The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, and so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.” But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’” So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?” The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there. 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.” The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.This is an interesting story. First, we have a man who has been an invalid for 38 years. He had never made it into the pool in all that time. When Jesus came by, he asked the man if he wanted to get well. Instead of a straight answer, the man made an excuse for not getting into the pool. Jesus’ response was to tell the man to change his ways—pick up his mat and walk. And the guy did.
John 5:9b-15
You would have thought he would have engaged Jesus in a little post-healing conversation. You might have thought he would have asked Jesus who he was (and it’s a little surprising that he didn't know who Jesus was anyway). Instead, we read that he picked up his mat, as directed. Apparently, there were some Jews who took exception to the man carrying his mat. Never mind that the guy had been laying down—paralyzed—for decades. Instead of the healed man talking about what had happened, he kind of gave the equivalent of a shoulder shrug.
The next thing we read is that Jesus found the healed man at the temple—later. It doesn't tell us what the healed man did in between being healed and coming to the temple. It is enough for us to notice that Jesus told him to stop sinning...or something worse might happen to him. This man went through a change—he was healed!—but evidently, it didn't “take” on the inside. That is, until Jesus confronted him a second time at the temple.
Sometimes the challenge of dealing with feelings of inferiority can seem overwhelming. Maybe this guy thought he could just slide in under the radar instead of openly showing and sharing the benefits of what had happened. But Love First sometimes has to be firm and direct. Jesus didn't shy away from confronting the man about his sinful life. As Jesus practiced Love First, he gave the man a push to help him overcome those feelings of inferiority. And the benefits were amazing.
Your Mission
Choose to be a specific person’s encourager today. Be direct, specific, and kind as you encourage them.
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