For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed.
Hebrews 4:2
Without a doubt, we all like to hear good news. With all the problems and discouraging things going on, more than ever we want good news. We deeply long for good news like a cool drink after working outside on a hot day. Or a hot drink after shoveling snow and scraping ice.
There’s good news and then there’s good news. There’s good news that encourages and lifts us up for just a minute. And that’s good news we really need from time to time. We almost demand some good news to give us that extra charge to lift our spirits.
But there’s another kind of good news. A different kind of good news that’s more than just a brief lift. There’s good news that changes everything. It shatters everyday life. It’s the kind of good news that deserves more than just a social media post to be read by a few followers. It’s front-page news with a giant headline.
It’s the kind of good news that you’ll always remember. There will be this picture in your head that you just can’t get rid of. It’s the kind of memory that you never want to forget. You’ll replay the memory over and over. You clearly know exactly where you were when you heard it. Here are some of my favorites.
I was driving through the intersection of Putty Hill Avenue and Oakleigh Road in Parkville, MD when Mary Ann said yes to my marriage proposal.
Sitting in our living room on Monday night, July 21 at 9:56 PM when Neil Armstrong first stepped onto the moon.
Listening to the surgeon in Moffit Cancer Center’s waiting room as he explained that the cancer was not aggressive and that he got it all.
Sharing a beer with my dad as he talked about his family and childhood for the first time in completely transparent detail.
We all have our personal list carefully saved somewhere in our memories for safe keeping. But for some reason we don’t bring them out all that often. And yet, to keep these memories sharp, we need to retell the stories over and over. Every once in a while, we need to bring them out and dust them off by sharing them with family and friends.
The writer is doing that with the Hebrews. He’s bringing out good news from their past. Stories about how they were in deep trouble and that God stepped in. God showed up in a wonderful, miraculous way and saved them from certain destruction. How God took care of their darkest, deepest need in a way that made it clear that God loved them and would never let them go.
As a nation, God had consistently given them good news. Over and over again, God spoke and delivered them Think of it this way. Starting from the beginning of the Jewish people and nation, God spoke good news to them. In times past, God has spoken so many times that good news is burned into their memories. They were completely good news’ed.
Remember all the festivals and celebrations. What did they do? They were reminders about how God spoke good news into their live. The food, what they did and said were put there for a reason. And that reason was so that they never forgot. And yet, with all these reminders, with all the traditions and festivals, what did they do? What did the nation of Israel do? What did the families and individuals all do? They forgot. They let those memories of good news slip away.
But there’s another possibility to think about. Instead of forgetting the good news stories, they changed them. They replaced those good news stored about what God freely gave into stories about what they deserved.
After all, they were God’s people[1]. He came down and spoke to Abraham, Issaic, and Jacob[2]. They were children of Abraham[3]. They were His chosen race. A holy nation. A people that belonged to God[4].
So, didn’t they deserve God’s special attention? Haven’t they earned a unique place in God’s heart? God had done all these marvelous things in the past, so he had to keep doing them today and into the future.
The problem is that they did not share the faith of those who obeyed. They heard the words, but they didn’t help them at all. Yes, they knew the stories and even celebrated the festivals, but the truth of those memories never mixed into their lives. Their choices and behavior weren’t changed. Their hearts stayed cold and far away from the God of all those stories.
Could that same thing be said about us? We’ve heard all about the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus. We know the truth. But have we opened up our hearts to the fact that God has done everything to forgive us? To make us new? To promise to be with us forever? That’s a bunch of good news. But do we respond in loving obedience?
Noodling Questions
Why is news always in the past?
How do you remind yourself about who God is and his good news?
What part does talking about something play in making it more memorable?
[1] Judges 20:2, 2 Samuel 14:15
[2] Genesis 50:24
[3] Matthew 3:9
[4] 1 Peter 2:9
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