I ran across a poem a few years ago that caught my attention. It’s called “The Land of Beginning Again,” and here are the words:

I wish there were
Some wonderful place
Called the Land of
Beginning again,
Where all our mistakes
And all our heartaches
And all our poor selfish grief
Could be dropped
Like a shabby old coat
At the door…
And never be put on again.

The Land of Beginning Again — wouldn’t that be nice?

Well, there is such a place. This is the good news of the Christian faith; this is the good news that Jesus came to deliver. We can be forgiven. We can make a new start. We can have a new life. We can, with the help of Christ, make a new beginning.

And this is why the common people in New Testament times heard Jesus Gladly. He gave them hope. He told them that they were special t…