Genesis 15:1-11, 17-21
Hebrews 9:1-14
John 5:1-18
Evening: Psalm 99:1-9
In reading the gospel today, I got a new slant on the invalid by the pool. I had always read this story as another miracle of Jesus - attesting to his signs and wonders and the unmerited grace toward the least of these, and of course another episode of stirring up trouble with the Pharisees. I had seen the poor, marginalized invalid, always overpowered by the sick and lame rushing to the healing waters of the pool. I remember somewhere it was believed the first one in got healed, so the stampede always left him trampled in the dust, eating dirt. Jesus takes pity on him and heals him on the spot in front of everyone, and then disappears. Just like Jesus.
Today, I was struck by the encounter the invalid, now healed, had with Jesus in the temple later. 4Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, "See, you have been made well! Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you." 15
It stirs some questions for me, and leads me to an radical conclusion. What was his sin? Was it unbelief? I'm not convinced of that, because Jesus healed others without faith but never called that sin. Was it something he'd done in the past? It was a popular notion that sin caused sickness - we remember everyone wanting to know what sin the blind man or his family had committed that made him blind. But the Bible dismisses that as the unilateral reason for all illnesses.
I think that perhaps Jesus knew the man better than we did. He was and still is - a sinner. He was still engaged in some kind of sin against God, or others, or both. Don't know what it is. Nor did John. But Jesus seemed to know.
The uncomfortable part of this story is that Jesus might choose to heal someone of one thing, but will not let us off the hook for sin. He will call us on it, if we are listening and if we care. Just because we go to church, and praise God for our blessings (I assume that's why the now healed man was at the temple), doesn't mean we have surrendered everything to God, and turned away from sin in our lives. In fact, some remain in denial and outright defiance about sinful lifestyles, and still testify to God's goodness to them and give God glory in the church. That's dangerous.
It's true, God CAN show mercy on whomever He pleases - but God will NOT tolerate sin. Jesus knew what it was and called the man on it. It's easy to get hung up on the Pharisees' hard hearts and legalism about the Sabbath, but what about us? We who spend the Sabbath at church but don't deal with the sin in our lives? In our families? In our churches? Attitudes of anger, immorality, greed, pride, power, denial, irresponsibility, unkindness, unforgiveness, you-name-it. Just because we can now walk, doesn't mean we won't be cut off at the knees again someday by God. Jesus warns us - deal with that sin in your life.
That starts with not making any more excuses. Especially to the church.
The psalmist today also reminds us that God shows mercy and will also deal with our sins, because he is holy:
8O LORD our God, you answered them;
you were a forgiving God to them,
but an avenger of their wrongdoings.
9Extol the LORD our God,
and worship at his holy mountain;
for the LORD our God is holy.
2 comments:
I have rationalized sin far too many times as a christian. It's not that I necessarily want to rebel against God, but some old habits die hard and the thought that it's just too difficult to let go of some old behaviors lets me off the hook sometimes. And there there is the fact that addictions can be very very difficult to overcome. Sometimes when I am stressed I fall back on things that I once did to help deal with pain. But God has better ways and power to help me face the trials of life and he does not let me forget that. I am afraid of getting a hardened heart which is what can result from persistant sin. Still, he uses consequences, and those can be very serious, to get his holy point across to us. At the very least, a guilty conscience. At the worst, death. I am grateful for the grace that never lets up.
Grace alive! Praise Jesus.
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