On the Good of the Good News

Today we are gifted with two really excellent readings:

As you know I have a long and rocky history with St. Paul. Today; however, he seems to get it spot on with a bit of unqualifiedly good, Good News!

Romans 5:6-11

For while we were still weak,
at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person
—though perhaps for a good person
someone might actually dare to die.

But God proves his love for us
in that while we still were sinners
Christ died for us.

Much more surely then,
now that we have been justified by his blood,
will we be saved through him from the wrath of God.
For if while we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son,
much more surely, having been reconciled,
will we be saved by his life.

But more than that,
we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have now received reconciliation.

St. Matthew follows with a bit of advice about the consequences of that very Good News!

Matthew 10:5-8

These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions:
‘Go nowhere among the Gentiles,
and enter no town of the Samaritans,
but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

As you go, proclaim the good news,
The kingdom of heaven has come near.
Cure the sick,
raise the dead,
cleanse the lepers,
cast out demons.

You received without payment;
give without payment.