Good news?

Matthew 24:45-51 (TNIV) -

45 "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' 49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

My thoughts -

I'm sure you've seen the bumper stickers that say "Jesus is coming - Look busy". While that is making fun of Christians a bit I kind of like it. It's snarky. It's funny. I like those things. They amuse me and then don't really require anything from me.

This passage I don't like. Any time Jesus mentions "weeping and gnashing of teeth" I am not filled with warm fuzzies. I'm not trying to defend beating your servants and living a life of depraved debauchery or anything. But "weeping and gnashing of teeth" just doesn't do it for me.

Give me the good news. Make it entertaining. Make it funny. And then don't require anything from me. That's what I want.

No one wants to be called a hypocrite. But if you say you follow Jesus but live a life that does not reflect that what else can you be called? No one wants to be told that you don't know the number of your days but one day you will be called to account for how you spent them and you'd better be ready. It's not a comforting message. But living a life that serves God is more rewarding than narcissism, any way. I've tried both. Narcissism didn't work for me. (Is that irony?)

So what do we do? We do the best we are able and trust God. That's all I know to do. We love everyone as best we can and serve others ahead of ourselves. We follow the example set by Christ.

I don't have all the answers. I haven't unlocked all of the secrets to the universe. I just feel compelled to love God and love others as best I can and trust God to help me do better when, by my own strength, I fail. I figure the rest will work itself out.

Now if only you could entertain me some with that good news I've heard so much about.