Gospel of John Chapter 5

Read this amazing story: http://blog.womackai.com/2013/04/20/chapter-5-if-common-sense-were-so-common-there-would-be-oh-no-change/ 

"Damned if you do and damned if you don't." This cliche comes to mind when I read John 5. Jesus, in this verse, is accused by the Jewish leaders of working on the Sabbath when he heals a lame man. Since when is an act of kindness considered work? I'm sure Jesus never thought in our human plaintive terms of work when he incited the decrepit man, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk!" Although Jesus defends his actions before the Jewish leaders in verse 17 by saying, "My Father is always at work to this very day, and I  always working," it only makes the men even angrier, and Jesus cannot win for losing! 

If it sounds a bit ludicrous that healing the sick on the Sabbath was a crime, the Jews add more insult to injury and accuse Jesus of calling God His own Father, making himself an equal to God! The leaders are appalled when Jesus compares himself to the Almighty One. What gall, the men thought and condemn Jesus even more when He answers their accusations with a very perceptive response.

Jesus then does some finger pointing of his own, basically calling the men hypocrites. He tells them that they read their sacred Scriptures diligently each day thinking the words will give them eternal life, but lack the love of God in their hearts. He tells the Jews that He indeed is the one who is spoken of in Scripture by Moses, the one who will come and truly give them life, but they refuse to accept what the words say about Him. He also reminds them that His testimony has support; John, whom they had sent to, testified in His favor. However, it probably incites more anger in the hearts of these Jews when Jesus announces His inheritance. He has been entrusted by His Father with the authority to judge, so that anyone who honors the Father, He says, must honor the Son. They or anyone who hears His words and chooses to believe, he adds, "will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned."  I'm sure Jesus knew that He wasn't going to win these men over with this revelation; I'm sure He knew that sometimes the one who tells the truth is destined to hurt the most.

In John Chapter 5, there are three parties involved, first, Jesus, the accused; second the Jews, the accusers; and third, the bystanders, those who stood by and did nothing. In our own lives, we have all been a member of each party at one time or another. Sometimes we are the accused, sometimes we are the accusers, and sometimes we stand by and do nothing. In this scripture Jesus tells us what will happen to those who believe the word of the accused, they will have life; He also tells us what will happen to those who do not believe the word of the accused, they will perish, but He doesn't say what will happen to those who do nothing, who neither believe Jesus or not believe Him.

There is no reference to anyone supporting Jesus in Chapter 5, withstanding John who was not actually present at the time. Even the lame man that Jesus healed doesn't come to His support. Nonetheless, I try to picture the third party member in the crowd of men standing around Jesus and imagine how I would feel if I did nothing. I think I would be frightened, probably concerned that I didn't want to be drawn into the argument. I would also be engrossed, however, standing just far enough away from the squabble that if I perked my ears up, I could hear enough to have fodder for gossip, so I could tell my neighbors all about what I heard in Jerusalem at the temple. John doesn't identify for us in this chapter about how the third party will be judged, but He does say that He is the judge. In verse 30, he says, "I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just." Jesus hears all we say, even the unmentioned words of the third party - the gossip, the blatherer, the rumormonger. How will He judge them?

In this chapter is a great lesson. If we placed a percentage by the amount of time we have spent as members of the first, second, and third parties during the events in our lives, how many of us would have spent most of our time as members of the third party? We are challenged every day to become an accused or an accuser, but most of us sit by and do nothing. In small talk we gripe about things, but most of us never face the problems in our personal lives, communities, or world head on. Our children are in crisis, our cities are crumbling, our government is in shambles, our basic rights are in jeopardy, but how many of us still remain a third party!!! John shows us how Jesus stepped out of His comfort zone and spoke the truth, knowing it would inevitably condemn Him. Let His actions give us the strength to make a difference. Don't be afraid to be accused for doing something that is right, but also, don't be afraid to accuse when something is clearly wrong. If God's love is in our hearts, our actions will lead us to the only place we need to go, to Him. Just, "Get up! Pick up your mat, and walk!"