No Good Deed: Questions for Thought and Reflection

By George Halitzka

You can read “No Good Deed,” a short story by George Halitzka, at Boundless.org. Here are some questions for thought and discussion after you’ve read the story. (Warning: Plot spoilers ahead.)

Part 1

In Part 1, Danny beats an old man—yet Aaron, who obviously knows what his brother has done, decides to shield him from discovery.

  • Have you ever shielded someone from the consequences of her sin? Has someone ever shielded you?
  • Do you think this “protection” was an act of real grace, or a simply an act of cowardice that allowed someone to escape God-ordained consequences for sin?
  • Were you (or the person you protected) repentant—that is, did you want to turn away from your sin and choose God’s way—even after avoiding the consequences?

The New Testament usually gives us general principles for living by the Spirit, rather than minute prescriptions for every possible situation. So it doesn’t provide an irrefutable answer to questions like these. Nonetheless, one clear principle emerges: repentance makes all the difference!

  • When Paul returns a runaway slave to his master, he pleads for mercy, not punishment, on the slave’s behalf: Philemon 1:4-21. (The slave in question has recently decided to follow Christ.)
  • Paul talks about dealing with unrepentant sinners in this passage. He says he kicked them out of the church so they would learn their lesson: I Timothy 1:19-20.
  • Jesus shows great mercy to a woman caught in adultery (according to the law, she deserved to die): John 8:1-11. After he rescues her from stoning, he exhorts her to repent.

End of Part 1 Questions
Stop here if you haven’t read Part 2–plot spoilers ahead!

Part 2

In Part 2, Danny tries to find some kind of comfort for his guilt … yet he can’t believe real absolution from sin is possible. In his mind, the transgressions are too serious.

  • Have you ever feared that you committed a sin too weighty for God’s mercy to cover it?
  • Did you ever find a way to overcome the guilt and trust in God’s promise of forgiveness—or do you still feel “dirty”?

Over and over again in the Bible, God shows his mercy to people who don’t deserve it. The earthly consequences of a person’s sin are not always removed, but God always cleans up our guilt, no matter how heinous the crime.

  • God forgives David for the terrible crimes of adultery and murder in II Samuel 11:1-12:20. (Note that David still endures earthly consequences for his misdeeds.)
  • In Luke 23:32-43, Jesus offers forgiveness to the criminal who was crucified next to him.
  • You may also want to check out Romans 8:31-39, where Paul gives a beautiful account of God’s forgiveness and love.

If you’re having trouble believing in God’s forgiveness, pray again that he’ll help you trust his mercy. If you’ve never asked for God’s forgiveness, why not do it now? Tell Jesus in prayer that you believe his death on the cross paid the penalty for all your sins, and that he rose from the grave. Ask him to be the leader (or Lord) of your life. God promises that you will be saved from your wrongdoings (Romans 10:9)! For more information, read Steps to Peace with God.

End of Part 2 Questions
Stop here if you haven’t read Part 3–plot spoilers ahead!

Part 3

In Part 3, Danny is finally feeling better about his guilt—but Jessica certainly is not. She’s not only gotten pregnant from an illicit sexual encounter, she’s also chosen abortion as a way to deal with her difficulties.

  • In real life, have you ever seen someone compound one sin with another (like Jessica did by piling abortion on top of illicit sex), in an attempt to make the first sin go away?
  • What is your attitude as you see someone you know making mistake after mistake?

Sometimes, Christians ostracize those, like Jessica, who commit socially unacceptable sins. We’re confident of God’s grace for ourselves as we lust or gossip (over and over again), but if someone is sleeping with her boyfriend, we take it upon ourselves to show her God’s judgment! Others take the opposite approach, and never dare to confront a person for what they’ve done wrong.

  • What is the appropriate way to respond to someone like Jessica, who’s been waylaid by sin? How can you demonstrate love for a person without condoning her actions?
  • Does your response to a “sinner” change depending on whether that person claims to be a believer in Jesus?

For some Scriptural insights on these dilemmas, try reading these passages.

  • Paul prescribes a punishment for a church member who’s been caught up in serious sin (I Corinthians 5:1-13). However, in this same section, he warns Christians not to judge people outside the Church in the same way. We can’t except nonbelievers to act like they know Jesus.
  • In II Corinthians 2:1-11, Paul appeals to the Corinthian Christians to take back the guy they kicked out in the preceding passage due to his sin. (Now, he’s repented!)
  • Galatians 6:1-3 encourages us to lovingly help other believers find repentance. (See also James 5:19-20.)

    • End of Part 3 Questions
    Stop here if you haven’t read Part 4–plot spoilers ahead!

    Part 4

    By the end of Part 4, Danny has died to take away Aaron and Jessica’s wrongdoings —but their responses are very different. Jessica tries to demonstrate her gratitude; Aaron simply avoids guilt.

    Even as Christians, we don’t want to feel guilty and we don’t want to change our lives. So sometimes, we put cross-sized blinders on our eyes and “forget” the sacrifice Christ made for our sins.

    • Why do you think Aaron responds to Danny’s sacrifice in the way he does? (He tries to avoid guilty thoughts at all costs.)
    • Do you ever catch yourself avoiding God because you know you’ll feel conviction for your sin, and be compelled to change your actions?

    On those occasions when we do bother consider Golgotha, sometimes out first response is shame—“I caused this,” we think, as we gaze on the cross. But if we look long enough, sometimes we can move past the guilt to gratitude, and our lives can begin to reflect the glory of his suffering.

    • Here’s a hard question: How has contemplating Christ’s sacrifice—not guilt for your sins or social pressure, but genuine gratitude to Jesus—made a difference in your life?
    • Are you responding to your freedom from shame more like Aaron … or more like Jessica?
    • Spend some time in prayer, thanking Jesus for the cross. How should your life change as a result of that sin-offering? (If you’d like some food for thought, meditate on Philippians 2:1-11.)

    End of Part 4 Questions

    Copyright © 2009 George Halitzka. All rights reserved. The inclusion of a hyperlink on this page does not constitute an endorsement of the website and/ or organization referenced thereby.