In loud and no uncertain terms, the customer was complaining that all he wanted was the copy of the New York Times that he was holding in one hand while he was waving a fifty-dollar bill in the other. The fight was over the fact that the clerk did not have enough change yet to break the fifty-dollar bill, which made it impossible for him to sell the paper.
This was an early morning opportunity to commit one intentional act of demonstrating the excellence of the generous spirit of Jesus. So, I said to the clerk, "Hey, put the paper on my bill; I'll buy it for him." This immediately defused the tension, and the grateful New York Times guy walked away saying, "Thanks a lot. All I have is yours!" Which evidently did not include the fifty-dollar bill.
To my surprise, when the barista handed me my coffee, he said, "Mister, that was a really nice thing for you to do. This world would be a lot better place to live if more people were like you."1
After Jesus healed a deaf man in Decapolis – a Gentile region (Mark 7:31-37), the people were deeply moved by this man who could remedy the brokenness of human existence. Their assessment of Him was, He has done all things well. The word translated “well” (kalos) is a qualitative term meaning excellent. Jesus is the One who said, I make all things new. The reality for us in Christ is that we are already new creations. His righteousness and goodness reside in us. Therefore, Paul affirmed, it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me (Galatians 2:20).
The calling of those who love God and follow Jesus is to make His greatness begin to look as great as it really is. That is why we exist, why we were saved, as Peter says in 1 Peter 2:9, “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
The whole duty of the Christian can be summed up in this: feel, think, and act in a way that will make God look as great as He really is. Be a telescope for the world of the infinite starry wealth of the glory of God.2
Here is a calling for the church – our corner of the world would be a better place if more people were like Jesus. This is a call to live in the outflow of God’s goodness and our settled satisfaction in Him.
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1Joe Stowell, Jesus Nation (Tyndale, 2009), pp. 80-81
2John Piper, “How to Magnify God”, DesiringGod.org (11-27-12)
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