Matthew 11.20 records, Jesus began to criticize openly the cities in which he had done many of His miracles, because they did not repent.

When God came to earth He did much good. God fed people, thousands of people. God healed people, lots of people. God raised people from the dead returning children to brokenhearted parents.

All that God did when He lived among us as one of us in Jesus the Savior was good but He didn’t come to do good works for our temporary benefit.

God in Jesus came to give us the opportunity to live eternally with Him and all those who will come to Him for reconciliation. The good works of God were to draw us to the good heart of God so that we will humble ourselves before Him and seek His forgiveness for ignoring and disobeying Him.

While God did much good He was not satisfied that people should be pleased with Him for helping them. The goal of His good works was for people to see the goodness of God, their brokenness from God and seek reconciliation with God through repentance from disobedience.

Many want to do good works today. However, the focus of their good works is the good feeling they receive from doing good or the temporary benefit the recipient receives from their generosity of time, talent or treasure.

The goal of our good works should be the restoration of humanity to God through Jesus the Savior. The goal of our good works is to create praise for the One True God in the hearts of people.

We are not to be the beneficiaries of our good works, God is. The recipient of our good works is not to be the beneficiary, God is.

Always in everything God is to receive the glory, praise and honor for we give and do as a result of His grace and mercy given to us. People receive our good works again as a result of God’s goodness working through us.

We do not do good because we are good. We do good because God is good and His goodness works through us even as it works in us always focused on His glory on earth as it is in heaven.

Let us do all the good we can so that we lead all the people we can to the goodness of God in Jesus the Savior of all.