How good and lovely it is
To live together in unity
Love and faith come together
Justice and peace join hands
God open our lips
And our mouths shall proclaim your praise.
Song “He came down that we may have love”
For the things that divides us
Christ forgive us
For our greed that hurts others
Christ forgive us
For our jealousy of others, our hardness and bitterness
Christ forgive us
For our indifference and apathy
Christ forgive us
For our lust which uses and abuses
Christ forgive us
Silence
May God forgive us, Christ renew us and the Spirit enable us to grow
in love. Amen.
We say the Lord’s Prayer in our own language
Song “Peace like a river”
Reflection on John 5v1-9. A Sabbath sign - a lame man is healed.
Jesus has left Galilee to attend a festival in Jerusalem and while there he comes across a weak man (literally) lying beside a pool which the locals believe has healing powers. In Aramaic it is called Bethesda. The gate is probably where St. Stephen's gate is today. During a 1930's excavation, some 100 meters North of the Temple mount, a pool 95 by 60 meters was discovered with foundations for five covered colonnades. It was rumoured that the waters were stirred from time by the visit of an angel. The man had been ill for 38 years.
After assessing the mans predicament, Jesus asks him if he wants to be well/whole again. He answers that he cant get into the pool soon enough after it has been stirred and has no one to help him. Jesus then says to him "Get up, take up your bed/ roll (a straw-filled mattress used by the poor and sick) and walk."
The man is immediately healed, but because it is the Sabbath Jesus gets the man into trouble from the religious authorities for breaking the Sabbath law by carrying his bed-matting. When quizzed, he can't identify who told him to do it, but later, when Jesus reminds him to strive to sin no more, he is able to report that it was Jesus who told him what to do. Confronted by the religious authorities, Jesus defends himself, but this only fires up their anger. (Gaslighting by political leaders is very prevalent today!)
This Sabbath healing is the first example of a growing opposition to the ministry of Jesus recorded in 5:1-7:52. This is outright and official opposition.
This is a new phase of Jesus ministry. Jesus is ministering with John the Baptist. His ministry is accompanied by signs and particular weight is given to the Exodus sign of manna in the wilderness.
Jewish pietists concluded that the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians was a direct result of a failure to keep the Mosaic Law. By the first century the Pharisees had laid down a detailed minutia of regulations which allowed a godly person to keep the Law in its entirety for the full appropriation of the blessings of the covenant. It was this thinking that allowed a young man to respond to Jesus’ summary of the Law saying "Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth", Mk.10:20. When it came to work on the Sabbath, Pharisaic minutia included regulations on such things as harvesting, an issue that got the disciples into hot water when they plucked grain on the Sabbath, Matt.12:1-7.
Addressing the charge levelled against his disciples, Jesus reminds the Pharisees that the Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath, Mk.2:27. The Jewish religious authorities, the Pharisees, should have applied a similar reasoning to the healing of the sick and disabled man by the Sheep Pool. rejoicing with joy at his healing rather than picking on him for breaking one of their traditional interpretations of the Law.
The dialogue goes on to develop the absurdity of the charge made against Jesus. Jesus defends his messianic credentials by pointing out that he is doing Gods work on the Sabbath. Jesus defends his action not by discussing the law but by placing himself and his work on the same level as God. Breaking Sabbath law is one thing, but claiming equal status with God is another. The conflict continues and sides are chosen. We must make sure we choose the right side to follow too. Amen
Song “He will hold me fast”
Prayers for our world our countries, our families and friends and ourselves
The Peace of God
Be upon everything our eyes see
Be upon all we hear
Be on our bodies that come from the earth
Be on our souls that come from heaven
For ever and ever. Amen
Zimbabwe blessing
