(Jesus said) "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Luke 4:18-19

Years ago, while I was making a hospital call, I saw a fellow burst out of one of the patient's rooms. He was shouting. A doctor and a few nurses were right behind him. They were trying to catch him, trying to bring him back, trying to get him to quiet down.

But the man couldn't be caught and he wouldn't be silenced.

As he came running down the hall, he spotted me. He changed his course. To be honest, when I realized the man was coming right at me, I was a bit scared. Truth be told, it would have scared me a whole lot more if the man hadn't been smiling from ear to ear.

At the last second he veered off from his collision course, passed by my left side, and fairly shouted, "My baby is going to live! The doctor said, 'My baby is going to live!'" The man turned the corner, but that didn't stop his shouts. He kept yelling about his baby's future. He wanted the world to know his baby was going to live.

As the doctor passed me, he smiled and explained: "He got good news."

Which brings me to the end of this devotion. It's the kind of devotion whose conclusion you could write. If you did, it would probably sound something like this:

"Like the man, you and I have been given Good News. We have been told that, because of Jesus' perfect life, His unfair suffering, His unjust death, and His glorious resurrection, believers are going to live. We have been given the Good News, which says because of faith our life is not going to end in a cold graveyard; nor is our eternity going to be spent in the fires of hell. We have been given Good News, which says because Jesus lives, we shall live also. We shall live without tears and sorrow. Indeed, our eternity will be spent in the perfect happiness of a heavenly home, which our Redeemer has made for us."

Yes, that is the devotion most folks would write.

But you aren't most folks are you?

It is my hope you would add another paragraph or two.

One of those paragraphs ought to say something like "Jesus is Good News for all the world. Included in that list are people in every age group, who live on every continent, who hail from every nation and community. Jesus is Good News for every athlete and every couch potato. Most importantly, Jesus is Good News for you."

And the final paragraph, the one addressed to our fellow Christians, ought to read, "Now we who are already numbered among those who are redeemed, have the responsibility of sharing that Good News with others."

No, that's not right. We share the Savior with others not because of duty, command or obligation. We share the Savior because, well, because we can't help ourselves. We can't help ourselves because the Good News of our salvation is just that good.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, may I see that being moved from hell to heaven is not just average news; it is not everyday news; it is unique, wonderful, blood-bought Good News. Let me be a voice which eagerly, gladly, enthusiastically shares the wonders of Your love with others. This I ask in Jesus' Name. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: Genesis 39-40    Matthew 21:23-46

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