Thought for July 18

 History:

• 64: Great Fire of Rome begins
• 1290: Edward I orders expulsion of Jews from England--edict continues for 350 years
• 1716: Order expelling Jews from Brussels
• 1870: First Vatican Council proclaims Pope infallible
• 1925: Hitler publishes Mein Kampf
• 1938: Wrong Way Corrigan lands in Ireland--was flying from NY to California
• 1968: Intel founded
• 1980: Selective Service Act voided because it does not include women
• 1984: 21 killed, 19 injured in an attack at McDonalds in San Ysidro CA
• 2013: Detroit files for bankruptcy
• Born: Machine Gun Kelly, Harriet Nelson [Ozzie & Harriet], Hume Cronyn, Red Skelton, Nelson Mandela, John Glenn, Dick Button [Figure Skating], Tenley Albright [Olympic Gold Figure Skater 1952, 1956; became a doctor], James Brolin, Joe Torre, Martha Reeves [Martha & the Vandellas], Richard Branson, Ricky Skaggs, Nick Faldo, Wendy Williams, Vin Diesel, Penny Hardaway, Kristen Bell, 
• Died: John Paul Jones, Jane Austen, Horatio Alger, Machine Gun Kelly [59th birthday], Karl Menninger [Menninger Clinic], William Westmoreland, 

Thought:

I have arrived at John 5 trying to walk through the life of Christ chronologically. Several scholars rearrange the order of John's Gospel at this point. Chapter 4 ends with Jesus performing a sign in Galilee and chapter 5 begins in Jerusalem. So the scholars say we should read chapter 6 first because it describes Jesus leaving Galilee and going along the Sea feeding 5000 at the northern end of the lake, then sailing back to Capernaum. Then they say we go to Jerusalem in chapter 5 then back to chapter 7. I'm not sure of the order but plan to read chapter 5 today.

John only reports 3 healings by Jesus [the officials son in chapter 4; the man at the pool in chapter 5, and the blind man in chapter 9].  And the three reported in John are unique to that gospel. The other gospel writers report 12-15 specific healing miracles, 8 of which are common to the three gospels. 

Jesus has come to Jerusalem for a feast. Probably either the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread celebrated around April or the Feast of Pentecost celebrating the arrival of the children of Israel at Mt. Sinai on the 50th day after leaving Egypt [early summer]. Jesus is just outside the Temple Court near the sheep gate at the Pool Bethesda. The sheep gate is where the sacrificial lambs were brought into the Temple area. The pool was fed by underground springs and bubbled occasionally. The bubbling was attributed to an angel and the first person in the pool was thought to be healed. Now think about what the portico surrounding the pool looked and sounded like---the sick and suffering, the blind and lame, people with all kinds of diseases. Groaning, begging, praying, pleading. Picture one of those long lines in third world countries where people are seeking medical care or food. Some of you have seen this on mission trips. All awaiting help and hoping to get in the pool at just the right time--but the blind could not see the water ripple and the lame could not get themselves into the pool. 

One of these is a man, apparently crippled for 38 yers, moving too slowly to be first in the pool. And Jesus asks an amazing question--do you want to get well. Why would such a question be asked? I think Jesus knows that some of us enjoy complaining about things more than we want things to change. Or maybe Jesus just wanted the man to affirm that he could not heal himself and needed help to be healed. Notice how the man answers--he tells Jesus all the things that keep him from being healed, but does not answer the question --do you want to be healed. The man has just said I can't get up, but Jesus says get up, pick up your pallet and walk. Jesus commands us to do things we cannot do on our own---love those that hate you, be patient with those that irritate you, forgive those that mistreated you----then in the power of Christ the man walks just as in the power of His Holy Spirit we can be filled with the fruit of the Spirit. 

Today, Jesus is ready and able to heal those things that I cannot take care of on my own and fill me with His Spirit. Lord, we want to be healed of our sin, our envy, greed, jealousy, anger, impatience--fill us with Your Spirit so we overflow with love, joy and peace today. 

Blessings

Larry