John 5:16-18
Find a place and time free of distractions for the next 7-10 minutes. Sit comfortably and breathe deeply for a few seconds before you begin. If you haven’t read the Introduction to John’s Gospel, read it here.
Today’s passage is the aftermath of the healing of the lame man at the pool of Bethesda. Before you begin today’s meditation, look back over the story in John 5:1-15. Then read John 5:16-18 noting any words or phrases that stand out to you.
The Sabbath was God’s idea. In the creation story, God rested on the seventh day, and Sabbath rest for people was ordained by God. It is so important that it is one of the Ten Commandments given by God to God’s people through Moses. But as Jesus makes clear, God’s laws were given to lead people to life and freedom. Slavish obedience to rules for the sake of following the rules was never God’s intent.
This story is a reminder of how destructive it is to value rules more than people. The religious leaders are so wrapped up in maintaining a system that benefits them, that they are moved to murderous rage when Jesus chooses compassion over rule-following.
Stop and consider your own values. Do you value the well-being of all people more, or do you value order and rules more? Imagine you encountered someone with a need that was in your power to meet but meeting this person’s need would violate a social norm or a law. What do you think you would do? Talk to Jesus about this for a moment.
Jesus is God in the flesh - he is the embodiment of God’s law. Just as Jesus watches, listens to and follows God, those who follow Jesus are to watch for and listen to the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus. Jesus is the way to life and freedom.
How free do you feel today? Talk to Jesus about this.
Read John 5:16-18 again.
Are there any areas of your life from which you have either consciously or unconsciously excluded Jesus? If nothing comes immediately to mind, get quiet and ask Jesus to point out any such area. Then talk that area over with Jesus.
Jesus values you and loves you. His mercy and grace are freely available to you and he longs to lead you to freedom and life. If you sense that Jesus is inviting you to surrender an area of your life to him today, visualize handing that area over to him.
You may sense that Jesus is calling you toward an action of some kind as the result of your time with him today. If so, do something about that right now.
Subscribe here to receive these guided meditations free by email Monday-Friday each week. If you find these meditations helpful, please forward them to a couple of friends.
The Everyday Jesus Follower’s Guide ebook can help you learn how to recognize God's voice, how to read and understand the Bible, how to develop deep spiritual friendships, and how to become the person you were meant to be. Use it alone, with a friend or in a small group.
