After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades.3 In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. 5 One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” 7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” 9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath. 10 So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” 11 But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’”12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” 13 Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. 14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. 16 And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”
Before leaving this text we must see the warning that accompanies this miracle of Jesus.
When the Lord delivers us in some way from the consequences of our own sin, we are obliged to take special care not to fall back into that same sin. If we do, we may find the consequences worse and more difficult and more inescapable than before.
Jesus is saying that if you have been delivered, and you do not take care that you not fall back into sin again…then perhaps things are going to get more difficult and the consequences more profound.
Christianity is the embrace of God’s grace, his gift of salvation of which men and women are utterly unworthy, a GIFT because no man or woman could achieve it, no one could come close to meeting the requirements of God’s holiness. And so, the fundamental principles of true religion in the human heart are therefore humility — we could not do it and so God did it for us; love — we could not do it so God did for us; and faith — we could not do it and so God did it for us.
At this point some might think the warning is against legalism, and further examples of self-righteousness, and if that really were the problem for us, then I would agree. But I don’t think that is where the warning needs to be sounded. We say that we know that we are saved by grace through faith and that we must obey…that faith and works are beautifully married, indeed, they are.
But I want to go in a completely different direction; This is something that we have discussed on a number of occasions but it bears repeating…again and again. We know that there are commandments in the Bible come to us in the negative thou shalt not, and in the positive, what we call prescriptive commands.
We also know that if we love Jesus we will obey Him…that is to obey what He said. And, we know that we would never sin so that grace may abound. We don’t adhere to any form of cheap grace.
So, I have a question and please know, I am at the front of the line in being asked: Whereas we might take seriously the, thou shalt nots…why do we not take seriously the thou shalts?
For example, most Xns don’t tithe. We skip church for the lamest of reasons and it doesn’t even bother us. We rarely fast, or pray as we know we should…and what radical thing have we ever done so as to make sure we are killing sin so we can never return to it? All of those things we are commanded to do.
What are you intentionally doing to pursue Christian virtue: kindness, brotherly love, serving the church and your brothers and sisters in Christ? And when have we ever thought about storing up treasure in heaven? Again, things we are commanded to do.
My point is that we ignore those commands…but it really doesn’t bother us that much…does it? Why? Why do we not think of the things we are supposed to be doing, as we do the things we are not supposed to do?
Now…there may be any number of excuses we can come up with for why we do not obey the Lord when he tells us what we are supposed to be doing… But do you think there is any chance that behind all our words…we DO take grace for granted? That we actually do go on sinning, and in this case by not doing those things we are called to do, because we just think God will…cover it…Jesus will forgive it.
As I have said before, if we don’t go to hell for not tithing, if we do not go to hell for making sure we are not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, if we do not go to hell for not being merciful, then really those things cannot be that big of a deal…right?
We want to answer a resounding, no…I do not think grace comes on the cheap…but then…why does our disobedience, our NOT doing what Jesus has told us we should be doing…why doesn’t this even bother us?
I do think the warning of this text and the kinds of questions we are asking this morning sting a bit, but that too is purposed. The question is: How will we respond?
Prayer: Father, You have given me so much! I am surrounded by Your mercies and blessings that are mine because of Your undeserved favor and kindness. Help me to be thoroughly obedient to all you have commanded so that I might know the joy of Your presence. I confess that there is much I don’t know, much I don’t understand, but I will love you in the midst of all the confusion, I will rejoice and be glad and I will put my trust in You! Through Jesus Christ my Lord, Amen.
Psalm: Psalm 108