He sat on the couch with his feet resting on the coffee table and his device in his hands as his fingers quickly moved over the screen. Every now and then he would laugh out loud or comment to his mom who was working hard to clean the house while making dinner. She asked him for the third time to pick his clothes off the floor and put them away in his room, but again he ignored her knowing she'd eventually give up. The fourth time she asked he said in a disrespectful voice, "Not now, I'm busy."
Not long after he said, "Mom, for my birthday I want the newest game system, two new games, a black and red pair of converse, a lucky scooter, a next gen. iphone, and a 22 in. flat tv for my bedroom. And this year, don't get me no stupid socks and underwear," he said as he tossed a candy wrapper on the floor. "Mom, can you get me a cold pop please?"
Do you think the above description could fit Jesus as a teen... or not? This story is completely improbable in all its parts. Many people try to guess what Jesus was like in the years between being found in the Temple by His parents (12 yrs. Lk. 2:41+) and the beginning of His ministry (30 yrs. Lk. 3:23), but the Bible is silent on the matter other than to say,
And He (Jesus) went with them and came to Nazareth, and He was subject to them... And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. Lk. 2:51.52
Now, those verses can be further expounded on, but that's for a different post. For this one I want to focus on the improbability of Jesus being anything other than polite, loving, kind, obedient, hardworking, helpful, honest, etc. at all times- in other words- good. The Bible says He was tempted, and surely went through many of life's trials as all humans do, yet was without sin (2Cr. 5:21; Hb. 4:15). So why is it we see Him differently when He returns to Heaven to sit at the Father's right hand?
All of a sudden He's condemning us for our sin, He's putting people who mistreat us in our path, He's making bad things happen in our lives, He's keeping us from being healed or getting ahead financially. He's not meeting our needs, not keeping us safe, not blessing us as He should, He's leaving us alone in the mess that is our lives, and He's not speaking to us the words we need to hear- why can't we hear His voice? These thoughts challenge His goodness, yet it is completely improbable that His being good changed.
If Jesus was sinless in human flesh, than He is surely sinless in His 'Godness'; so that means He is still good. All the time. Even when we don't see it. Even when we don't feel it. Even when the world falls down around our ears, our loved ones are suffering and we see no rhyme nor reason for anything; He is still good. We need to acknowledge that!
You are good, and do good...
Ps. 119:68
Oh give thanks to Jehovah; for He is good...
Ps. 136:1