John 5  There is a story here that leads to great truths...  There was place in Jerusalem where there was a special pool of water called "Bethesda".. the House of Mercy.  Around it were many people.. sick with diseases," blind, lame, and withered".  The people waited at the pool because they wanted to be healed.  Every so often the waters would be stirred up by "an angel of the Lord" and the first person to enter the pool would be made well.  In the middle of all these people was one man. He had been there for 38 years.  He couldn't move fast enough to get to the water.. he was stuck.. without help and without hope.  Of all the people who needed help.. Jesus chose to go to this man and ask, "Do you wish to get well?"

One man that day was made well.. Jesus said to him,"Arise, take up your pallet and walk."  And he did! After 38 years, this man was able to walk, to carry his bed, to go to the temple to worship.  And... the first thing that happens is that he is condemned for carrying his pallet.. for it was the Sabbath.  He didn't even know who Jesus was.. but he knew that Jesus had healed him and that he was carrying his pallet because Jesus made it possible. The Jews didn't care...

"Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him,'Behold you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse may befall you.'" 

This started the persecution of Jesus by the Jews.  They resented Him for healing on the Sabbath. They resented Who He was. They resented His words and His power. They refused His teaching.  Yet, Jesus had so much to teach them about Himself and about the Father, who they claimed to serve.  

"My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working."  Jesus told them.  This is a profound truth that we need to understand.  Jesus goes on to unveil these truths.. 

"Truly, truly, I say to you the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner."   There is purpose in what Jesus does.. all He does is for the purpose of revealing the Father.  He came from the Father to reveal "grace and truth".   The Jews thought of God as the Rule giver and they were His enforcers.  They were so caught up in their own ways that they had lost sight of God.  They had gone so far from the truth that they didn't even know Him any more. They forgot about compassion and love and forgiveness.  They forgot about what really mattered, so sure of their own ways that they couldn't see what was happening right before their eyes.. A man who hadn't been able to walk for 38 years was standing before them.. perfectly healed!  Yet, the only thing they cared about was a rule that they had was not being followed... not about a person who had suffered so long and was now whole. 

Do we forget too?  Do we not see that God  Is working and that Jesus is working too?  Are we so caught up in our own ideas that we don't see the truth right before our eyes? Are we missing the miracles because we want our own ways?

Father, open our eyes.. we want to see You. We want to know the Son and receive Him fully into our lives. Let Your Spirit flow.. living water without end.. so that we can walk in obedience to Your Word and do the things that reveal Your grace and truth  to the lost and hurting ones in our world.  May we be more and more like Jesus in all we say and all we do.. by His power at work in and through us.  In His name and for His glory.. we ask this. Amen.