So kennedy and I last night went to a Bible study through a
start-up PCA church plant, Manhattan Presbyterian Church….which was just
started very recently here in Manhattan, KS...which is GREAT because kennedy
and I were wanting to find a church that had similar views and doctrine that we
were both brought up on.
Kennedy and I have both been really excited about this
church and seeing how the Lord blesses the pastors’ efforts and their ministry.
I have never been a part of a church plant, but to me, it is really exciting!
Although I can kindof see the difficult realities/challenges it may face.
I left the Bible study feeling refreshed because of 1)the
community and 2)the passage that we studied. I love studies in which there is a
lot of discussion but the leader kind of slowly takes you through each verse
and discusses meanings behind certain words or the context of the passage in
general. I love going deeper into the Word.
Last night, the passage we studied was from John 5:1-18 (the
healing at the pool). I don’t want to go boringly into talking about every
single part that we touched on, but I found this passage encouraging and a
great reminder of the Gospel and the good news we share in and are able to
share with others. This is an amazing story of healing…and not just physical
healing but it has great spiritual implications. So in this passage, Jesus
purposely goes to this pool Bethesda, which was known for its “mythical”
healing powers…the water would stir up quickly and you had to go into the pool
while it was stirred up in order to be healing. Verse 3 says “here a great
number of disabled people used to lie- the blind, the lame, the paralyzed.”
There were multitudes of basically outcasts or invalids- which Brian our pastor
said meant that these were people who were too sick to care for or do anything
for themselves. The one that Jesus goes to out of the many was one who the
passage says had been there for 38 years…we are not told how old he is, but he
was there for probably most of his life. Jesus picked him out of everyone there
and the Bible says He already knew his condition and the first thing he asks
the man is, “Do you want to get well?” The man’s reply is not a “YES! NOW!” It
is almost an explanation of his condition- telling Jesus, whom he did not know
was Jesus at that time, “Sir, I have no one to help me into the pool when the
water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of
me”. So this man is apparently the hopeless of the hopeless…among the lowest of
low in that area. He can’t get into the “healing pool” himself nor does he have
anyone who will help him in…and he says, “while I am trying to get in, someone
else goes down ahead of me”. Jesus says to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and
walk”. The man picks up his mat and walks.
The rest of the passage is about the Sabbath- the man finds
out that who healed him was Jesus…he also finds out that the Jews are angry
because Jesus was working on the Sabbath and performing miracles….the Jews were
mad at Jesus and at the man for picking up his mat and walking.
These are some things that came up in our discussion of this
passage & things that struck me as I was reading this and humbled by and
reminded of the Gospel!:
-
Jesus goes to this place, knowing already what
He would be doing (and even on the Sabbath, breaking the rule of working and
performing miracles)
-
Jesus picks out one invalid to save- a helpless,
hopeless sick man whose condition has basically become his identity…what are the
spiritual implications of this? We are in this same “condition” as sinners…we
are helpless/hopeless without our Savior, Christ. But He comes to us, finds us
in this condition, knows our condition, but says, Get up! Pick up your mat and
walk. He is the GREAT healer…spiritually. And physically.
-
Jesus could have healed the whole multitude of
people there- this raises questions of why didn’t He? Why did He just save the
one? This led into discussion of “election” and why some are chosen to be
children of God and some are not. This is something that leaves God mysterious
and something that we don’t understand on this earth.
-
The invalid’s response to Jesus’ question of if
he wants to be well or be healed is not YES! It is telling Him of his
condition…
-
The invalid doesn’t even ask Jesus who He is!
This man who is telling Him to get up pick up his mat and walk! He doesn’t say-
Hey, who are you? And are you really going to heal me? Instead, he, in his
helpless condition with nothing else to do in his state, obeys and follows
Jesus’ instruction…without even knowing who Jesus is! Talk about Jesus meeting
someone and healing someone with no faith…a lot of times I think I have to have
all my ducks in a row when it comes to my faith, but Jesus meets this man, a
sinner, and also a sick, hopeless outcast and heals him, and the man listens
and obeys Jesus. Jesus meets me where I am in my faith…whether I have
strengthened faith or not…He listens to me, He knows my condition, and still He
shows compassion and mercy. What a loving God. What a great piece of Good News!
Not for me to hold on to and keep in, but to share.
There are so many things about
Jesus I overlook, forget, and need to be reminded of or new things I need to be
pointed to about who He is, what He did for me, and what my faith is based
upon…it is not based on how much faith I have or trust of Him I have at certain
times…it is based on His work, His death, His life, and what He did for me. He
simply asks us to believe Him, believe what He did, and trust His truths. And
then share with others the Gospel.
I’m thankful that my God does not
leave us in our helpless, hopeless human condition, but He has come and healed
by His death and His resurrected life. He is compassion, merciful, and His love
is unconditional and endless, no matter where I am.
A quick update and then I am done
(with the longest blog post ever!). Kennedy is deploying Dec 09…and will be
gone for the longest of 146 days…which means he should be back by the beginning
of May at the very latest. We are keeping our apartment here in KS, and I will
be back home for several months while he is gone and will come back and forth
to KS and permanently settle back probably in March. We are so grateful still
for family, friends, etc. who are praying for this change…and we are finding
the joy in being able to spend time together and here in KS (I have been
cooking… A LOT—K loves my chicken casserole that I have made 2 times and making
again tonight, and pumpkin muffins that I’ve made twice) and also in the fact that
God has His hands in all of it and is holding us up…even though there are
periods of times or days where I don’t want to see the joy and I just want to
be sad and think- I CANT BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING TO US!
I am just in prayer that God would
teach us both things that grow us spiritually and strengthen our relationship
and marriage and our faith in His plan and His control & sovereignty.
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