[416 words]
Peter made one of the simplest statements about Jesus that you’ll find in Scripture. But it is also packed with meaning and application. He said that Jesus “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38). This understated affirmation deserves our deeper exploration. What were some of these good things that our Lord went about doing?
He Pointed People to the Scriptures. People regularly approached Jesus with questions. Some were only trying to trap Him in His words, but others were genuinely seeking His help. Either way, our Lord knew that everyone, regardless of their problem or their motive, needed to encounter God as He had revealed Himself in the Scriptures. That’s why we find Jesus saying things like, “Have you not read in the Law…?” (Matt. 12:5), or “Have you not read in the book of Moses…?” (Mark 12:26), or “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?” (Luke 10:26). We regularly encounter people with problems, questions, dilemmas, and issues. We would do well to follow the example of Jesus and point them to God’s will.
He Called People to Higher Ground. Jesus did not want His followers to be content with mediocrity or the status quo. He called on His people to exceed the righteousness of the recognized religious leaders of the day (Matt. 5:20). He taught people to love their enemies (5:44), put the kingdom of God first (6:33), and treat others the way we would want to be treated (7:12). There is no higher ethic than the Christian ethic, and our world would be a better place if it would heed our Lord’s call.
He Put Others Ahead of Himself. There is no better example of Jesus “doing good” than His putting others ahead of Himself. That’s what brought Him to us in the first place (Phil. 2:5-8). “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). From His perfect example we learn, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others” (Phil. 2:3-4).
As we fix our eyes on Jesus (Heb. 12:2), let us determine that we will follow His perfect example and go about “doing good” just like He did.
Eddie Parrish
Brown Trail church of Christ
Bedford, TX
There is a typo in the second paragraph:
“Have you know read in the Law…?”
should be “not”
Thank you so much for catching that error, we have made the correction.