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Today's Little Lift
by Jim Bullington
The following passage reveals Pharisaic attitudes gone to seed!
“Now a certain man was there [in Jerusalem] who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, ‘Do you want to be made well?’ The sick man answered Him, ‘Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk.’ And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath. The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, ‘It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.’ He answered them, ‘He who made me well said to me, “Take up your bed and walk.”’ Then they asked him, ‘Who is the Man who said to you, “Take up your bed and walk”?’” (John 5.5-12)
Had a miracle been performed? Had a man who had been sick for thirty-eight years been healed? Was there legitimate reason for rejoicing and praising God? The obvious answer to each of the preceding questions is a rousing, “Yes!” Yet, in spite of the marvellous times that were in evidence and the unspeakable blessings that were available to those with an open mind and heart, the Jews found fault! Rather than rejoice, they said, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.” Something tells me had these guys found a pot of gold, they would have complained because it was too heavy!
There were indisputable facts, which, had the Jewish malcontents observed them, would have proven the fallacy of their theology. Yet, they persisted in holding on to the erroneous premises that supported their theology and at the same time, refused to examine the new evidence that was being presented. First, they held on the false premise that ALL work of any sort was a forbidden Sabbath activity. This law was their law and was not a part of God’s law; they had added it! There certainly was no law that addressed what a sick man should do with his bed should he be healed on the Sabbath! Yet, the Jew had a cookie-cutter answer for his actions! “It is unlawful!”
Secondly, the Jews refused to examine the new evidence that was before them. Even if they had been sincere in adopting their false premise (above), shouldn’t they have gotten a hint that they might be wrong when they found out that the Man who healed the bed-ridden patient had also told him to “…take up your bed and walk?” After all, the ability to perform miracles had, for centuries, been the credentials that prophets of God had used to show their legitimacy. The fact that a true miracle had been performed should have triggered a chain reaction that resulted in their bowing to the authority of the One performing the miracle. Rather, “…the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath.” (John 5.16).
The problem with these Jews is the same problem that confronts many of us today. When our theology runs afoul of common sense, we dig in our heels and redouble our efforts to support our theology. A better reaction would be to go back to square one and examine the premises upon which our theology is founded. It is not unthinkable that we have been wrong, and certainly there is no disgrace in admitting it!
When I truly believe that I MUST depend upon mercy and not my works to be right in God’s sight, I become much more open to allowing that same latitude to others. Mercy was, is, and always shall be a vital part of God’s plan of salvation!
Questions:
1. If God had forbidden every type of work on the Sabbath, were the Jews who condemned the man guilty of breaking the Sabbath? How did they get to the temple? What about reasoning on the Sabbath? Wasn’t that work? How had they come to decide just what works were okay and which were forbidden?
2. What conclusion might have been reached when an actual miracle had been performed?
3. When theology requires our spirit of mercy to take a back seat, what flags could go up?
4. Has ANY person ever been saved apart from mercy? Will this ever occur? Why or why not? How might this affect my attitude toward those whom I believe to be in religious error?
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