Rule 2: DO GOOD

Acts 10: 34-38
Luke 6: 27-36

           I invite you to recall our time together last week. We began a three week series, looking at John Wesley’s General Rules (or suggestions) for the early Methodist societies, with an eye on what God might say to us in our time and place. Last week, we looked at the first rule or suggestion, “Do No Harm”—living in such a way so as to harm no one/thing through our words or silence or our actions or inactions. As I thought about that, it occurred to me that “do no harm” can be easy to buy into; to resolve not to injure any one/thing is something that can be done relatively easily. As we begin to look at Rule #2, though, things can be begin to be challenging.

           The second rule Wesley outlined was this: “Do Good”. In reality, this next rule or suggestion for living our faith asks to go a step further than the first. At first, we are simply encouraged to make sure that we cause no harm. Now, we are being asked to take the step from doing nothing to doing something, something good. It is a proactive way of living. A way that takes a step outwards and seeks to purposefully engage in building up others, to intentionally seek to help or otherwise benefit someone else. It is a way of life that does not wait to be asked to help, it takes the initiative to respond to what is needed.

           If we think upon the life and ministry of Jesus, he was all about doing good. If we read through the stories of Jesus in the gospels, we see Jesus constantly and consistently engaging in one thing after another that is to the benefit of someone else. Whether it is feeding a multitude on a hillside, restoring life to one who was dead, restoring health and a place in the community to someone who was sick, or correcting someone as to the ways of God, Jesus was always going about doing good. Peter even testifies to that in Peter’s sermon in the reading from Acts—that Jesus went around doing good. Jesus’ life on earth culminated with the greatest act of good of all in his sacrificial death on the cross for the sins of the world. I have to believe that Jesus both set out in the morning to do good to those with whom he came into contact and did good in response to those circumstances that came his way. Regardless, though, Jesus was all about doing good to those whom he encountered.

           Part of the good that Jesus did was instructing those who would listen in the ways of God. As we read from Luke, and as we discussed last week, sometimes the ways of God are different than human ways. Listen as Jesus teaches his disciples, “…love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (Luke 6: 27-28 NRSV). Jesus presents a challenge that flies in the face of human logic. Can’t you just hear the questions?
“You want us to do WHAT? Love, bless, pray for—do good—for those who mistreat us
and with whom we might be in conflict?! You’ve got to be kidding!”
At this point, Jesus provides us with our first obstacle to doing good—there are just some people we would rather ignore; some people with whom we would rather have nothing to do. It is easy to do good to those we “like” or to our friends and family. It is much more difficult to do good for those “other people”. Yet Jesus calls, indeed commands, us to extend a hand of goodness, in whatever form necessary, to those to whom we least want to extend that hand. It might be a graceful rather than gruff word, an act of compassion rather than hostility, a peaceful rather than ambivalent facial expression, or simply a prayer of blessing. Once we can overcome this obstacle, I believe, we are well on our way to living out our faith by “doing good”.

           This, however, is not the only obstacle we face as we seek to “do good”. Another obstacle is the question of “how much?” In other words, what is the boundary of goodness? How much good is enough? How far should I/we go in doing good to those around us? For the most part, people are willing to do at least a little good for those around them; most humans don’t like to see others suffer. But how much is enough? To go back again to Wesley, we should “do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, to all the people you can, for as long as you ever can”. What Wesley seems to be saying is that goodness has no boundaries. Herein lies the problem. Doing good has the capacity to overwhelm us. It is almost like a narcotic for the soul; we get a “spiritual high” off being a blessing to others that we want to keep doing it. It can get the point where we might feel as if we are out of control. Imagine that, out of control doing good! This loss of control, though, is what scares us. That possibility can keep us from doing as much good as God might enable us.

           Yet another obstacle we face is the idea that our efforts might be met with rejection. Rejection is one of the biggest fears human face. No one likes to be turned down or shunned, especially when our goal is to bless others. As we seek to do good, there is that little voice that asks, “what if my efforts are met with ridicule, hostility, or are simply unwanted?” The reality is that we cannot control how others respond to our efforts. Once we make the effort, things are out of our hands. I am convinced, though, that what is most important and pleasing to God is the genuine desire to do good, for the sake of Jesus Christ.

           I am sure there are other obstacles we face in doing good. Perhaps you have experienced one that I have not mentioned. In spite of the obstacles, though, I am reminded that there is another side of the story, the other side of the coin, if you will. There are just as many joys to blessing others as there are obstacles to doing so. Time does not allow me to tell fully the joys that can be experienced as we seek to bless others. Let me sum it all up with this question: What can be better than knowing that you/we have made a difference in someone’s life? What can be better than knowing that someone’s day was a little brighter or better because you went out of your way to bless them? I personally can think of nothing better.

           I will admit that taking a step out to do good for others can be a scary step, a scary road to travel. But, as we read from Acts, it is not by our own power we do these things. In the passage from Acts, we hear that Jesus was able to do all the good he did because God was with him. Just as God enabled and empowered Jesus to do good, so too God enables and empowers those who follow Jesus to do good! All that we do that is good is done in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit of God! The Holy Spirit doesn’t leave us as we leave the building; instead, the Spirit goes with us and, if we allow it, empowers us to do good in the name of Jesus Christ! Here is the challenge for each of us this coming week: Allow the Holy Spirit to work through us so that each day we might be able to do something good for at least one person or family. Here’s the second part of the challenge—see if you can do this good for someone whom you might not ordinarily. As we do this, I pray God would fill, indeed overflow, us with joy unspeakable as we allow God to use us to make a difference in our world. AMEN.

|| Home || Welcome || Pictures || Sermons || Maps || Special Sprouts || Opportunity || Missions || Newsletter in pdf || VBS || Women of Promise || Easter || Links ||