Too Good to be True

Written by Brittany Tobias on Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent

This past January I purchased a couple of designer scarves online through a site offering a steep discount. I was thrilled with my find, selecting a scarf for my husband and one for myself. Since they were still quite expensive, even with the steep discount, we planned to give the scarves to each other on Valentine’s Day. Much to my dismay one scarf finally arrived last week, almost a month following Valentine’s Day, and the other failed to ship altogether. Yet I eagerly opened the package – and found the scarf had a giant snag through the middle and was certainly a designer knockoff. After multiple emails to the seller with photos waging arguments of non-authenticity, I find myself debating my return strategy while chastising myself for buying into their promises…

We’ve all heard promises that are too good to be true. And after a while, we learn to catch them in action and avoid them altogether. My days of chasing designer scarf discounts online are surely over, just like nobody saves 15% in 15 minutes by switching to Geico for their car insurance.

Did the scribes and Pharisees think that Jesus was too good to be true? Surely they’d heard every sort of promise and begun to tune them out. But in today’s Gospel, Jesus presses on. He cites John the Baptist as a witness. He cites the signs he has performed. And lastly, he simply cites God. How exasperating it must have been to know you are the Son of God and to have to prove it repeatedly. Only to be continually challenged and ultimately condemned to death.

It’s not easy to sort through the lines we are fed on a daily basis. But we trust that God reveals himself to those who have confidence not in themselves, but in Him. When it comes to faith, we must accept that it isn’t too good to be true. Jesus does love us although we are sinners. And He does welcome us home.

Questions for Reflection / Suggestion for Prayer:

Do you listen to God’s word with faith and trust?
Have you ever felt like Jesus’ love is too good to be true?

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Brittany Tobias
Brittany Tobias joined SMSP in September 2014 and enjoys living in Burns Park and exploring Ann Arbor. Recently married, Brittany and her husband Ryan relocated to Ann Arbor from Chicago. Brittany brings eight years of marketing experience in commercial real estate and advertising to SMSP and is excited to enhance our communications and stewardship platforms.

Email: btobias@smspnewman.org