John the apostle wrote how, “there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he said unto him, Will you be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steps down before me. Jesus said unto him, Rise, take up your bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath”, and in chapter five and verse ten of his book, John shared how the Jews said, “it is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for you to carry your bed” where we read:
The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day:
it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.
The verse reads, “The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day:”. John began with the words, “the Jews” or “the people of the Jewish nation as respects to birth, origin and religion” “therefore said unto him that was cured” which means “then, wherefore and on this account uttered, declared and proclaimed to the man who had the infirmity for thirty-eight years and was healed and made whole”, “It is the sabbath day” or “today exists as the seventh day of each week which was a sacred festival on which the Israelites were required to abstain from all work”. John shared how the “Jewish people”, more than likely the religious leaders, told the man who was healed from his infirmity that it was the “Sabbath day”.
The verse continues, “it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.” John added the words, “it is not lawful” which means “it exists as not according to the law of God for you, man who was healed from his thirty-eight year infirmity” “for you to carry your bed” or “for you, man healed of his infirmity, to bear, raise up and elevate your pallet, couch or mattress”. John shared how the Jewish people who told the man who was cured from his infirmity that it was against the law to “bear” his “mattress”.
When we meditate upon John's words in this verse, we learn how there were people ready to criticize the man who was just healed of an infirmity he endured for “thirty-eight” years. Rather than being happy for him, they only saw that he was violating their “law”. The “sabbath” was to be a day of rest, and according their own rules which determined what constituted“work” and what did not, this man should not have been carrying his “bed” on the “sabbath day”. Jesus, however, gave him the instruction to “carry his bed”, and He is the ultimate “law giver”. The “sabbath day” was made for man and not man for the “sabbath” (See Mark 2:27), and when Jesus did a miracle like the one He performed for the man with the thirty-eight year infirmity, the idea of “carrying his bed” should be deemed a victory rather than a violation of the law. God wants a personal relationship with every person, and when they submit themselves to Him, He will save them from their sins and provide them with everlasting life with the One who gave the “law of rest” to mankind.
Next time John shares how the man answered the Jews, “He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up your bed, and walk”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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