Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” John 5:14
So Jesus healed a crippled man at a well of Bethesda and then, later in the day, sees the man again and says, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” If you read this, in context, just as clear as possible, Jesus warns about what can happen if you are found to be sinning after you’ve been blessed by God. God hears our prayer, heals us, blesses us, answers our pleas, provides a miracle, but then, if we go back to the same old way of living, we are at risk. Chris’s suggests that God’s discipline can be worse than our previous condition. America: Listen up!
We’re praying up a storm right now for God to heal our nation, protect our way of life, restore our economic might, destroy this Corona Virus—-and I really believe that He will! But what does He require of us? To get our act together.
Jesus talked more than once about things like this and gave parables, such as the man forgiven of much (billions), but then turning right around and strangling and throwing into prison a man that owed him a few hundred dollars. In that parable the “forgiven man was “unforgiven” and was himself thrown into prison and tortured.
These are the kinds of “blogs” that some of my friends don't like/agree with, because it sounds like a “works=righteousness” concept. But Jesus was not talking about salvation, but the consequences of being blessed and then not being a blessing to others and/or turning away from sin. The idea I get is one of “discipline”—-i.e. God getting your attention and treating you as He would His own child.
But here’s what He is saying: If He blesses us—i.e. heals us, answers our prayers, redeems us, restores us—-we’d better be prepared to show a little gratitude. We’d better show a changed heart and acknowledge that we are in need of not only a Savior, but also a Lord.
The man at the well was healed and was grateful. But Christ also admonished Him to become devout. Will we, as individuals, communities and a nation return to Him devout? We risk a worse catastrophe if we don’t wake up and turn away from sin.
“Stop sinning or things could get worse…….” These are words from the Son of God, and they make as much sense today as they did 2000 years ago.
Warmly,
Dean Barley
1945 Vineyard Road
Westfield, NC 27053
336 351 2070
www.vineyardcamp.com
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