Good News: Everybody Needs Some

Today's lectionary Scriptures share a common thread: Good News! Isaiah 40:21-31, Psalm 147:1-11, 20c, I Corinthians 9:16-23 and Mark 1:29-39. In the New Testament passages, we see Jesus being the Good News through healing and deliverance, but we also see his desire to share the Good News to as many people as possible. The Pauline writer, though a bit weary, shares the same desire. In the Psalm and in Isaiah, there is a 'blessing inventory' given, good news. In the midst of so much bad news in the world, and even in our own families, it is a blessing to be able to reflect on some of the good stuff. It's wonderful to receive and unexpected phone call that brings good news. FYI: We are called to make some of those phone calls. We gossip, we complain, we chime in on the negative, but we must remember our 'commission' to go and tell folks something Good. When we struggle with finding good and doing good, we need to 'wait for the Lord'. We are not waiting for God to do something, but rather, we are waiting, stopping, settling down long enough to reflect on what God has already done. When we put our problems in perspective, when we remember the challenges that we have overcome, we are strengthened. When we consider what others are going through, we realize that we are like Jesus, in that we have a task that is always before us. We must go into the neighboring towns and share the good news. We must be the 'good news' in the lives of others.

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