PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Matthew 22:1-14
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“Gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good.” (Matthew 22:10)
I was taught that we are all equally bad, that none of us are good.
Yet does this theology fit with what Jesus says?
Here Jesus speaks of the bad and the good.
He also speaks of the good and the righteous (Matthew 5:45)
Yes, we all fall short of God’s perfect love.
But we are not all wicked, that is, cruel and unloving.
If love is the key to goodness, then sin is to be unloving.
Non-christians can be loving, and christians can be unloving.
God sees goodness in us, even though in general we are all sinners.
This changes how I see people, both christians and non-christians.
We should not assume all christians are good, or all nonchristians are bad.
Goodness is defined by God as loving, kind, forgiving, generous, helpful.
And honestly, many non-christians are better at this than christians.
God graciously invites all, including bad christians and good non-christians.
Lord Jesus, thank You for reminding me that goodness is a thing that we can all show, or refuse to show. We are not all equally bad, and we can learn from others, including non-christians, how to be good.