In the Bible, Jesus prefaced some of his major works with four words: “Be of good cheer.”
Given the extremes of the human conditions he often faced, these words seem incongruous—at least from the point of view of the sufferer. In one instance, a man sick of the palsy and lying on his bed was brought before Jesus (see Matthew 9:2–8). The first words Jesus spoke to him were, “Son, be of good cheer.” To the man lying on the bed, these words could hardly have seemed fitting for the moment. He’d been confined to his bed and had probably tried every cure known in those days—apparently to no effect. How is it possible to be cheerful or to find any reason for courage or hope when you’ve been suffering—maybe for months, or even years? What gave Jesus the boldness to make such a resolute declaration in the face of such a condition?
He clearly had total confidence in relaying this “advance cheer”—because he went on to heal the man. He proved that his instruction was not some frivolous platitude, but was based on a firm foundation of trust in a power far beyond human origin. This potency came from no other source than God, universal good.
