MAKING THE GOOD NEWS TRAVEL FASTER

Mark 1: 40-45

There is a Swedish proverb that states: “Shared joy is double joy; and shared sorrow is half-sorrow.” It has been said that “people share burdens to make them lighter and joys to make them greater.” A pastor related the story of being called to a hospital in the middle of the night to visit someone who was very sick and in intensive care. It was after midnight so he had to enter through the ER. Most of the hall lights had been dimmed so patients could sleep. Everything was quiet and still as he headed down the hallway looking for a room number. Suddenly a woman darted out from behind the curtain that surrounded a patient and ran right into the minister. He had never met her before. She grabbed the lapels of his overcoat and said with a face that beamed with joy, “He’s going to make it! He’s so much better! The doctor says he’s going to make it!” With that she quickly headed down the hallway to make a phone call. The woman had good news, and she had to share it with someone … anyone! She did not think twice about protocol- what if the man himself is hurting, what if he’s offended that I grabbed him, does it matter that I don’t know him- no, she thought of none of those. She had good news to share! The best good news is like that! The media likes to spread bad news because people cling to the details of horrific stories. But thankfully, good news stories, like the one about the man the country now knows as “Sulley,” landing a plane in the Hudson with no casualties, gives us a chance to bask in some good news. The news that one among us is finished with radiation treatments is good news. The news that others have recovered from their illness, or gotten accepted to college, or received an award, that is good news. And today in our Mark passage we learned about a leper who, like the woman at the hospital, must have gone to friends, neighbors, and even strangers; shown himself to them and then proclaimed “The man called Jesus healed me!!” Verse 45: “He went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word.” That’s the nature of good news.

In our Bibles, there are four books that are called “The Good News, which is the actually definition of gospel: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. What is the Christian message of good news? I included one good description in our affirmation of faith today and it is from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians: “This is the Good News which we received, in which we stand, and by which we are saved: That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day; and that he appeared to Peter, then to the Twelve, and to many faithful witnesses.” In Jesus’ day the whole story had yet to unfold, so no one knew the whole good news story. But they had plenty of good news about being healed. In Paul’s day he proclaimed this good news! After his blinding-light experience on a Damascus road, he went out, not unlike the woman in the ER, and spread the gospel—that is, the good news—that Jesus was not only raised from the dead, but that he had personally saved him! There are still people every day who are being saved, and on that day of good news, they may call, write, text, or tell it to any and everyone they know! After a week they still are telling others; after a month they are telling a few; and after a year or more they may just relay their story when asked. The same can happen to each one of us, especially if you, like I, didn’t have an “I once was lost, but now I’m found, was blind but now I see” experience. I grew up believing Jesus loved me for the Bible told me so, and one day it hit me that I love Jesus too and I’ve been telling people about him ever since. I don’t always do it with the fervor of collaring strangers in hallways because … well, because why? Because they might think I’m crazy? They might think I’m a fanatic? They might be put off? But the woman with her good news didn’t let that stop her! But we let it stop us. We come to our senses and think, “What, after all, am I doing?” It’s understandable in a way. But here’s what mostly happens: instead of stopping people and saying in their face that you are saved, or that you love Jesus, many just leave witnessing, evangelism, and sharing the gospel to someone else; to some like me, for instance. “I’ll let the Reverend do it; after all he’s a professional and he’s paid to do that!” Here’s an interesting fact for you: statistics have conclusively shown that if a pastor of a church tells people about their church, or about Jesus Christ, 10% will come some Sunday to try it out. But if someone who attends a church (like you) tell others about our church or about Jesus Christ- now get this number- 90% will try it! Ninety percent will come to that church to try it; 90% will perhaps remember the old song, “Jesus loves me” and perhaps decide that it applies to them. And of that 90%, how many may come to know Christ as Lord? You dear, friends, you who may be strangers to me or even to each other, you have the power to let others know the good news about this congregation or how Jesus is alive and the Spirit of the living God dwells here! The good news will travel faster, more efficiently, and more completely when non-professionals do the carrying, the witnessing, and the living of it. I deliberately added that last sentence: when you carry, witness to, and live the gospel, it will travel faster. Here’s how you can do it instead of leaving it to preachers whose effect is greatly diminished from your own.

The late Dr. Shirley Guthrie who was a theology professor at Columbia Seminary, once wrote these keys to the Reformed Tradition- which is the Presbyterian Tradition among others- regarding the “Good News of God’s Grace”:

First, God loved us before we ever thought of loving God back, and because we are saved by grace, we do good works in Jesus’ name, instead of doing good works in order to me saved. Technically God’s grace justifies and sanctifies us. So the good news for us is not just the one event, it is the continuous contact with others who will see Jesus through us. Our work with others gives us even more experiences to share that fuel our passion for Christian ministry. There are those who think that getting saved is the goal and that Heaven is the destination. Presbyterians think that salvation is God’s gift for us to realize, and when we do, to show and tell it to others.

Second, God’s grace is offered not only to put us in a right relationship with God, but also to put us in a right relationship with others. There are some who think that being right with God is the answer, but being right with God is challenging when God keeps sending us back to get right with others before we can experience “the peace that passes all understanding.” Jesus said, “Whoever says ‘I love God’ and hates his brother is a liar.” We cannot get right with, that is, be reconciled with God, before we get right with –that is get reconciled with- others. I know that thinking it’s just about you and God is easier. We don’t want our salvation to hinge on loving people we don’t like. In THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PEANUTS, Robert Short had Charlie Brown say in one cartoon what many people think: “I love mankind, its people I can’t stand!” As much as we may wish that Jesus is fine with us just loving God but not our neighbor, he isn’t. It is recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke! So good news will travel faster when we are true to Jesus, showing the world how to love, not how to hate, ignore, or oppress.

Finally, God’s grace is for individual Christians in the church and for the world. Many preach that God will save the faithful, and that to save ourselves is our goal. But we preach Christ to save the world. Jesus died for all sinners; we can be among the people who are faithful to him so that God will save the world. For example: In Genesis 18, Abraham, the faithful man of God, talked God into not destroying the wicked city of Sodom if ten righteous people could be found. So God spared the city, even though there were plenty of evil ones. Our own day of reckoning can be a glorious day, not because everyone has turned to the Lord, but because we have fervently and joyously lived faithful lives, having gone out to spread the good news. Although some think “Did you lead a clean life and make Jesus your Lord?” is the main judgment day question, Presbyterians think another question is at least as important: “With how many people did you share the good news?” Changes from non-believers to believers happened most powerfully in the gospels when someone ran and told others how Jesus had healed them. They literally or figuratively grabbed their neighbor by the collar and said “I’m going to make it! I’m healed!!

Paul Harvey once said, “Too many Christians are no longer fishers of men, they are keepers of the aquarium.” Whether or not the good news about Jesus travels faster or not is in our hands. I’ll do my part, as ineffective as it may be. But if you decide to do your part, why … then,

then we can change the world.

Jeffrey Sumner February 15, 2009