Who is Good?

We call someone that appears to do “good” things, a “good” person. “He is such a good man,” or “She is such a good woman.” We say that based on what we either know about them, or what we have seen them do. If someone does something to help others we call it a “good” deed. We use the word “good” for a whole lot more as well. “That’s some good tasting food.” “Boy that smells so good.” “That looks pretty good.” “You did such a good job.” “That’s a good book.” “I hope your trip is a good one.” We use it so much that when we read scriptures we forget at times the depth of the word “good”.

To fully grasp the concept of good, let us first read Matthew 19:16-17. Who in their right would not call Jesus a good man? Yet, we find that Jesus himself refuses the title of good. He says that there is only one that is good, and that is God. What Jesus states here is profound and will truly affect how we look at some of his parables and sayings. Let us get started, and go and look at a few of Jesus’s parables and sayings.

In Matthew 7:15-23, Jesus speaks of good trees and good fruits. These are not merely good in the sense that the world sees and speaks of good. They are good because the trees and their fruit they bare are Godly. The standards of both are based on God’s standards and not of the world. So, being good in the everyday standard does not mean that you are a good tree baring good fruit. Just as later on in verses 21-22 we know just being good in our own eyes does not make us good, for us to be good, we must measure up to the standard that God sets before us.

Even how and what we speak are measured against a Godly standard. Matthew 12:33-37 shows the measure of someone is based again not on the world’s standard of good but God’s standard. In verse 35 you could reread it as saying that a Godly man, out of his Godly treasure, speaks Godly things, for even our idle words will be used in the Day of Judgment to either justify us or condemn us. By looking at good as being Godly it gives it so much more weight and significance, than if we looked at it from the world’s view of good.

In the parable of the sower in Matthew 13:3-8, mentions that the only ground that was prosperous was the good ground. For those that receive God’s word and have it grow need to be Godly. God’s word cannot multiply in corrupt or tainted ground. We cannot think we can be good and be as the world. Just as the parable shows that the things of the world will eventually choke and kill off God’s word in us.

It is never mentioned in the scriptures that it would be easy to live for the LORD, but by these same scriptures we are given the guidelines and examples of what to do and what not to do. If we want to truly be good then we better try and live up to what that entails. Jesus our Good Shepard who did Good deeds and who modeled his life after his Father’s standards, maybe that should be a clue for all those that say they follow Jesus. It’s about time that we truly become Good People and stop thinking we are good, while our fruits reek to high heaven.