of this simple act of goodness. Oh, how often we tend to forget the little things. Without goodness, then even marriage, friendship, and kindness, can simply disappear into a sea of sorrow.
Time erodes, but regardless of this, Sodom and Gomorrah, the Red Sea crossing, Mount Sinai, and other undeniable proofs of Scripture, which pale in comparison to Scripture Himself, have been found. They are real. His Word is real! Our Hope is valid. I know that comes as no news flash to you. However, if the next time a clerk asks, “How are you doing?” or, “Have you found everything you need?” it may come as a surprise to them if you reply with something akin to, “I’m doing great! I just finished reading about a recent archeologist find. They found Egyptian chariots at the bottom of the Red Sea crossing!” Prepare to be led to minister. They may not know who the Israelites are, or where the Red Sea is, or if it’s red for that matter. Things like this can be shared with weak believers, but for people who do not know Him at all, we must start with creation. While I cannot give you perfect words to say, when the time comes, Yahoweh will give you the words to say, and, in fact, has within His Word. (Please read 1 Peter 3:15-22). You may be met with crying, a sincere, “Wow!” and request of author, or red-in-the-face anger at the disproof of their atheism. No longer can they live as if the Bible is a fairytale, as some believers do. You may need to go back to creation, or answer a question of high importance, or they may try to trap you with trick questions. You may have to study further to give an answer, but to show others the hope within is truly an act of goodness. For what on earth, I dare ask, is more of the fruit of the Spirit goodness than the Good News!
Note: Do not be afraid to share the Good News of Goodness with those whom the Holy Spirit has led you to. Break the chains of oppression and share, not push, the Hope within you! “For if I bring the Good News, it is no boasting for me, for necessity is laid on me, and it is woe to me if I do not bring the Good News!” (1 Corinthians 9:16). We must do this in love, or we will hold it in hate.
“You heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those cursing you, do good to those hating you, and pray for those insulting you and persecuting you, so that you become sons of your Father in the heavens. Because He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those loving you, what reward have you? Are the tax collectors not doing the same too? And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do more than others? Are the tax collectors not doing so too? Therefore, be perfect, as your Father in the heavens is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-48). You have heard it said, “Love your neighbour, but hate your enemy.” Many who think the Messiah was speaking against Torah, do not know that the Torah said no such thing. Hating your enemy was said, not written. Hating your enemy was done, not commanded.
“For a good tree does not yield rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree yield good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. For they do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. The good man brings forth what is good out of the good treasure of his heart, and the wicked man brings forth what is wicked out of the wicked treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart his mouth speaks. But why do you call Me, ‘Master, Master,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:43-46). Justly and rightly asked the Rabbi, and our life is our response. Is there bitterness in our hearts, overflowing, and contaminating others, or do we harvest goodness even unto our enemy? Do we have a heart liken to the crowd screaming, “Crucify Him!” or the heart of the Messiah saying, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” … or are we somewhere in the middle, lukewarm, saying as little as possible? The thorn bush, and the vine that does not bear, are thrown into the same fire. What kind of fruit does our life produce? Is it the goodness of love, the goodness of faith, and the goodness of hope? Is the Messiah free in our heart, or do we trap an idea of Him in our heart shaped cage?
“Let your light so shine before men, so that they see your good works and praise your Father Who is in the heavens.” (Matthew 5:16).
Honest goodness is ministry, not by showing evidence and quoting Scripture all day, but by sharing the Good News with others. Let us, therefore, live in the fruit of the Spirit that the Tzitzit always reminds us of. However, while we are not to cast pearls before swine, let us always seek to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit as we pray for others and self, ever checking our heart to be sure therein is Yahoshuah, the Righteous One, and not our own self-righteousness. Let the fruit of the Spirit goodness flow, even if it is unto an enemy whom Yahoweh loves, “for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, and righteousness, and truth—” (Ephesians 5:9). Let us smile. Let us accept the gift of prayer. Let us boast only in the goodness of Elohim.
Be Blessed and be a Blessing
Shalom
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Additional Scripture References:
Psalms 33:5, Psalms 34:8, Romans 10:15, Ephesians 6:14-15, Philippians 1:27-28, Mark 16:15, Proverbs 2:20