Gleanings - John - Chapter 9

I absolutely love the story of the man blind from birth!

If you haven't read this passage for yourself,

GO READ IT!!!

What a marvelous picture of God's grace in our lives!  Everyone this blind man knew was sure that  his parents or he had sinned with blindness as the punishment.  Once again Jesus broke through their judgmental thoughts with a new one.  He said this man's life was purposely designed to reveal God's glory.  Isn't this true for each one of us?  We each have a unique set of circumstances.  We each have a special purpose, a part to play in bringing glory to the Most High.

I like how the Message says, "You're asking the wrong question.  You're looking for someone to blame.  There is no such cause-effect here.  Look instead for what God can do. (v3)"

"Look instead for what God can do!"  This is how I want to learn to approach EVERY situation in life.  Pray, trust, and wait with EXPECTATION that God will work.  I want to camp on the fact that God always is working for my good, no matter the appearance of the situation.  That He is listening and mindful of me, like verse 31 indicates:  "It's well known that God isn't at the beck and call of sinners, but listens carefully to anyone who lives in reverence and does His will."


Even with this amazing miracle of sight people were refusing to believe.  The former blind man is INCREDULOUS!  "This is amazing!  You claim to know nothing about Him, but the fact is, He opened my eyes!...That someone opened the eyes of a man born blind has never been heard of---ever.  If this Man didn't come from God, He wouldn't be able to do anything. (vv30,33)"  After this, they threw him out of the synagogue.

Jesus responded to this stubborn disbelief by saying, "...those who have made a great pretense of seeing will be exposed as blind....If you were really blind, you would be blameless, but since you claim to see everything so well, you're accountable for every fault and failure.  (vv39,41)"

O Lord, please keep my eyes open to Your Truth.

Keep my heart teachable and close to You.

Help me be bold in my proclamation of

all that You have done for me.

I also love how, when everyone else turns against this poor man for standing staunchly in faith, Jesus comes to him personally to comfort and minister to him.  My sweet, precious Lord is so tender with His people.


(All verses in this post are taken from The Message.)

Gleanings - John - Chapter 8 part 1

After the disagreement between the Pharisees and Jesus in chapter 7, the people returned to the their homes.  "But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. (John 8:1)"  Why?  It doesn't say.  The very next verse has Him coming back into the temple court to teach.  So I am thinking He went to 'refuel' by being with the Father.  It doesn't say He took anyone with Him.  And He was ready to go again 'early in the morning'.  What a great example!

After emptying Himself all day to the people, He disappears to rejuvenate and then goes at it again the next day.  I know I need time with the Father to prepare myself for each new day.  My energy is ZAPPED at the end of most every day, and I only have to deal with 5 people generally.  He had to be ready to go in CROWDS which would exhaust me in a matter of seconds.  I like to deal with others one-on-one or in very small groups.  CROWDS are right out.

morning verses

It's a good thing He took a respite, because He was put on the spot quite quickly.

vv2-3  "He sat down and was teaching them, when the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery."

He knew their intent.  They wanted to trap Him with their questions.  He turned the trap back onto them.  I am always struck with His brilliance in handling 'the powers that be'.  He is AMAZING!  They wanted to know what He would do with Moses' words.  His answer did not refute Moses, but still got His point across.  "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her. (v7)"

The other thing I pondered in this story of  "What shall we do with this wicked woman?" was her and what this situation was like for her.  Being caught in this sin would be mortifying enough.  Especially with the penalties they had in those days.  But then to be dragged into the center of the temple court and made an example of.  YIKES!!!  I feel so sorry for her.  Besides all that, then she hears the Pharisees bring up stoning.  I'm sure she was terrified.  I would have been holding my breath for Jesus' answer.

Imagine what was going through her mind when she heard His Words.

What do think her reaction was when He spoke directly to her?  

"'Woman, where are your accusers?  Has no man condemned you?'  She answered, 'No one, Lord.'  And Jesus said, I do not condemn you either.  Go on your way and from now on sin no more.' (vv10-11)"

I bet she could hardly believe her ears.  No condemnation, even in private?  Only mercy.  He allows her to go free with the admonishment to 'sin no more'.  Reprieve.  Relief.  Deep gratitude.  A desire to be different and to know this strange, merciful Man and to follow One such as this.  Freedom on numerous levels.  These are the things that I think I would be feeling.  We aren't told her reaction.  But it is interesting to think about.

Her situation reminds me of a quote I copied from a book written by Janette Oke and Davis Bunn called The Centurion's Wife.

"In the darkest hour, when there is no reason to go forward, no possibility of a better tomorrow, He is there to comfort, to guide, to heal.  He brings with Him the gift of hope."

In verse 12, Jesus makes His next 'I AM' statement:  "I AM the light of the world."  He says we don't have to walk in the dark when we walk with Him!

Verse 13 begins a conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees which challenges Jesus' authority that goes on through verse 29.  Jesus basically says, 'I have authority because I AM God, but you don't have a clue.'

Verse 15 stands out:  "You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one."  If anyone has a right to judge anything, it is Him.  "But if I do judge, My decisions are right...'  He knows EVERYTHING, all the why's and the nuances, inside out.  I know only what I see from the outside looking in.  So my judgment is faulty at best.  I am incapable of judging accurately, and I am ordered not to.

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged.  Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven. (Luke 6:37)"

Jesus then transitions into trying to get them to realize that He is the perfect picture of the Father.  "If you knew Me, then you would know My Father too."  (v19c)  I have always found this such a comforting thought.  We can not see the Father (or even Jesus physically), but we have Who He is displayed out clearly for us all through the New Testament.  We can know Jesus personally because of His Word, and He says the Father is just like Him.  So if we know One, we know Both!  THRILLING!!!

In verses 21-30, Jesus talks about Who He is, where He is going to return to, and how He is going to get there.  "Then many who heard Him say these things believed in Him. (v30)"  Every time Scripture records people believing God, it is a MIRACLE.  We sinful humans just can't come to that on our own.  We have to have HELP!  Thank You, LORD, for every person that You help to believe You.

Gleanings - John 5:1-17

When I started reading John 5 this week, I could see it was going to have TOO MUCH to process in 1 week.  So I decided to read only through verse 17 each day.  I will get to the other half next week.  That ½ is Jesus directly speaking so...

The 1st ½ of the chapter is about the man who had been ill for 38 years and is lying at the pool where healing is known to happen.  He was not seeking Jesus out.  He was sick and hopeless.  When Jesus came to ask him if he wanted to be well, his answer reflected his hopelessness.

Again I say, the man had been ill 

38 YEARS.  

Uggghhh!!!  

 

 

But Jesus saw him.

There were a multitude of hurting people there that day, 

But Jesus chose him.

Why?  I don’t know.

But He saw this man’s need; He sought this man out; He initiated the conversation; He healed the man without the man asking.  

Wow!  

Mercy in action.

(38 years–It is NEVER too late for God Almighty to work in a seemingly impossible situation!)

“Do you want to be healed?” v6
A good ? for all of us.

When Jesus asked the man if he wanted to be well, and the man gave his hopeless answer, Jesus didn’t wait until the man ‘got it’.  He didn’t even tell the man who He was.  He gave him a gift of physical healing.  Anyone would think this was just what that poor man needed. 

Jesus then left without revealing anything else about Himself.

Later, Jesus again SOUGHT the man out.  The man wasn’t looking for Him.  Jesus knew right where he was and found him again.  Then He told the man his TRUE NEED, his need for spiritual healing, for freedom from sin.

Jesus left the man alone long enough for the man to really enjoy his new found health.  Then He came back and said, “See, you are well again.  Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”  Jesus knew all about him and just what he needed.

The man now had a choice to make.  Would he live in victory or wallow in sin?

(We all have this choice to make.)

Some day, I will find out the ‘rest of the story’. 
And oh how I hope it is a GOOD one!

“Jesus said to them,
‘My Father is 

ALWAYS 

at His work
to this very day, and

I, too, am working.’” v17