Jesus encounters a man who has been ill for 38 years. He heals him. In the ensuing mayhem (Jesus did all this on the Sabbath) the man searches for Jesus and finely locates him.
Jesus comments on the man's being well.
Then, Jesus says something that challenges my understanding of God's grace and gifts to us. Jesus tells this man, "Sin no more, that nothing worse befall you."
I am not comfortable with the notion that our sin results in punishment from God. I preach and teach an understanding of grace birthed from the verses of scripture in which it is noted that God sends the rain on the just and the unjust. That those who died in the collapse of the temple wall were not somehow deserving of their injuries.
But here, in John 5, Jesus makes this comment to this man.
In case you haven't been around me when I have noted a quote from the Reformation, let me repeat it now. "You should never quote a verse of scripture unless you can quote two more: a second which supports what you intend to communicate with the first, and a third which conflicts what you hope to suggest."
John 5 is such a verse for me.
I won't, in these short paragraphs, explain my thinking on this matter. My aim this morning is to demonstrate that while I am very confident in my faith and in my theology, I am constantly and continually seeking the Spirit's leading. Peter is confronted and changes his mind about Gentiles. Paul is confronted and stops hunting down members of the Way. We must all remain open to what God is attempting to teach us this day. We must never become so convinced of our position or defensive of our thoughts that we fail to follow where God would have us go.
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