Here's a question for you to ponder. If you are willing to share your thoughts that would be great and hopefully we can help one another come to an answer. Here's the question:
The word Gospel literally means "good news." In all four of the gospels, we hear Jesus calling the disciples to a radical new life. It is a new life in which we are held to a higher standard of the law than before, we are called to show hospitality to all, we are called to love even those that despise us. We are called to live more simply, so others may simply live. In other words, we are told to give up those extra material things so we can use the money we would have spent on those items, to help feed the hungry and heal the sick. We are told that we will be blessed when we are persecuted for our faith. In short, the Gospels call us to a life of self-denial and suffering. So how it is, that this call to suffering and self-denial is Good News?
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Great question.
ReplyDeleteI for one, understand the concept of self-denial in this situation. As far as suffering is concerned, the real people that are suffering are the ones in need of our help. From personal experience, I have found that the satisfaction of helping another (via financial donation, giving time, etc.) is far greater than the temporary happiness of acquiring most unnecessary material things. Although I, like many others, are guilty of enjoying the unnecessary "luxuries" that are commonplace in today's American society, it helps to remember Jesus' important message here and to put these things into perspective. I think the "Good News" in this situation is when one makes the effort to help someone who is in need and does so for the right reasons. One good reason might be because He has instructed us to do so. The intrinsic reward speaks for itself, relieving the majority of the "suffering" on our part.