LESSON #1: NO ONE IS GOOD BUT GOD
When a rich young ruler called the Lord Jesus a good teacher, He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God." (Mark 10:18) Often we think some people are good and some people are bad or evil. But, the Lord Jesus said actually no one was good. Only God is good. We think some people are good and some people are not good because we use human standards to measure goodness.
LESSON #2: GOD'S ENDURING MERCY
Why did the Lord Jesus say that no one was good and only God was good? What is goodness? The Psalmist wrote, "Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever." (Psalm 118:1, 29) The goodness of God is related to His enduring mercy. It means the main reason why the Lord Jesus said that God was good is because God always shows mercy and His mercy endures forever.
LESSON #3: THE SUM OF ALL HIS GOODNESS
When Moses asked the Lord to show His glory, He answered, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you." (Exodus 33:19) What is the glory of the Lord? It is the sum of all His goodness. When the Lord passed before Moses, He proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin." (Exodus 34:6-7) The sum of all the Lord's goodness is proclaimed in His name and it is related to His enduring mercy.
LESSON #4: THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN
Goodness is not related to the moral quality of a person but to his mercy quality. The parable of the good Samaritan given by the Lord Jesus illustrates this truth:
"A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise, a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So, he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ So, which of these three do you think was a neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” (Luke 10:30-37)
Both the priest and the Levite had moral uprightness, but the Samaritan had mercy. So, it is the Samaritan who is truly good, not the priest nor the Levite.
LESSON #5: BARNABAS, A GOOD MAN
One of the examples of a good man in the early church is Barnabas. It is written about him, "For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith." (Acts 11:24) Why was he called a good man? It is because he had compassion on the needy among the saints and showed mercy by selling the land that he had and bringing the money to the apostles to be distributed to those who lack (Acts 4:36-37)
LESSON #6: THE LORD JESUS, THE SUM OF ALL GOD'S GOODNESS
Whenever the Lord Jesus saw the suffering people, He was always moved with compassion for them. In his gospel Mathew wrote, "But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd." (Matthew 9:36) "And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick." (Matthew 14:14) The Lord Jesus was full of compassion for people because He was the sum of all God's goodness.
LESSON #7: THE LORD JESUS, GOING ABOUT DOING GOOD
It is written, "how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him." (Acts 10:38) The anointing of the Holy Spirit in the Lord Jesus moved Him with compassion for all who were oppressed by the devil that He went about doing good and healing them. He manifested the enduring mercy of God and His kindness to all suffering people.
