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"Why Do You Call Me Good??"(Matthew 19.17)
Why did Christ ask that question??
He was on guard against the idea that HE Jesus was good - of Himself.
Its as if Christ was learning from the devil - the devil's example.
Lets say the devil rebelled against God on the basis of his own goodness, godliness.
He wanted to be independent, that's all.
Jesus is saying, "If I want to be independent, I'm making the same mistake that the devil made.
I've GOT to remember I am NOTHING without God the Father !!!
Jesus had an ego.
He apparently was afraid of His own ego.
Or realized it had to be kept under control.
He knew that as the time of the Cross approached,
His own ego would cry out, NO! NO!
So when Jesus said defensively,
"Why do you call Me good??
There is none good but GOD,"
He was actually preparing for the testing,
getting ready for the TEMPTATION (to flee)
that would occur as the Cross ORDEAL came closer and closer.
HOW WISE HE WAS TO DENY HIS OWN
HUMAN GOODNESS APART FROM GOD !!
He said "I do nothing of Myself.
But as My Father has taught Me, I speak these things...
The Father has not left Me alone.
For I do always those things which please Him"(John 8.28-29).
Yes, in this passage Christ emphasized the goodness of the Father, not His own.
I am "nothing of Myself." "The Son can do nothing of Himself"(John 5.19,30).
No wonder Christ saw being called "good" as a threat
- in the light of the Cross that was fast approaching.
Christ said, "Why do you call Me good? There is none good but God."
But preachers claim Christ was hinting at that He was God.
But I say just the opposite.
Christ meant, "Any goodness I have is not My own.
I am totally dependent upon the Father."
In short, Christ was being defensive,
NOT declaring His Deity.
(Beware of preachers - they can be dangerous.)
He was on guard against the idea that HE Jesus was good - of Himself.
Its as if Christ was learning from the devil - the devil's example.
Lets say the devil rebelled against God on the basis of his own goodness, godliness.
He wanted to be independent, that's all.
Jesus is saying, "If I want to be independent, I'm making the same mistake that the devil made.
I've GOT to remember I am NOTHING without God the Father !!!
Jesus had an ego.
He apparently was afraid of His own ego.
Or realized it had to be kept under control.
He knew that as the time of the Cross approached,
His own ego would cry out, NO! NO!
So when Jesus said defensively,
"Why do you call Me good??
There is none good but GOD,"
He was actually preparing for the testing,
getting ready for the TEMPTATION (to flee)
that would occur as the Cross ORDEAL came closer and closer.
HOW WISE HE WAS TO DENY HIS OWN
HUMAN GOODNESS APART FROM GOD !!
He said "I do nothing of Myself.
But as My Father has taught Me, I speak these things...
The Father has not left Me alone.
For I do always those things which please Him"(John 8.28-29).
Yes, in this passage Christ emphasized the goodness of the Father, not His own.
I am "nothing of Myself." "The Son can do nothing of Himself"(John 5.19,30).
No wonder Christ saw being called "good" as a threat
- in the light of the Cross that was fast approaching.
Christ said, "Why do you call Me good? There is none good but God."
But preachers claim Christ was hinting at that He was God.
But I say just the opposite.
Christ meant, "Any goodness I have is not My own.
I am totally dependent upon the Father."
In short, Christ was being defensive,
NOT declaring His Deity.
(Beware of preachers - they can be dangerous.)
Published 17th Oct 2020
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18th Oct 2020 7:36pm
I think by that question Jesus was pointing at the source of his power and wisdom and was keen to avoid being himself worshipped without reference to God. In other words he was showing himself the way to God and the means to an end, that he was not the end in itself. It was after his victorious rising and ascension he came into full godliness.
Yes, i agree. This idea that He " came into full godliness" by His "good works"(going to the Cross) , ie, His faithful obedience, yes it sounds good to me. This idea of developmental diety makes sense. I hadn't really thought of it before. Its like you are saying He became a different person by going thru this ordeal. Not literally a different person, but something close to it
Anyway thanx so much for your input, as always.
PS: I know "works" (good or bad) matter. To the extent that if Jesus had run away when they came to arrest Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, He definitely would have missed out on "coming into the fullness of godliness." Someone ought to wdite a book or short story about Jesus running away and how He ends up a "lost soul," like so many of us - myself included to a limited extent. Missing one's calling happens daily it is safe to say !! (Reincarnation helps to make up for that ??) Speaking of Christ, if reincarnation is as true as all the NDE people claim, that suggests Jesus was someone else before the Incarnation. (So much for the Trinity??!!)
Anyway thanx so much for your input, as always.
PS: I know "works" (good or bad) matter. To the extent that if Jesus had run away when they came to arrest Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, He definitely would have missed out on "coming into the fullness of godliness." Someone ought to wdite a book or short story about Jesus running away and how He ends up a "lost soul," like so many of us - myself included to a limited extent. Missing one's calling happens daily it is safe to say !! (Reincarnation helps to make up for that ??) Speaking of Christ, if reincarnation is as true as all the NDE people claim, that suggests Jesus was someone else before the Incarnation. (So much for the Trinity??!!)
