No One is Good?

How should we understand Jesus words that no one is good:

¹⁸ “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.

Someone said to Jesus a simple phrase “Good Teacher”, and Jesus grabbed a chance to talk about holiness.

In the Christian community and even in the atheist Chinese I meet, I find some people I would naturally call good. To say we have no goodness denies the image of God in each person. I could never have told my kids that they have no goodness till they believed. Without thankfulness, we cannot connect with God. Atheists lack that, but goodness that tastes of God is within the atheists.

No One is Good but What Are We?

What was Jesus trying to say? What did Jesus feel that the inquirer was saying? Jesus is only here and in Luke in the same setting recorded as saying this.

First, he is saying that humans are not holy. Though we might see people as good, it is a far cry from holiness. Living with my wife and children, I am often reminded of my lack of holiness. I long for holiness.

The holiness movement says that it is possible to achieve holiness in this life. Their definition also leaves a huge gap to God’s Holiness. God is something other. We can never say we totally know him for example. Who of us can say we have perfect love?

So, the atheists have nice people among them, and I love the deep Christian sub culture. However, none of them have goodness to match God. Church meetings are a meeting of people who have God’s goodness but also lack his true holiness. We should not pretend we have it all together when really we are sinners as are the other people in our community. We should be able to vulnerably admit we have fallen short. God says all fall short, and we should not pretend we are ‘good’ in Jesus sense. We should have humility but not low self esteem. We are deeply loved and fallen people, It is about God– and his love for us. At least we can be h0nest under his love.