Today’s scripture: John 5:15-18 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Cheryl Stonestreet):
After reading this passage, my reaction to the lame man was not complimentary. For thirty-eight years you’ve been scooting around on your butt and then Jesus healed you. So what did you do? You ratted on him for working on the Sabbath?! How ungrateful!
But then I realized how true that situation still is today. We would like to think that once we’ve decided to follow Jesus that we are totally and profoundly changed. We would like to think that we are different people, that we are now some sort of angelic beings. But the truth is, when we step into the path of following Jesus, we come dragging our old baggage along with us. We have been given a change of heart, but we haven’t yet learned how to use the tools. Following Jesus takes a lot of learning, patience, and practice. It is an ongoing job.
That’s why it was a relief to hear Jesus say, “My Father is still working, and I also am working.” (NRSV) We have to work daily (and sometimes twice as hard on the Sabbath) to be as God would like us. Likely by the time we have decided to take up our own mats and follow Jesus, we all have calluses that will take some time to dissolve. But that’s OK. It is a journey.
Prayer for the day: Lord, let me see my old baggage for what it is. Give me peace and compassion when I see others dragging theirs. Show me, today, what I can do to ease my burdens and the burdens of others in order to better follow you. Amen.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.