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Several years ago I wrote several stories , one for each part of the Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The story on goodness gave me pause. The idea of goodness is not foreign, but to define it was difficult for me. I’m talking about the biblical definition. If you recall, Jesus said, “There is only One good.” (Luke 18:19) What did He mean by that?

There are two Greek words for good. Agathos (ag-ath-os’), a primary word meaning intrinsic benefit or well; kalos (kal-os'), meaning beautiful, handsome, commendable, admirable, well adapted to its ends. The young ruler used agathos.

According to Matthew Henry, Jesus was basically in His own Jewish way saying that it was good the ruler called Him good because that meant he was equating Him with God. Jesus called attention to this because few of the rulers regarded Jesus with any esteem, but this one did. The ruler indicated that he regarded Jesus with not only a divine authority when he called him “Good Master” or in other translations “Good Teacher”, but also that He had a divine goodness.

This the goodness that the Holy Spirit bestows in the Fruit that He gives believers. My quandary was what biblical person exhibited this kind of goodness except, of course, Jesus? One could point to Paul because he sacrificed greatly to bring the Gospel to the nations. But my goal was to find someone that wasn’t a biblical “great”, but someone ordinary such as you and me.

I studied seven commentaries about Solomon’s decision to cut a baby in half in order to find out which woman was the child’s real mother. I also looked up this story in Josephus' writings plus did a lot of background study on the judiciary system of Old Testament Israel. We just do not have a lot of information about courtly procedures of that time. Half the commentaries called the two women prostitutes and the other half mentioned the Hebrew word for harlot is wanton, and discussed how wanton also means "well-fed". Then two studies mentioned that David's reign was exceptionally godly with no allowance of ungodly things such as sorcery and prostitution. These studies also pointed out, that it would be highly unlikely that two prostitutes would be given the opportunity to enter the King's Court or come face to face with the King. This line of thought made incredible sense to me so this is the thought process I used to write this story.

What, you may ask, was the goodness exhibited in this story? I don't know if anyone can truly understand this without having first wanted and desired something so intensely that an ache wells up, and a sense of great loss seeps deeply into the soul. Then you are given that thing desired for just a little while, but suddenly the thing is taken away. This longing then satisfied joy, then loss and longing is only the first half of understanding the goodness part. The other half is understanding, wanting, and working toward what is best for another over and above that thing desired and above what is best for self. It means setting aside that soul-ache inside self for the greater good for another.

Consider the mother who wanted a child for years and finally she is given one: A beautiful gift from God. Then her husband is taken away and then her child. This woman reflected God's love for us in that brief moment she begged Solomon to give the child to the other woman. Some call this selfless love. Jesus said that only One is Good. Only One exhibits selfless love all the time and has this intrinsic characteristic. We humans are given the chance to be good, but how many times do we let self get in the way? Our desires override that which is good for another?

It was better the child lived. It was better for him and for her although the complicated part was the child would not be hers to raise but another's whose character was mean and unloving. For her where there was breath there was hope. God felt the same for us.

God gave up His only Son because it was better for us that He do so. In the course of events here, it really doesn't matter that God knew Jesus would rise again because the agony that He had to suffer before dying was such that only a person tortured could understand. Add to this the foreknowledge, which adds much anxiety into the mix, and we have a sacrifice of such great love we cannot fathom the depth and breadth of it.

During the course of this study and writing I found out several things of which it is difficult to share.

Many of us have an academic knowledge of rejection, grief, and pain. We sympathize with those enduring the events of loss that cause these feelings, and have even felt them ourselves. But there is another dimension to these feelings which we need to understand.

I know what being rejected by someone I love feels like. My ex-husband tossed me out of the house without a by your leave. Because the pain of that felt like my soul was split in two, I can only faintly understand how Jesus felt when He cried, "Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how I long to gather you like a hen gathers her chicks, but you would have none of it." That was rejection of the love and tenderness and support that no human can offer, yet, in my heart, I can identify with Jesus' feelings and I will endeavor to never cause that feeling in another if I can possibly help it, most especially in my Lord God Almighty. Many Christians do not bother to deeply consider the tender feelings of thier siblings in Christ. Because of this they slice and dice at will causing much pain in their wake, and this is what the Jews did to Jesus when they rejected Him.

I know what grief over losing something treasured feels like. For me, grief is almost worse than rejection, although they are kin. Grief pierces the soul, digs a hole, and leaves it gapping and bleeding. To be rejected and to lose something treasured is, for a little while, beyond bearing. It crushes the soul. It squeezes out everything else and leaves a pressed flat, two-dimensional world that has no color, no flavor.

Jesus was rejected by His very own people. Those He loved most, who were closest to him, deserted Him in His darkest hour. That He did not reject them in turn is amazing. He looked past the shame of the cross to the joy beyond. His joy certainly came in the morning. To be able to look beyond the rejection and beyond the grief to know that in a little while the searing pain will pass and in a little while according to Heavenly time, we will see Jesus in all His glory riding on that white horse with the words emblazoned on His thigh, "King of Kings and Lord of Lords" forever and forever and forever to reign with Him.

That, my siblings, is the joy beyond. We are only here for a little while. So, every time God gives us the opportunity to "Be Good" let's remember that sacrifice now brings greater and more perfect joy beyond. God never takes something without giving something greater and more perfect in its place. Ask Job, he knows.

"Word from Scotland" from Sandy Shaw

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