Not everything is as it Seems.
John 5:1-15
Jesus is heading up to Jerusalem for a Feast of the Jews (doesn’t say which one)
On his way he passed by pool that in Aramaic is called Bethesda
archeology has uncovered these pools and they had
colonnades or covered parts
and the invalid and lame would gather under its shade
-this pool was a reservoir, and was fed by an artesian spring
-at times a natural phenomenon would occur when the conditions were right
and the water gushing in from the spring would give the water an appearance that it was being stirred
-So the legend began one time that an angel would come down and stir
-first one into the pool after it was stirred would be healed.
Jesus intentionally entered the pool area, saw this one individual who had been in this condition for 38 years, Jesus could assess he had been in condition long time.
Jesus approached him and asked him, do you want to get well?
Interesting question.
OBSERVATION #1
Do we want to get better?
at first read you might think X is cruel , or not observant
But knowing Jesus, and his insight, this is a good question.
it is rabbinic style to ask questions too.
The answer the sick man gives reveals so much.
when asked the man responds,
there is no-one to take me into the pool.
-Jesus didn’t ask him why he wasn’t well.
-The man had determined the solution was the pool, and who knows how long?
-probably been there so long, become quite fatalistic...oh well. No hope
-The man also blames everyone else....someone else goes ahead of me.
HOW MANY OF US HAVE BEEN THERE>
we get tunnel vision to the solution to our problems.
and we are constantly blaming someone else for our failures.
easy to do.
-PLus Jesus question is valid because for a man who has been this way for 38 years, to be healed will radically transform his life. is he ready for that.
some people are comfortable with their conditions, physically or spiritually.
they don’t want change, as much as they don’t want their situation, it is comfortable, predictable
So after Jesus asks him if he wants to get well, and the man gives him all his excuses as to whyh he isn’t,
Jesus says matter of factly.
“Get up, Pick up your mat and walk.”
at once the man was cured, he picked up his matt and walked. the day was the sabbath,
so the Jews who saw this questioned him as to why he was carrying his matt on the sabbath, After all it is unlawful
actually the laws of Moses do not forbid the carrying of ones matt, but the commentary, the expanded and unabridged version does.
man made ideas.
-look what the man does he blames Jesus,
verse 11, BUt the man who made me well said to me pick up your mat and walk.
they asked who it was, and the man had no idea
OBSERVATION #2
Some times God goes incognito
I love how this invalid, has no idea who his is speaking to
Jesus never introduces himself
I find this so refreshing that this man doesn’t know.
only because so many religions claim to own GOd,d
they own the patent on god and encounters with him
they control access.
they dispense his touch like candy from a machine.
in true Jesus style, there are no conditions on his touch.
many times X is amazed at the persons faith.
-I am not saying that you don’t need faith to experience God.
HOWEVER, sometimes God will surprise those running on empty.
sometimes, GOd just shows up.
in any way shape or form, he seems to blend in .
often only later are we introduced to him and realize HEY!
that was you GOd back in 2007,
that was you who saved my life, you spoke, or touched, or moved.
and now I discover if was you
If we have learned anything about the GOd encounters recorded in these histories,
it is that GOd doesn’t need a big entrance.
GOd doesn’t even need the credit.
I think he comes into our lives incognito, because our motives would change if he
just showed up in full garb.
but because it seems to be unawares, we respond differently.
Plus jesus wasn’t doing this as a lesson,
he didn’t want a crowd around him, he just wanted to touch this life.
from my experience it is that way in my life too.
when God has touched me, it is never with spotlights and music.
it is in the quiet, unrehearsed actions of my day.
that he shows up, and spares my life, or pushes me on, or inspires me.
and I only recognize him after the fact.
if I take the time to meditate on my daily life.
if we would only take the time each day, even once a week.
isn’t that the point of Sabbath, so pause and see what GOd has done.?
GOd modeled that for us.
C)THERE ARE WORSE THINGS THAN THE DEBILITATING EFFECTS OF SICKNESS AND DISEASE
X says an interesting thing to this man once he catches up with him later in the temple.
“see you are well again, stop sinning or something worse may happen to you”
intriguing verse. especially in light of what John records for us in John 9:1
1As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
3"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.
Jesus makes the point that bad things don’t happen to us as punishment for our sin, for our rebellion or separation form God.
but that doesn’t mean that there are no physical consequences to our actions or attitudes.
but God doesn’t take cheap shots, and play these games with us.
that is such a human idea.
was speaking with someone recently who is in a bit of a Jam,
and becgan to tell me that they haven’t been coming to church etc.
I said hey, i don’t take attendance, and God doesn't play that way.
It would be so much easier if he did right?
if bad things happen, rack it up as Karma and figure out what you need to change and change it.
we live in a world full of sin. that is it is separated form Gods original plan.
we live our lives separated from a relationship with GOd.
and that leads us into all manners of pain. and destruction.
the SHACK so beautifully states,
SIn needs no consequences, sin is the consequence.
it is separation from God. that is enough.
sin is an attitude not an action.
it is an attitude that says I don’t need God.
I got this figured out,
I know what I want, and what I need,
and I deserve what ever I want and need.
it is an idolatry that leads you to believe you are GOd, all powerful and in control.
as we read this story, it makes you wonder if there is so much more that we are unaware of.
we don’t really know much about this mans sickness.
we just assume it is an issue of unfairness.
but we don’t know how or why he is sick.
Jesus in this intriguing statement is either telling him that there are far worse things than just physical impairment, so change your life, or a worse outcome may present itself.
or he is telling him that what ever it was that led to his disability, has not been dealt with.
because it is a matter of the heart.
we cannot make any assumptions, they will lead to wrong conclusions
ILLUST
my Dr told me this.
She said, she will assess a patient and ask them if they smoke, they will say no.
yet, the symptoms in there life seem to indicate it is a smoking related illness.
so she will ask them, when did you quit,
and they reply, yesterday.
she says the same thing happened with a patient with high blood pressure, how much coffee do you drink?
3 cups a day.....really how big are the cups,...its a thermos.
we are fooling only ourselves.
when asked is there any harmful attitudes in your life?
nope...since when,...yesterday
God says, hey listen, there are worse things than physical sickness,
lick spiritual sickness, or blindness.
get honest.
get real.
face the facts, listen to his voice, as he whispers
hey, stop this harmful lifestyle, before it destroys you.
WE SHOULD never assume that a persons calamity is directly related to their sin,
however we can’t ignore that sometimes the results of our life and lifestyle or attitudes and actions had lead to our predicament.
This man is interesting.
i think there is more to this story than what we read.
Look what he does immediately after Jesus speaks to him in the temple
it says the man went a way and told the jews that it was jesus who made him well. the next verse tell of how the jews then went on to plot his death, because he was breaking the sabbath law.
this man has a pattern of blame. he seams to blame others.
he blames others for not helping him to pool
he blames others for getting there faster
he blames X for telling him to carry his matt
after he learns in the temple it was Jesus who healed him, he goes and reports it tot the Jews
I don’t want to assume, but i can’t help but think this man has issues.
and Jesus statement to him about stopping his destructive behavior seems to make sense to me.
It would appear to me that this mans attitude is worse than his physical condition,
now maybe to be fair, he has this attitude because of his condition..
regardless, God Saw him in his condition.
and touched him.
and there were no strings attached.
it is an interesting story to find your self in.
finally this morning, I can’t help but wonder about this superstition about the pool
It makes me wonder how we so often turn our faith in to superstitions
we must get into the water before it settles.
I speak to many people and they have incorporated a few of these superstitions into their spirituality.
let me remind you, GOd doesn’t play games like that.
this story is a great example of God touching a man, who didn’t even recognize him,k
talk about not having any faith...this guy can’t even spell it.
doesn’t matter.
be careful, in your own life. thinking you have to pray a certain way, or if you miss praying one day and something bad happens,
i am not saying that there aren’t natural ramifications to our actions
but know that GOd is not like us, in that he lies in wait.
to nail us.
so DO WE WANT TO GET BETTER?
DO WE RECOGNIZE GOD?
WHAT COULD BE WORSE THAN OUR PHYSICAL PAIN? what is it that is going on in our lifes that is killing us?
and are you becoming a spiritual superstitious person.
