“so the Jewish leaders objected. They said to the man who was cured, “You can’t work on the Sabbath! The law doesn’t allow you to carry that sleeping mat!” But he replied, “The man who healed me told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’” “Who said such a thing as that?” they demanded. The man didn’t know, for Jesus had disappeared into the crowd.”
John 5:10-13 NLT
The Jewish leaders were not happy at all when they found someone carrying a sleeping mat through the crowds around the Pool of Bethesda. They probably had a point if the man was moving house or was doing some other manual task, but after an amazing miracle the man was probably just heading home, musing in the process about what he was about to tell his family when he got there. He had a lot to think about. It wasn’t just his life that was changed. He would also find that the family dynamic was suddenly altered. The one cared for was no longer needing care. And what about a job – could he now find some way of repaying all the kindness shown to him over the thirty eight years of infirmity? Regarding his sleeping mat, he probably didn’t think about leaving it behind, after all, these things cost money, he thought. And anyway the Man who had healed him told him to take it with him.
But all of a sudden, he was jolted out of his thoughts by the religious police, the Jewish leaders, pulling him up over a simple thing like carrying a mat. The man explained how he had been healed, and how he had been told to pick up his mat by his Healer and walk. But that didn’t make any difference to the Jews. They asked the man, “Who said such a thing as that?”. But the man didn’t know because Jesus wasn’t with him any more. Rather than rejoice with the healed man about the marvellous miracle performed by Jesus, the Jews just wanted to stop a violation of their laws.
That was a sad day, because priorities and common sense were qualities conspicuous by their absence. The Jewish leaders missed a life changing encounter with God through the man who was healed. They were so focused on the mundane that they missed a supernatural event. But isn’t that something that we can all be guilty of? Even we pilgrims? How many times has God said something through a brother or sister, or through the preaching of the Word, or through circumstances, and we have ignored it, missing a God-moment? Do we sometimes get anxious over something that we fear might happen, only to find that God has gone before us and removed the problem? “What if’s” disappear before our loving Heavenly Father’s caring gaze. There is a short verse embedded in Peter’s first letter, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7). That isn’t there by accident – it is a reminder to all us worriers!
But back to our man carrying his mat on the Sabbath. If something happening before us doesn’t fit into our world view, let us pause and seek God in case He is doing something supernatural. We can’t put God in a box of our own making, restricting Him to a certain way of doing things. He is God after all!
Father God. Please forgive us when we fail to recognise Your hand at work in our lives and the lives of our friends and families. We know that You care for us, Your children, every day, bringing life and hope in our times of need. We are so grateful. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 