...and I am still working, too.
October 11, 2023
John 5:1-18 | Psalm 30:1-5
One of the most underdeveloped characteristics of the ministry of Jesus Christ is the way in which he does things that no one would expect. It almost seems intentional, except that he sometimes gets annoyed when his disciples or Israel do not expect what he’s doing.
Nonetheless, Jesus is so often surprising.
Just when we might think he’s not at work, or a scenario is devoid of the presence of his spirit, or a context is too far gone to be considered redeemable, or love-able, or peace-able, or worthy of anything at all…
…we just may find that Jesus is at work.
Joy comes in the morning.
John 5:1-18
After this there was a Jewish festival, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate in the north city wall is a pool with the Aramaic name Bethsaida. It had five covered porches, and a crowd of people who were sick, blind, lame, and paralyzed sat there.[a] A certain man was there who had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, knowing that he had already been there a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”
The sick man answered him, “Sir,[b] I don’t have anyone who can put me in the water when it is stirred up. When I’m trying to get to it, someone else has gotten in ahead of me.”
Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” Immediately the man was well, and he picked up his mat and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath.
The Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It’s the Sabbath; you aren’t allowed to carry your mat.”
He answered, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’”
They inquired, “Who is this man who said to you, ‘Pick it up and walk’?” The man who had been cured didn’t know who it was, because Jesus had slipped away from the crowd gathered there.
Later Jesus found him in the temple and said, “See! You have been made well. Don’t sin anymore in case something worse happens to you.” The man went and proclaimed to the Jewish leaders that Jesus was the man who had made him well.
As a result, the Jewish leaders were harassing Jesus, since he had done these things on the Sabbath. Jesus replied, “My Father is still working, and I am working too.” For this reason the Jewish leaders wanted even more to kill him—not only because he was doing away with the Sabbath but also because he called God his own Father, thereby making himself equal with God.
Psalm 30:1-5
I exalt you, Lord, because you pulled me up;
you didn’t let my enemies celebrate over me.
Lord, my God, I cried out to you for help,
and you healed me.
Lord, you brought me[a] up from the grave,[b]
brought me back to life from among those going down to the pit.
You who are faithful to the Lord,
sing praises to him;
give thanks to his holy name!
His anger lasts for only a second,
but his favor lasts a lifetime.
Weeping may stay all night,
but by morning, joy!
Prayer
God,
In case you’re wondering…or if for some reason you thought you needed my assent (I’m sure this isn’t the case), you are welcome to surprise me in situations where I’m not even thinking about you being at work…or that it’s not possible.
I can name several situations. You know them.
Please help.
By your spirit & in Christ,
Amen.
Often when I’m in a season where I’m thinking “how could this get any worse, when is this going to turn around?!” My mind bounces back to these stories and to times in my life where Jesus did show up with a surprise (He always does eventually, and in His perfect timing). I’m reminded of the rock bottoms and my human vision compared to the ways that His better vision sees the possibilities of outcomes I cannot yet see. His surprises are always ultimately better, even when they have space for significant growing pains.