A Good Man....

Sunday mornings, at our church, I usually stand at the rear doorway to the ‘sanctuary’ which at present is actually a school gymnasium. My specific purpose is to watch for newcomers and latecomers and make sure they know they are welcome. One week, two other women were with me. During communion, the bread and wine were being passed around by two young men. One of the ladies whispered to me, “I wonder if one of them will bring it back here to us.” We watched as the bread was passed throughout the congregation. After everyone in his section was served, one of the men noticed us. He softly walked the distance to bring the bread to us. As I reached for a piece, I quietly whispered, “You’re a good man.” He smiled.

A good man… where have I heard that before? When discussing Jesus I’ve heard some say, “He was a good man.” People haven’t really changed much in two thousand years. When Jesus Christ was on Earth, people said the same thing. Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, "He is a good man." Luke 7:12 Others took it a step further and called him a good teacher. As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. Mark 10:17, 18 Who did Jesus say he was? “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." John 6:51

As these thoughts ran through my mind I thought how Christ- like the actions were of the young man offering me the communion bread. He humbly walked the distance for me. The bread of course was a symbol of Jesus body ‘broken’ for me. That morning the symbolism went deeper. What if the young man had not noticed me? Or worse, what if he had seen me but decided I wasn’t worth the extra effort? What if he had decided not to bring the bread to me? What if he was indifferent and just didn’t care? I bowed my head and thanked God that morning for the extra picture of Christ’s love for me. Jesus saw my need. He cared. He came and took on a human body. Filled with love and compassion he made the ultimate sacrifice on the cross. He thought I was worth the effort. It cost him so much to ‘go the distance’ for me so that I can live forever in his kingdom.