A Daily Devotion for Thursday, March 4
- ontrakk
- Mar 4, 2021
- 1 min read
John 5:1-15
Verse 6: When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”
This healing story seems very different to me. The man did not seek out Jesus. He did not exhibit any great faith or courage. He didn’t even directly answer Jesus when he was asked the question in verse 6. Why did Jesus choose this man to be healed, and then slip away?
This makes me realize once again how many times Jesus saves me and heals me without my asking. I think Jesus is telling me to ask. “Do you want to get well?” Of course I do! But I need to ask, to let Jesus know I believe in his power and his grace. And then I need to live a changed life, every day remembering how I have been blessed by God.
Heavenly Father, you have the power to heal me, my inside and my outside. Most of the time I forget to even ask. I need you, God.
When I called, you answered me. You made me bold and stouthearted. Psalm 138:3
Amen
Becky, transforming
pic by Kay
John 5: 1-15
14 Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”
I was taken back with the threat that I feel Jesus made to this man, but then I thought about it and feel I understand what Jesus meant. If we don’t stop sinning we will not be rewarded with eternal life with God in heaven. It was not a threat as I first read it, but a statement of fact. If we don’t stop sinning we will not be saved. It was meant to wake me up and it did. Jesus is my Lord and Savior and sin is the enemy.
John 5: 1-15
Jesus asked the crippled man by the pool “do you want to get well”. Even though he knew the man had been crippled for a long time I think he asked the question simply to demonstrate care and compassion and to find out what this man really wanted for himself. Reading this, my first thought was what a wine-bag. All he did was complain that no one ever helped him into the pool, they just stepped in ahead of him. He had no hope of ever being healed, and no desire to help himself. I Don’t believe this man had a great deal of faith. Jesus is not implying that the man had been a cripple becaus…
John 5:10 - “So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, ‘It is the sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.‘”
It seems someone is missing the bigger picture here. Thirty-eight years of paralysis are now history and the temple police ding this poor guy for carrying a mat on the sabbath. He had to have been a familiar face. After 38 years a lot of the veteran temple staff probably knew him by name. None of that mattered - he broke a rule. If I ever have the temptation to call someone out for having 15 items in the 12 item limit express lane or going in a door marked “exit only“…
John 5:1-15
Sometimes when I read a scripture lesson once I think of what I want to write about, without meditation, so maybe I’m not seeing the deeper meaning. This reading made me think of 2 things. The man was healed without any show of faith and he was threatened with physical harm if he sinned. I hadn’t gotten this message from any other reading and I don’t understand the message.
Dear Lord, I want to learn from what I read. Please help me to see the good message here. Amen.