The Possibility and Reality of the Goodness within Us

The Rev. Brad Sullivan
Lord of the Streets, Houston
July 13, 2025
Proper 10, C
Deuteronomy 30:9-14
Psalm 25:1-9
Luke 10:25-37

Yeah, I got this. I don’t need any self-reflection, no need to evaluate my life, my actions. I know the commandments of God. I know Jesus’ ways. Since I know them, I must be following them, right? I was baptized; I claimed my discipleship years ago, whenever that was, so I’m good. I’m perfectly fine in my faith and my walk with God.

That’s a rather haughty approach to one’s faith and way of life. I did this at one point, I still know what I did, so I should be great. That’s like the star pitcher of a baseball team saying, “I used to practice a lot. I still know all the principles of a good curve ball and slider. No preparation needed for this game. I’m good.”

That seems to be the attitude of the man who asked Jesus about inheriting eternal life. “Yeah, I know the commandments. ‘Love God. Love my neighbor.’ I’m pretty nice to the folks living around me. Kinda bare minimum effort. I should be good, right?” 

It seems like maybe he wanted to squeak by and be in God’s good graces, without actually having to care all that much about others. Follow the rules, and I’ll be fine. I’ll follow the rules and make God happy, or at least not angry with me, so I can stay in God’s good graces, inherit eternal life.

That’s kinda missing the point, isn’t it. Follow God’s commandments just enough to keep God off your back, and call that eternal life? Keep God happy or at least not angry, and call that eternal life?

The priest and the Levite in Jesus’ story were doing just that. They had important work to do, important temple work to do, important religious work to do, to make God happy. I’m being a little unfaith with the whole “make God happy” thing, but when we feel like our religious duty is what makes God happy…These guys were working to make God pleased not only with themselves but with all of Israel, so they had important work to do. 

Because of that important work, they ignored this beaten and possibly dead man. Again, partially because they had to stay ritually clean in order to do their work, so if this guy was bleeding, they couldn’t touch him because then they couldn’t go to the Temple to do their work. So, what were they to do? 

They had to make God happy, or at least not angry, so they had to ignore this guy and go do the important Temple work…darn it, I guess they were missing the point again. 

That’s not Jesus’ way.

To think that we’re doing important work for God’s service while ignoring people who are hurting.

Then, you’ve got this Samaritan, who actually takes care of this guy, and Jesus said, ‘Well, that’s the one who’s your neighbor, so love him.’ Now, that’s a tall order because the Samaritans were among the most hated people amongst the Israelites. The Gentiles, the non-Israelites, they weren’t really any good, but meh, who cares. The Samaritans, though, it’s like the worst rival in a football game, except instead of just the players duking it out on the field, the fans attack and maybe not kill, but at least beat half to death. 

So, the fact that Jesus said that a Samaritan was the one who was a neighbor to the beaten man, he was talking about the worst of the worst, the lowest of the low. He wasn’t doing any of the good religious stuff to keep God happy. He just took care of the guy who got beaten up, and it turns out that’s the neighbor that the man Jesus was talking to was told to love as himself. 

I saw the new Superman movie, loved it, and like with so many Superman stories, the reason I loved it isn’t just because he’s an awesome superhero with heat vision, and X-Ray vision, and ice breath, and super strength, and he can fly…and he has a cool cape. I love all of that too, but what I really love about Superman is he gives us a glimpse into the best version of ourselves. Superman gives us a glimpse into what we could be, and I don’t mean the strength and the flying, although the cape would still be nice.

What I mean is, Superman has an almost irrepressible belief in the goodness and worth of people. He knows we often don’t show our goodness, but he believes it’s there. Then, Superman takes his optimism about humanity, and he takes all of his power, and he chooses to serve and love humanity. Rather than rule over us as a god, which he totally could, Superman chooses to serve and love humanity, and in that love and service, he inspires others to the same. He shows us our best nature and inspires us to live that same love and service for each other. 

That sounds a lot like Jesus. He could have ruled over us as the God he is, and instead he chose to love and serve people as he walked among us. Jesus showed us the best of our natures. Jesus taught us the best of ourselves. Jesus is the possibility and the reality of the goodness dwelling within each one of us. Jesus inspires us to live into that same love and service of others, which is what he was teaching this lawyer with the story he told of the Samaritan, the hated one who chose love and service.

https://youtu.be/GUAj9O0gxsQ

Go and be like that hated one, rather than some religious person, being religious to make God happy. Living into the possibility and the reality of goodness dwelling within each one of us, that is what makes God happy. Living into the goodness, the possibility and the reality of that goodness is also what God’s eternal life looks like.

What did we hear in Deuteronomy? The Word is very near to you, in your hearts, in your selves. That eternal life of God is within us, and we can live that eternal life when we live like that Samaritan did, that hated one. 

“What must I do?” The man asked. Well, keep the commandments, except that this guy saw them as rules to be followed, a list to be checked off. That’s not what the commandments are. They aren’t a checklist to make sure we keep God happy or at least not angry with us.

The commandments are a guide for us that we can live into the possibility and reality of the goodness within us. 

Now, I gave that Superman analogy, that Superman shows us the possibility of the goodness within us. It’s a little unfair because Superman is basically invulnerable, so it’s got to be a little bit easier to keep your cool when someone is being a jerk and punches you in the face, because it doesn’t hurt at all, and it breaks the others guy’s hand, so instant vengeance. 

We don’t have that invulnerability, but we do have resurrection. We do have Jesus telling us over and over again, “Do not be afraid.” Trust in God, for “the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.” The Word and eternal life is not just waiting for us after this life. The Word of God and eternal life are here in this life.

“Go and do likewise,” Jesus said to the lawyer. Experience eternal life now. Join with God. Seek God’s help always. Everyday, live into the possibility. Live into the reality of the goodness within. 

 

Because Sometimes, We Kinda Suck…

The Rev. Brad Sullivan
May 7, 2023
5 Easter, Year A
Acts 7:55-60
1 Peter 2:2-10
John 14:1-14

Lord of the Streets Episcopal Church

Because Sometimes, We Kinda Suck…

“While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he died.” As he was actively being killed by an angry mob with rocks, Stephen prayed, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”

We see the absolute worst and the absolute best of humanity right there. We see a man who was so full of love and hope, that he did not fight against the mob or kill in order to save his life. He was at peace during his murder, praying forgiveness on his murderers. We also see a violent and angry mob worked up into a lathered frenzy so crazed that they gleefully murdered a young man because he believed something different than they did. 

In this moment of our history, we see humanity’s enormous capacity for good, for selflessness, and for love. At the same time, we see our brutality and mindless rage, and end up having to reckon with the fact that humanity is so hurting and broken that when God became human, it only took us 30 years to kill him. God, who is love, became human, and we killed him in 30 years.

So, we humans are pretty fantastic, and we also kinda suck.

Still, we have the fact of God becoming human. Knowing that we would kill him, God still thought it was a pretty good idea to join with us in our humanity. God thought it was a good idea to become one of us, to join with us in every aspect of our humanity, including our death, and God thought it was a good idea to join with the absolute worst of humanity by allowing us to perpetrate the very worst of ourselves against him. God joined with our lives, our deaths, our goodness, and our hurts and atrocities. Despite the fact that we often suck, God still thinks that we’re also pretty fantastic. God thinks we’re worth saving. 

So, Jesus told his disciples, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” “Do not let your hearts be troubled,” Jesus said, because he was going to prepare a place for us to bring us home. 

Our home is unity with God and unity with one another. 

Where’s that? Thomas wanted to know. Where is this home with God and one another? Jesus replied, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” 

Follow in my ways, Jesus was saying. Follow in the ways of forgiveness and love, and you will find your home with God and one another. 

Follow in my teachings, Jesus was saying. Follow in the truths I have taught you, and you will find your home with God and one another. 

Follow in my life, Jesus was saying. Follow me and trust in the life I give, the resurrection life I have given, joining humanity and divinity. 

God thought we were fantastic enough that God became one with us, and Jesus is telling us to trust in that unity with God and then follow and live, recognizing God in every person around us. 

What about if we don’t believe that, however? What if we don’t believe that God is in every person around us? Well, what we believe seems to be less important than how we treat one another. In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus said that whatever we do to one another we do to him. The people in the story Jesus told didn’t believe that they were one with God. They weren’t following Jesus or seem to believe in Jesus. Those who treated others with compassion, respect, healing, and love were told basically, “Welcome home.” 

Treating others with compassion and respect is the way home Jesus talked about. Treating others with healing and forgiveness is the way home Jesus talked about.

Treating others with mercy and love is the way home Jesus talked about.

Come home, Jesus says, to unity with God. Come home to unity with love. Come home to the life we saw Stephen live in our reading from Acts, who even in the face of death, did not kill, or shout, or condemn, but offered forgiveness and love to those who were killing him. Stephen was home already, and after he died, he continued living at home with God.

That is the life Jesus offers us, the peace and healing that Stephen had. 

Just in the last two weeks, we’ve heard of how many murders? Dozens? Some within blocks of here, some near, some far away. How many countless others have there been that we don’t even know about? When I said earlier that humanity often sucks, we know that already. We know that all too well. 

God knows that too, and that’s exactly why God became human, because God sees us. God sees the goodness of humanity along with our brokenness, and God knows we need healing. God knows we need healing of our hurt and our fear. God knows we need healing of our anger and despair. God knows we need healing from our rage and brutality. So, God joined with all of that, so that even at our worst, Jesus is there with us saying, “Come home.”

Come home to peace. Lay aside your anger. Lay aside your need to vengeance. Bring me your hurts, Jesus says, and follow me home to healing. Bring me your anger, Jesus says, and follow me home to forgiveness. Bring me your despair, Jesus says, and follow me home to peace. Bring me your fear, Jesus says, and follow me home to love.