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Greetings Family, Here in Western New York, as in most places, school is back in session. The sight of children standing at the end of the driveway, wearing packs on their backs, and new shoes on their feet signify the end of summer. School buses noises and smells arrive on schedule and so the routine begins as it has for decades. The teaching and learning begins - questions are asked and answered.
For the follower of Jesus Christ, the learning process should never stop when formal education is completed. God has given us His Word, and learning and applying Biblical truths should become a part of who we are. There is much rich treasure to be found, and in one particular section of it, I was puzzling over something. I wonder if you have found yourself scratching your head over this as well. Here is what I wrote one day not so long ago....
I don't understand - I just do not get it. In John chapter 5, Jesus encounters a man who had been sick for 38 years. The healing pool had been denied him for a long long time. He had seen countless others over the years go into the pool diseased and come out healed. The paralyzed were walking, the blind were seeing, the deaf were hearing, the mute were speaking. Marvelous miracles, all of them, but this very sick person never won the foot race to the pool.
Then came Jesus. Wherever Jesus goes, hope follows. Jesus asked the man what would appear to be an obvious question: "Do you want to get well?" The sick man did not answer the way I would have answered. I am convinced that he did not know Who he was talking to. Instead of directly answering the question, he gave the reason why he was not healed. The man's Creator then spoke the words that were just moments before unthinkable to that very ill man. "Take up your mat and walk." Life changing, life giving words were voiced that day. Those were words that the man never thought he would hear in this life. His body was now working properly!
So here is the puzzling part. Jesus later sought out this man to warn him of the dangers of his sin. Jesus knew the truth about sin and its effect. Jesus warned the man that something worse might happen. He cared enough to speak truth into the sick man's life. But the warning fell on deaf ears. The healed man went to the Jewish authorities and told them it was Jesus who ordered him to take up his mat on the Sabbath. I just don't get it.
That is what I wanted to say. I feel conviction when I read those words. How many times have I turned a deaf ear to clear commands in Scripture? I just don't get it...
Let's pray for each other that we would have listening and obedient hearts this week, ok? OK!