June 1, 2008

Romans 1:16-17; 3:22b-28; Matthew 7:21-29
“Believe the Good News”

What does Paul tell us in today’s scripture from Romans (1:16-17; 3:22b-28? He says:

• The good news is God has a way of saving everyone who believes the good news.
• We have “all sinned and fallen short of God's glory”, but God accepts us anyway.
• God sent his son Jesus to do what we could not for ourselves, so we could come to God.
• God did this to show that in the past he was right to be patient and forgive sinners.
• God is right to accept people who have faith in Jesus.
• God loves us so much we need only believe, through Jesus Christ, we can be with God.
• We haven’t earned it, God has taken care of it.
• All we must do is believe, to trust it is so.
• God wants everyone to believe… to have faith… to trust, period.

What does Jesus say in Matthew 7? He says, “It would be wise to live you lives the way I said. Live like that and you can handle anything that comes along.”

Both Jesus and Paul have laid it out for us. “Life is yours. Believe in Jesus Christ.”

For those who hunger for a better life, a better way, that IS good news.

Jesus said (John 6:35 (CEV): “I am the bread that gives life! No one who comes to me will ever be hungry. No one who has faith in me will ever be thirsty.”

Today, as we come to the table for Holy Communion, think how patient God has been with all of us. We do some really strange things sometimes, and yet God is still there, waiting for us.

When we turned our backs on God or were far away, God was patient;
when we were slow to hear or busy doing other things, God was patient;
when we thought we knew but didn’t really understand, God was patient;
when we said we would but really couldn’t, God was patient.
Until we said, “I believe, I really do,” God was patient.

God has also been just as patient with others - even those who have not yet come to the table to be fed. God yearns for everyone to believe. Perhaps we can help make it happen. Pray it will be so.