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John 6:1-15 (Danger!)

[New to our exegesis of John’s Gospel? Try starting at The Beginning — John 1:1-2].

After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A large crowd kept following him because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. 3 Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. 5 When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” 10 Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place, so they sat down, about five thousand in all. 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. 14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.”

15 When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

Μετὰ ταῦτα ἀπῆλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς πέραν τῆς θαλάσσης τῆς Γαλιλαίας τῆς Τιβεριάδος. 2 ἠκολούθει δὲ αὐτῷ ὄχλος πολύς, ὅτι ἐθεώρουν τὰ σημεῖα ἃ ἐποίει ἐπὶ τῶν ἀσθενούντων. 3 ἀνῆλθεν δὲ εἰς τὸ ὄρος Ἰησοῦς, καὶ ἐκεῖ ἐκάθητο μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ. 4 ἦν δὲ ἐγγὺς τὸ πάσχα, ἡ ἑορτὴ τῶν Ἰουδαίων. 5 ἐπάρας οὖν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ θεασάμενος ὅτι πολὺς ὄχλος ἔρχεται πρὸς αὐτὸν λέγει πρὸς Φίλιππον· Πόθεν ἀγοράσωμεν ἄρτους ἵνα φάγωσιν οὗτοι; 6 τοῦτο δὲ ἔλεγεν πειράζων αὐτόν, αὐτὸς γὰρ ᾔδει τί ἔμελλεν ποιεῖν. 7 ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ Φίλιππος· Διακοσίων δηναρίων ἄρτοι οὐκ ἀρκοῦσιν αὐτοῖς ἵνα ἕκαστος βραχύ τι λάβῃ. 8 λέγει αὐτῷ εἷς ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ, Ἀνδρέας ὁ ἀδελφὸς Σίμωνος Πέτρου· 9 Ἔστιν παιδάριον ὧδε ὃς ἔχει πέντε ἄρτους κριθίνους καὶ δύο ὀψάρια· ἀλλὰ ταῦτα τί ἐστιν εἰς τοσούτους; 10 εἶπεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Ποιήσατε τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἀναπεσεῖν. ἦν δὲ χόρτος πολὺς ἐν τῷ τόπῳ. ἀνέπεσαν οὖν οἱ ἄνδρες τὸν ἀριθμὸν ὡς πεντακισχίλιοι. 11 ἔλαβεν οὖν τοὺς ἄρτους ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ εὐχαριστήσας διέδωκεν τοῖς ἀνακειμένοις, ὁμοίως καὶ ἐκ τῶν ὀψαρίων ὅσον ἤθελον. 12 ὡς δὲ ἐνεπλήσθησαν λέγει τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ· Συναγάγετε τὰ περισσεύσαντα κλάσματα, ἵνα μή τι ἀπόληται. 13 συνήγαγον οὖν, καὶ ἐγέμισαν δώδεκα κοφίνους κλασμάτων ἐκ τῶν πέντε ἄρτων τῶν κριθίνων ἃ ἐπερίσσευσαν τοῖς βεβρωκόσιν. 14 οἱ οὖν ἄνθρωποι ἰδόντες ὃ ἐποίησεν σημεῖον ἔλεγον ὅτι Οὗτός ἐστιν ἀληθῶς ὁ προφήτης ὁ ἐρχόμενος εἰς τὸν κόσμον.

15 Ἰησοῦς οὖν γνοὺς ὅτι μέλλουσιν ἔρχεσθαι καὶ ἁρπάζειν αὐτὸν ἵνα ποιήσωσιν βασιλέα ἀνεχώρησεν πάλιν εἰς τὸ ὄρος αὐτὸς μόνος.

King Herod’s Bane!

Two blogs ago, we saw similarities between the action in this pericope and that of Moses in the Hebrew Scriptures. In my last blog, we looked at elements of this text that appear to be eucharistic. Today, we note the evolving danger surrounding Jesus.

The reaction of the crowd to this Jesus miracle is to identify him both as a religious and political redeemer — for many at that time, these two roles are synonymous (as in some contemporary Islamic countries). Many apparently thought of him as Messiah who would liberate Israel from its Gentile oppressors.

While the Gospel of John should be read as its own unique account of Jesus, it sometimes helps to give a larger context by comparing it to the Synoptic Gospels. For example, a parallel account of the Feeding of the 5,000 is in Mark chapter 6 which begins with the rejection of Jesus at Nazareth and the death of John the Baptist, beheaded by King Herod. Jesus apparently felt the political temperature rising and withdrew from Galilee, Herod’s domain.

The ancient Jewish historian Josephus wrote (Antiquities, XVIII.v.2) that King Herod was alarmed by John the Baptist’s popularity and worried he might inspire an uprising. In this political context, we can understand why Jesus didn’t want the crowd to make a fuss about him as a religious/political redeemer. It wasn’t the hour for his arrest yet — that would happen later — and so he escapes the attempt to declare him King.

Also from the Synoptics Matthew and Luke, we recall the temptation of the devil to turn over all the kingdoms of the world if Jesus would simply worship him. Jesus would be King of kings, but not according to the devil’s timetable and not by worshipping the ancient foe. Part of this temptation could be understood as the lure toward self-aggrandizement out of step with the master plan.

The gist of this is our Savior’s life was constantly in danger. As the story evolves, the danger increases, and the gears of the religious/political machination to kill him grind louder.

It’s the same today. To follow Jesus makes power uncomfortable. And great power finds our devotion to an even greater Power to be insubordination.

Jesus is sometimes portrayed as this wonderful teacher with birds singing and squirrels dancing wherever he goes, when, in fact, a darkness is forming on the horizon, ready to stamp out anything that threatens it.

That darkness has not snuffed out the Light (Jn. 1:5), but it is still around, still dangerous, and hateful of all that is Good.

And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim,
We tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure,
For lo! his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him. — Martin Luther, 1529.

John 6:1-15 (Eucharist)

[New to our exegesis of John’s Gospel? Try starting at The Beginning — John 1:1-2].

After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A large crowd kept following him because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. 3 Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. 5 When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” 10 Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place, so they sat down, about five thousand in all. 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. 14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.”

15 When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

Μετὰ ταῦτα ἀπῆλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς πέραν τῆς θαλάσσης τῆς Γαλιλαίας τῆς Τιβεριάδος. 2 ἠκολούθει δὲ αὐτῷ ὄχλος πολύς, ὅτι ἐθεώρουν τὰ σημεῖα ἃ ἐποίει ἐπὶ τῶν ἀσθενούντων. 3 ἀνῆλθεν δὲ εἰς τὸ ὄρος Ἰησοῦς, καὶ ἐκεῖ ἐκάθητο μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ. 4 ἦν δὲ ἐγγὺς τὸ πάσχα, ἡ ἑορτὴ τῶν Ἰουδαίων. 5 ἐπάρας οὖν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ θεασάμενος ὅτι πολὺς ὄχλος ἔρχεται πρὸς αὐτὸν λέγει πρὸς Φίλιππον· Πόθεν ἀγοράσωμεν ἄρτους ἵνα φάγωσιν οὗτοι; 6 τοῦτο δὲ ἔλεγεν πειράζων αὐτόν, αὐτὸς γὰρ ᾔδει τί ἔμελλεν ποιεῖν. 7 ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ Φίλιππος· Διακοσίων δηναρίων ἄρτοι οὐκ ἀρκοῦσιν αὐτοῖς ἵνα ἕκαστος βραχύ τι λάβῃ. 8 λέγει αὐτῷ εἷς ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ, Ἀνδρέας ὁ ἀδελφὸς Σίμωνος Πέτρου· 9 Ἔστιν παιδάριον ὧδε ὃς ἔχει πέντε ἄρτους κριθίνους καὶ δύο ὀψάρια· ἀλλὰ ταῦτα τί ἐστιν εἰς τοσούτους; 10 εἶπεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Ποιήσατε τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἀναπεσεῖν. ἦν δὲ χόρτος πολὺς ἐν τῷ τόπῳ. ἀνέπεσαν οὖν οἱ ἄνδρες τὸν ἀριθμὸν ὡς πεντακισχίλιοι. 11 ἔλαβεν οὖν τοὺς ἄρτους ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ εὐχαριστήσας διέδωκεν τοῖς ἀνακειμένοις, ὁμοίως καὶ ἐκ τῶν ὀψαρίων ὅσον ἤθελον. 12 ὡς δὲ ἐνεπλήσθησαν λέγει τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ· Συναγάγετε τὰ περισσεύσαντα κλάσματα, ἵνα μή τι ἀπόληται. 13 συνήγαγον οὖν, καὶ ἐγέμισαν δώδεκα κοφίνους κλασμάτων ἐκ τῶν πέντε ἄρτων τῶν κριθίνων ἃ ἐπερίσσευσαν τοῖς βεβρωκόσιν. 14 οἱ οὖν ἄνθρωποι ἰδόντες ὃ ἐποίησεν σημεῖον ἔλεγον ὅτι Οὗτός ἐστιν ἀληθῶς ὁ προφήτης ὁ ἐρχόμενος εἰς τὸν κόσμον.

15 Ἰησοῦς οὖν γνοὺς ὅτι μέλλουσιν ἔρχεσθαι καὶ ἁρπάζειν αὐτὸν ἵνα ποιήσωσιν βασιλέα ἀνεχώρησεν πάλιν εἰς τὸ ὄρος αὐτὸς μόνος.

Sardines Broken for You?

In my last blog we saw similarities between the action in this pericope and that of Moses in the Hebrew Scriptures. Today we look at elements of this text that appear to be eucharistic. And then, later in this chapter, we’ll connect even more dots related to Jesus, Moses, eucharist and this miracle.

Barley was cheap bread and used in the early church’s eucharistic rite. The specific reference to barley — only in John — may have been an intentional connection to the eucharist, already a part of Christian worship at the time John was written.

But verses 11 – 13 are the Mother Lode in this regard. Jesus “takes bread” in the language that also describes the Last Supper. He gives thanks (Gk: εὐχαριστήσας; eucharistein). Jesus then feeds them rather than instructing the disciples to do so as in the Synoptic Gospels — Jesus, at the Last Supper, feeds his followers the bread and cup.

This miracle of the multiplication of bread and fish was found in 2nd-century catacomb art symbolizing the eucharist, and a Christian epitaph from that same time mentions fish, bread, and wine all used in the eucharist service.

Lastly, the Didache is an early 2nd-century Christian teaching giving instructions to the early Christians on a variety of topics including the practice of the eucharist. Similarities in language between this section of the Didache and John 6 are striking. For example, the Didache IX mentions [italics mine] the use of fish, bread, and wine in the eucharistic rite. This rite includes a eucharistic prayer employing similar language to John’s account of the multiplication miracle here in chapter six. The prayer reads, “We give thanks [v. 11 – same Gk word] to you, Our Father…as this fragmented [v. 13 – same Gk word] bread was scattered on the mountains [v. 3 – same Gk word], but was gathered up [v. 13 – same Gk word] from the four corners of the earth into your kingdom.”

Maybe the next time we have communion in church we’ll include sardines….

(Photo is a mosaic from the floor of the 5th-century Church of the Multiplication in Tabgha, along the Sea of Galilee. Photo is by Berthold Werner and is in the public domain.)

human holding a bread

John 6:1-15 (Moses)

[New to our exegesis of John’s Gospel? Try starting at The Beginning — John 1:1-2].

After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A large crowd kept following him because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. 3 Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. 5 When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” 10 Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place, so they sat down, about five thousand in all. 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. 14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.”

15 When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

Μετὰ ταῦτα ἀπῆλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς πέραν τῆς θαλάσσης τῆς Γαλιλαίας τῆς Τιβεριάδος. 2 ἠκολούθει δὲ αὐτῷ ὄχλος πολύς, ὅτι ἐθεώρουν τὰ σημεῖα ἃ ἐποίει ἐπὶ τῶν ἀσθενούντων. 3 ἀνῆλθεν δὲ εἰς τὸ ὄρος Ἰησοῦς, καὶ ἐκεῖ ἐκάθητο μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ. 4 ἦν δὲ ἐγγὺς τὸ πάσχα, ἡ ἑορτὴ τῶν Ἰουδαίων. 5 ἐπάρας οὖν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ θεασάμενος ὅτι πολὺς ὄχλος ἔρχεται πρὸς αὐτὸν λέγει πρὸς Φίλιππον· Πόθεν ἀγοράσωμεν ἄρτους ἵνα φάγωσιν οὗτοι; 6 τοῦτο δὲ ἔλεγεν πειράζων αὐτόν, αὐτὸς γὰρ ᾔδει τί ἔμελλεν ποιεῖν. 7 ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ Φίλιππος· Διακοσίων δηναρίων ἄρτοι οὐκ ἀρκοῦσιν αὐτοῖς ἵνα ἕκαστος βραχύ τι λάβῃ. 8 λέγει αὐτῷ εἷς ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ, Ἀνδρέας ὁ ἀδελφὸς Σίμωνος Πέτρου· 9 Ἔστιν παιδάριον ὧδε ὃς ἔχει πέντε ἄρτους κριθίνους καὶ δύο ὀψάρια· ἀλλὰ ταῦτα τί ἐστιν εἰς τοσούτους; 10 εἶπεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Ποιήσατε τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἀναπεσεῖν. ἦν δὲ χόρτος πολὺς ἐν τῷ τόπῳ. ἀνέπεσαν οὖν οἱ ἄνδρες τὸν ἀριθμὸν ὡς πεντακισχίλιοι. 11 ἔλαβεν οὖν τοὺς ἄρτους ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ εὐχαριστήσας διέδωκεν τοῖς ἀνακειμένοις, ὁμοίως καὶ ἐκ τῶν ὀψαρίων ὅσον ἤθελον. 12 ὡς δὲ ἐνεπλήσθησαν λέγει τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ· Συναγάγετε τὰ περισσεύσαντα κλάσματα, ἵνα μή τι ἀπόληται. 13 συνήγαγον οὖν, καὶ ἐγέμισαν δώδεκα κοφίνους κλασμάτων ἐκ τῶν πέντε ἄρτων τῶν κριθίνων ἃ ἐπερίσσευσαν τοῖς βεβρωκόσιν. 14 οἱ οὖν ἄνθρωποι ἰδόντες ὃ ἐποίησεν σημεῖον ἔλεγον ὅτι Οὗτός ἐστιν ἀληθῶς ὁ προφήτης ὁ ἐρχόμενος εἰς τὸν κόσμον.

15 Ἰησοῦς οὖν γνοὺς ὅτι μέλλουσιν ἔρχεσθαι καὶ ἁρπάζειν αὐτὸν ἵνα ποιήσωσιν βασιλέα ἀνεχώρησεν πάλιν εἰς τὸ ὄρος αὐτὸς μόνος.

Barley Never Tasted So Good!

The miracle of the multiplication of the loaves is the only miracle found in all four Gospels during the public ministry of Jesus (Matt. 14:13-44; Mk. 6.31-44; Lk. 9:10-17). The accounts are quite similar but with some different emphases.

There are several indicators that John here sees in this event a comparison of Jesus to Moses. One can argue the same for the Synopic Gospels, but John’s account seems to emphasize it even more.

Jesus goes up a mountain resembling the journey of Moses up Mt. Sinai. Generally speaking, going up a mountain in the Gospels signals more theological geography rather than trying to figure out which mountain Jesus actually went up.

John makes reference to the miracle occurring near Passover — the festival most associated with Moses. The other Gospel writers refer to springtime which is consistent with Passover, but John is more explicit, linking the event to the remembrance of Moses and the redemptive act associated with him.

The question Jesus asks Philip in verse 5 is reminiscent of the one Moses asked God, “Where am I to get meat to give all these people?” (Num. 11:13). Other connections to Numbers 11 that come later this chapter are: the people grumbling (John 6: 41,43); the description of manna (John 6:31); and the comparison of Numbers 11:13, “Give us flesh that we may eat” to John 6:51.

Twelve baskets of leftover bread was collected perhaps referring to the twelve tribes of Israel.

Finally, the reference in verse 14 apparently refers to the “Prophet Like Unto Moses.” In Deuteronomy 18:15 we read, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me [Moses] from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet.” Over time, this became understood to be a Messianic deliverer — a redeemer — similar to Moses.

This is a sign, then, that a new Moses is on the scene who has come to deliver us from the angel of death. Just as Moses provided the people with bread from heaven to quench their temporary hunger, so Jesus now comes to feed us with Bread from above to quench our deepest hungers for Life and Truth.

Remember that old, old hymn, Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah written by William Williams Pantycelyn (1717-1791)?

Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy powerful hand.
Bread of Heaven, Bread of Heaven,
Feed me till I want no more;
Feed me till I want no more.

He feeds much deeper than Panera!

person in cassock standing on altar

John 5:41 – 47

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[New to our exegesis of John’s Gospel? Try starting at The Beginning — John 1:1-2].

41 I do not accept glory from humans. 42 But I know that you do not have the love of God in you. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; if another comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe when you accept glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the one who alone is God? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47 But if you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?”

41 δόξαν παρὰ ἀνθρώπων οὐ λαμβάνω, 42 ἀλλὰ ἔγνωκα ὑμᾶς ὅτι τὴν ἀγάπην τοῦ θεοῦ οὐκ ἔχετε ἐν ἑαυτοῖς. 43 ἐγὼ ἐλήλυθα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ πατρός μου καὶ οὐ λαμβάνετέ με· ἐὰν ἄλλος ἔλθῃ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τῷ ἰδίῳ, ἐκεῖνον λήμψεσθε. 44 πῶς δύνασθε ὑμεῖς πιστεῦσαι, δόξαν παρ’ ἀλλήλων λαμβάνοντες, καὶ τὴν δόξαν τὴν παρὰ τοῦ μόνου θεοῦ οὐ ζητεῖτε; 45 μὴ δοκεῖτε ὅτι ἐγὼ κατηγορήσω ὑμῶν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα· ἔστιν ὁ κατηγορῶν ὑμῶν Μωϋσῆς, εἰς ὃν ὑμεῖς ἠλπίκατε. 46 εἰ γὰρ ἐπιστεύετε Μωϋσεῖ, ἐπιστεύετε ἂν ἐμοί, περὶ γὰρ ἐμοῦ ἐκεῖνος ἔγραψεν. 47 εἰ δὲ τοῖς ἐκείνου γράμμασιν οὐ πιστεύετε, πῶς τοῖς ἐμοῖς ῥήμασιν πιστεύσετε;

The Glory Doesn’t Belong to You!

Jesus has been accused of pride, ascribing to himself divinity. But Jesus turns the tables on the religious leaders and makes accusations against them. He says they do not have the love of God in them. It is unclear whether he is referring to the absence of their love for God; or, they lack God’s love for others in their hearts. The ambiguity, however, works when we remember that our love of God is lived out by loving others. In any event, Jesus finds them loveless.

Well, “loveless” isn’t exactly right. They love themselves. Jesus accuses them of being so enthralled with themselves and their self-praise that they have no room to glorify or recognized God. They are easily duped by false messiahs but miss the Real One. They care more about their their religious activity than what their religion was meant to focus on — God!

And then, Jesus brings his accusation to another level. He said even their religious hero, Moses, whom they believed interceded before God on their behalf, accuses them because they have fallen so far outside the faith of Moses that they do not recognize the One who came from God.

I find this passage especially sobering. In our last section we experienced the challenge to live out the message of Jesus in our hearts. In this section, the challenge is to seek the praise of God rather than human beings. This may sound easy, but it’s not — it is, in fact, impossible without God’s help. Everything about us seeks the approval and affirmation from others. We even learn and grow by imitating (cf. Rene Girard) each other. Even in our non-conformity we are seeking the approval of being such!

But Jesus challenges us to seek rather the praise of God; meaning, to live out the message of Jesus as acts of giving glory to God, and affirming the Kingdom of God, rather than the praise of humans.

This is ridiculously hard to do, but in it is Life!

man raising his hands with heart illustration

John 5:31 – 40

[New to our exegesis of John’s Gospel? Try starting at The Beginning — John 1:1-2].

31 “If I were to testify on my own behalf, my testimony would not be valid. 32 But someone else is also testifying about me, and I assure you that everything he says about me is true. 33 In fact, you sent investigators to listen to John the Baptist, and his testimony about me was true. 34 Of course, I have no need of human witnesses, but I say these things so you might be saved. 35 John was like a burning and shining lamp, and you were excited for a while about his message. 36 But I have a greater witness than John—my teachings and my miracles. The Father gave me these works to accomplish, and they prove that he sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has testified about me himself. You have never heard his voice or seen him face to face, 38 and you do not have his message in your hearts, because you do not believe me—the one he sent to you.

39 “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! 40 Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life.

31 Ἐὰν ἐγὼ μαρτυρῶ περὶ ἐμαυτοῦ, ἡ μαρτυρία μου οὐκ ἔστιν ἀληθής· 32 ἄλλος ἐστὶν ὁ μαρτυρῶν περὶ ἐμοῦ, καὶ οἶδα ὅτι ἀληθής ἐστιν ἡ μαρτυρία ἣν μαρτυρεῖ περὶ ἐμοῦ. 33 ὑμεῖς ἀπεστάλκατε πρὸς Ἰωάννην, καὶ μεμαρτύρηκε τῇ ἀληθείᾳ· 34 ἐγὼ δὲ οὐ παρὰ ἀνθρώπου τὴν μαρτυρίαν λαμβάνω, ἀλλὰ ταῦτα λέγω ἵνα ὑμεῖς σωθῆτε. 35 ἐκεῖνος ἦν ὁ λύχνος ὁ καιόμενος καὶ φαίνων, ὑμεῖς δὲ ἠθελήσατε ἀγαλλιαθῆναι πρὸς ὥραν ἐν τῷ φωτὶ αὐτοῦ· 36 ἐγὼ δὲ ἔχω τὴν μαρτυρίαν μείζω τοῦ Ἰωάννου, τὰ γὰρ ἔργα ἃ δέδωκέν μοι ὁ πατὴρ ἵνα τελειώσω αὐτά, αὐτὰ τὰ ἔργα ἃ ποιῶ, μαρτυρεῖ περὶ ἐμοῦ ὅτι ὁ πατήρ με ἀπέσταλκεν, 37 καὶ ὁ πέμψας με πατὴρ ἐκεῖνος μεμαρτύρηκεν περὶ ἐμοῦ. οὔτε φωνὴν αὐτοῦ πώποτε ἀκηκόατε οὔτε εἶδος αὐτοῦ ἑωράκατε, 38 καὶ τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔχετε ἐν ὑμῖν μένοντα, ὅτι ὃν ἀπέστειλεν ἐκεῖνος τούτῳ ὑμεῖς οὐ πιστεύετε.

39 Ἐραυνᾶτε τὰς γραφάς, ὅτι ὑμεῖς δοκεῖτε ἐν αὐταῖς ζωὴν αἰώνιον ἔχειν· καὶ ἐκεῖναί εἰσιν αἱ μαρτυροῦσαι περὶ ἐμοῦ· 40 καὶ οὐ θέλετε ἐλθεῖν πρός με ἵνα ζωὴν ἔχητε.

Heart Burn

There is something critically important and even radical going on here. Jesus continues his soliloquy about who he is and his relationship to the Father. This section of his explanation (v. 19) starts like a courtroom scene. It might appear he is saying that his testimony to himself is not valid, meaning, it is not correct. Rather, he’s referring to Jewish law: testimony by himself about himself alone is not a valid legal testimony in a Jewish court.

Verse 32 is a bit puzzling and is a good example of the struggle of biblical translation. “Someone else” is giving testimony about Jesus ( ἄλλος ἐστὶν ὁ μαρτυρῶν περὶ ἐμοῦ). Who is this? The context has two subjects this could refer to: the Father or John (the Baptist). I put the Baptist in parentheses because that is not in the Greek. The NLT translators added that because they are assuming with Chrysostom in the Fourth Century that this someone else giving testimony is John (the Baptist).

Or is it? Church leader Cyprian, writing more than a hundred years before Chrysostom, believed this someone else was Someone Else, or in another translation, Another. The text can be read as, “But there is Another who is testifying on my behalf,” meaning, the Father.

So, it could be either the Father or John (the Baptist). But, as with all other ambiguities of this sort in the Bible, nothing earth shattering rises or falls on this (e.g. the resurrection of Jesus).

In any event, reading this whole passage, Jesus makes it clear that both the Father and John (the Baptist) give testimony that Jesus is the Expected One, Messiah of God. So that, in this verbal argument as if in a legal court, there are enough witnesses to prove Jesus right.

But I love this next part. We can talk here about legal arguments, or later about atonement transactions, but Jesus narrows it in to something deeper: you do not have his message in your hearts.

Wow. There is in the Gospel a sense that all this rhetoric about God, and Bible arguments, and legal talk…well, it has its place…but when it comes down to it: is The Message in your heart?

Jesus here changes the conversation — it suddenly goes deep. I can talk all I want about my legal marriage to my wife, the terms of the marriage, and even give “witness” that I love her…but if she’s not in my heart than it’s only surface deep. My love for her would not be lodged deep inside me. It would be a paper marriage and not a heart marriage.

If you add emotion to this text, one can even hear sadness in Jesus words. As if he is saying, “You talk about God, you exhibit great piety about God, but if you really knew my Father God, you would know me. But you don’t!”

We might think, “At least we are not like those religious leaders!!” But really? I see it in me.

I want more of the heart message.

close up of text

John 5:22 – 30

[New to our exegesis of John’s Gospel? Try starting at The Beginning — see top menu for John 1:1-2].

22 In addition, the Father judges no one. Instead, he has given the Son absolute authority to judge, 23 so that everyone will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son is certainly not honoring the Father who sent him.

24 “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.

25 “And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice—the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live. 26 The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son. 27 And he has given him authority to judge everyone because he is the Son of Man. 28 Don’t be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son, 29 and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment. 30 I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.

22 οὐδὲ γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ κρίνει οὐδένα, ἀλλὰ τὴν κρίσιν πᾶσαν δέδωκεν τῷ υἱῷ,23 ἵνα πάντες τιμῶσι τὸν υἱὸν καθὼς τιμῶσι τὸν πατέρα. ὁ μὴ τιμῶν τὸν υἱὸν οὐ τιμᾷ τὸν πατέρα τὸν πέμψαντα αὐτόν. 

24 Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι ὁ τὸν λόγον μου ἀκούων καὶ πιστεύων τῷ πέμψαντί με ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον, καὶ εἰς κρίσιν οὐκ ἔρχεται ἀλλὰ μεταβέβηκεν ἐκ τοῦ θανάτου εἰς τὴν ζωήν.

25 Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι ἔρχεται ὥρα καὶ νῦν ἐστιν ὅτε οἱ νεκροὶ ἀκούσουσιν τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ οἱ ἀκούσαντες ζήσουσιν.26 ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ ἔχει ζωὴν ἐν ἑαυτῷ, οὕτως καὶ τῷ υἱῷ ἔδωκεν ζωὴν ἔχειν ἐν ἑαυτῷ· 27 καὶ ἐξουσίαν ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ κρίσιν ποιεῖν, ὅτι υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου ἐστίν. 28 μὴ θαυμάζετε τοῦτο, ὅτι ἔρχεται ὥρα ἐν ᾗ πάντες οἱ ἐν τοῖς μνημείοις ἀκούσουσιν τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ 29 καὶ ἐκπορεύσονται οἱ τὰ ἀγαθὰ ποιήσαντες εἰς ἀνάστασιν ζωῆς, οἱ δὲ τὰ φαῦλα πράξαντες εἰς ἀνάστασιν κρίσεως.

30 Οὐ δύναμαι ἐγὼ ποιεῖν ἀπ’ ἐμαυτοῦ οὐδέν· καθὼς ἀκούω κρίνω, καὶ ἡ κρίσις ἡ ἐμὴ δικαία ἐστίν, ὅτι οὐ ζητῶ τὸ θέλημα τὸ ἐμὸν ἀλλὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμψαντός με.

Foretaste

In the passage just prior to this one we learned that Jesus is the Son who exists in a relationship of love with the Father. Everything is given to him, and he does nothing without the Father — both are true.

Today, we see that Jesus is also the judge vindicating the Good, but the opposite is also true — those who reject the Son will not find the Life (John 3:19-21; 5:24). To listen to Jesus and believe results in Life! To reject the Son is to reject God and leads to the opposite of Life.

We find here what theologians call Realized Eschatology: the Kingdom of God is manifested in Jesus in a way that is “here and not yet.” On the Day of Yahweh, it was believed there would be a final judgment of those who go to Life Eternal or to death. In Jesus, we find a current manifestation of the Kingdom of God that reflects its fullness exemplified in healings and even resurrections, and yet the Kingdom is also not yet evidenced by suffering and tyranny — for the time is coming. Life, death, judgment, and condemnation are all consistent themes with this End Time, and Jesus is the God-Man at the center of it, but its full manifestation and the final battle over death is yet to come.

How can the Kingdom of God be here and not yet at the same time? Well, this would appear to be our daily experience! We pray to God and experience the Lord’s presence, even healings of sorts, and yet we continue to suffer, experience tragic events, and eventually die. The presence of God is real — we find direction, strength, support, and courage — and evil seems still very much a part of our world.

Why do we live in this in-between time?

I don’t know.

Perhaps it is to prepare us for something else…but I have no idea what or why.

All I do know is the palpable love of God that flows in and through me and grounds me in Something more than is in the world. As if touching the hem of the Lord’s garment for now, but later embracing the fullness of God’s Reality. And this gives me….HOPE!

Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. — 1 Cor. 13:12.

flowers on the glass prism

John 5:19 – 21

[New to our exegesis of John’s Gospel? Try starting at The Beginning — see top menu for John 1:1-2].

19 So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing. In fact, the Father will show him how to do even greater works than healing this man. Then you will truly be astonished. 21 For just as the Father gives life to those he raises from the dead, so the Son gives life to anyone he wants. 

19 Ἀπεκρίνατο οὖν ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς· Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, οὐ δύναται ὁ υἱὸς ποιεῖν ἀφ’ ἑαυτοῦ οὐδὲν ἐὰν μή τι βλέπῃ τὸν πατέρα ποιοῦντα· ἃ γὰρ ἂν ἐκεῖνος ποιῇ, ταῦτα καὶ ὁ υἱὸς ὁμοίως ποιεῖ. 20 ὁ γὰρ πατὴρ φιλεῖ τὸν υἱὸν καὶ πάντα δείκνυσιν αὐτῷ ἃ αὐτὸς ποιεῖ, καὶ μείζονα τούτων δείξει αὐτῷ ἔργα, ἵνα ὑμεῖς θαυμάζητε. 21 ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ ἐγείρει τοὺς νεκροὺς καὶ ζῳοποιεῖ, οὕτως καὶ ὁ υἱὸς οὓς θέλει ζῳοποιεῖ. 

The Love Triangle!

The narrative shifts here from an exchange with the Religious Authorities to something more like a monologue as Jesus explains who he is in relation to the Father. This pericope begins with Ἀπεκρίνατο for emphasis — Jesus is explaining or making clear how he is also God!

So, how does the pre-existent Logos in John 1 relate to Almighty God? What human illustration can make sense of this? Jesus deploys a simple metaphor. The way a son (heir) learned a family trade was by imitating the father. He doesn’t do anything on his own that he hasn’t learned from his father, and so the trade is passed on generation to generation. Jesus uses this familiar illustration to describe that he is not a rebellious son, as they accused him in the prior passage, but a loyal son who is an imitation of his Father.

The Father, in fact, shows the Son everything he does and will show him how to do astonishing things yet to come (e.g. the resurrection). This fun word δείκνυσι (to show, to bring to light) indicates a kind of revelation: the Father reveals to the Son all that the Father is doing, a perichoretic love and sharing; a movement of sharing and doing together that gives rise to centuries of discussion among theologians about how the Trinity functions.

And the key here is in verse 20 — it is founded in love (φιλεῖ). Paul, writing well before John, concludes his wonderful chapter on the gifts of the Body of Christ by saying in 1 Cor. 12:31: I will show you (δείκνυσιν) a more excellent way i.e. of being Body of Christ, and that is love. It should be noted that, for John, philos and agape, both Greek words for love, are interchangeable words to describe divine love.

The basis for the Trinity is love; the basis for the relationship of the Father to the Son is love; the actions of the Father and Son (and later we can say the Spirit) are motivated, founded in, and acted out in love. The culture and ethos of the relationship of the Trinity is love. AND the evidence for the presence of the Spirit of Jesus among the Christians — the Church — is love!

So, we can talk about doctrines like Atonement, or efficiencies such as having enough money to build the tower (Luke 14:28), but it isn’t fundamentally about a cold transaction, or strategic plans — it’s about LOVE.

Can’t go wrong if you start and end there!

woman in orange jacket sitting beside man in black suit

John 5:16 – 18

[New to our exegesis of John’s Gospel? Try starting at The Beginning — see top menu for John 1:1-2].

16 Therefore the Jews started persecuting Jesus, because he was doing such things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is still working, and I also am working.” 18 For this reason the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because he was not only breaking the Sabbath but was also calling God his own Father, thereby making himself equal to God.

16 καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐδίωκον οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι τὸν Ἰησοῦν ὅτι ταῦτα ἐποίει ἐν σαββάτῳ. 17 ὁ δὲ ἀπεκρίνατο αὐτοῖς· Ὁ πατήρ μου ἕως ἄρτι ἐργάζεται κἀγὼ ἐργάζομαι. 18 διὰ τοῦτο οὖν μᾶλλον ἐζήτουν αὐτὸν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι ἀποκτεῖναι ὅτι οὐ μόνον ἔλυε τὸ σάββατον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πατέρα ἴδιον ἔλεγε τὸν θεόν, ἴσον ἑαυτὸν ποιῶν τῷ θεῷ.

No Time to Rest!

Even though this is the first reported healing on the Sabbath recorded in John, it would not be the last, and there were likely similar sorts of prior episodes as indicated in verse 16. “The Jews” (angry, stern, mean Religious Authorities common to most religions and religion-like institutions) react with hostility — the first mention of serious resistance to him and, in verse 18, the intent to do life threatening harm to him.

But why the really hostile reaction? We know these ancient folks regard Sabbath rules way more than we do — we shop, mow lawns, barbecue, go hiking, play lawn darts — but kill him?

Jesus made reference to his Father who is still working on the Sabbath and, therefore, he also must be. The authorities knew exactly what he was saying.

Genesis says God rested on the seventh day of creation. But the rabbinic/theological tradition of Israel made exceptions to stay theologically logical. While perhaps God wasn’t out and about on Sabbaths creating new universes, Someone had to keep things going in this one. If God truly rested from everything all of life would cease to exist, reasoned the theologians. A baby could not be born, a deceased person could not be received by God, even rain could not happen without the work of God, and these things clearly happened seven days a week.

Therefore, God didn’t rest on the Sabbath. And now Jesus makes crystal clear, the most obvious statement yet from the mouth of Jesus in John, that he is divine, because he also works on the Sabbath.

The reaction is swift! This claim didn’t get lost on the robed-up, puffed-up authorities. They viewed Jesus’ words as equal to the sin of Adam who tried to be “like God” (Gen. 3:5-6).

A sin that deserves death.

The plot begins to thicken. The more good Jesus does, the greater the resistance.

Why should it be different for us?

illuminated medical symbol

John 5:10 – 15 continued

[New to our exegesis of John’s Gospel? Try starting at The Beginning — see top menu for John 1:1-2].

Now that day was a Sabbath. 10 So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.” 11 But he answered them, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.’ ” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take it up and walk’?” 13 Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had disappeared in the crowd that was there. 14 Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you have been made well! Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. 

Ἦν δὲ σάββατον ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ. 10 ἔλεγον οὖν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι τῷ τεθεραπευμένῳ· Σάββατόν ἐστιν, καὶ οὐκ ἔξεστίν σοι ἆραι τὸν κράβαττον. 11 ὃς δὲ ἀπεκρίθη αὐτοῖς· Ὁ ποιήσας με ὑγιῆ ἐκεῖνός μοι εἶπεν Ἆρον τὸν κράβαττόν σου καὶ περιπάτει. 12 ἠρώτησαν οὖν αὐτόν· Τίς ἐστιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὁ εἰπών σοι· Ἆρον καὶ περιπάτει; 13 ὁ δὲ ἰαθεὶς οὐκ ᾔδει τίς ἐστιν, ὁ γὰρ Ἰησοῦς ἐξένευσεν ὄχλου ὄντος ἐν τῷ τόπῳ. 14 μετὰ ταῦτα εὑρίσκει αὐτὸν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Ἴδε ὑγιὴς γέγονας· μηκέτι ἁμάρτανε, ἵνα μὴ χεῖρόν σοί τι γένηται. 15 ἀπῆλθεν ὁ ἄνθρωπος καὶ ἀνήγγειλεν τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ ποιήσας αὐτὸν ὑγιῆ. 

Just a Bunch of Snake Oil?

The man healed by Jesus is confused; he doesn’t know who healed him or anything about him. He is caught by the Religious Authorities carrying his mat on the sabbath and immediately blames the one who healed him! This is typical human behavior: blaming! He threw his healer under the bus to the authorities, and surely he knew these religious police do not treat such things lightly.

Notably, Jesus finds him later. He sought him out. I wonder if he did so concerned that he might have been pulled over for mat-carrying earlier, and to see if he was okay from that experience with the authorities? In any event, he told him not to sin anymore. That seems odd for us. If we get a disease or disability we don’t normally think sin is the cause. Jesus didn’t always think that either, as evidenced in other parts of Scripture (e.g. John 9), but here he makes the association.

In my experience as both a pastor and a person who sins, many of our maladies come from bad behavior and the results thereof. Others do not. Some seem to visit us randomly and are no fault of our own except that we share a common malady as human beings: the brokenness of humanity and creation stemming from Genesis 3.

But back to the healing. Two words are used related to this man’s restoration: heal (ἰαθεὶς in v. 13), and made well (ὑγιὴς in verse 14) or more commonly translated made whole. Made whole is particularly interesting. The greek word ὑγιὴς (English transliteration is hugiés and pronounced hoog-ee-ace’) goes back to the Greek goddess Hygieia — the goddess of health and cleanliness — and where we get our word hygiene. The word was used by Aristotle to mean health but the fuller sense of the word is “having a vigorous life, vital force, long life.”

The very first Hippocratic oath included the goddess Hygieia and her image in ancient Greece was a woman holding the snake of Wisdom sipping from a bowl of medicine (potions) — the same serpent of Wisdom, which appears on the caduceus, the staff of Aesculapius, which is the symbol of medicine even today.

Where am I going with this? Jesus, perhaps discerning this man’s particular struggles, appears to have gone further than a physical healing — Jesus made him whole. This wholeness is explicitly here one of physical healing and forgiveness of sin, the latter reserved only for God. God’s healing goes deeper than what we might think is a healing.

And, when one is truly healed, resistance begins: we get called on the mat!

And you thought following Jesus was all peaches and cream!

man wearing white dress shirt with black necktie

John 5:10 – 15

[New to our exegesis of John’s Gospel? Try starting at The Beginning — see top menu for John 1:1-2].

Now that day was a Sabbath. 10 So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.” 11 But he answered them, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.’ ” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take it up and walk’?” 13 Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had disappeared in the crowd that was there. 14 Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you have been made well! Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. 

Ἦν δὲ σάββατον ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ. 10 ἔλεγον οὖν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι τῷ τεθεραπευμένῳ· Σάββατόν ἐστιν, καὶ οὐκ ἔξεστίν σοι ἆραι τὸν κράβαττον. 11 ὃς δὲ ἀπεκρίθη αὐτοῖς· Ὁ ποιήσας με ὑγιῆ ἐκεῖνός μοι εἶπεν Ἆρον τὸν κράβαττόν σου καὶ περιπάτει. 12 ἠρώτησαν οὖν αὐτόν· Τίς ἐστιν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὁ εἰπών σοι· Ἆρον καὶ περιπάτει; 13 ὁ δὲ ἰαθεὶς οὐκ ᾔδει τίς ἐστιν, ὁ γὰρ Ἰησοῦς ἐξένευσεν ὄχλου ὄντος ἐν τῷ τόπῳ. 14 μετὰ ταῦτα εὑρίσκει αὐτὸν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Ἴδε ὑγιὴς γέγονας· μηκέτι ἁμάρτανε, ἵνα μὴ χεῖρόν σοί τι γένηται. 15 ἀπῆλθεν ὁ ἄνθρωπος καὶ ἀνήγγειλεν τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ ποιήσας αὐτὸν ὑγιῆ. 

Dropping a Bomb

John does this now and then: drops a literary bomb.

The miracle was already quite impressive and further evidence that where Jesus goes there is the manifestation of the Kingdom of God. Jesus confronts the powers of sin and darkness, for sickness was believed to be from the devil. He heals, restores, and, in the process, sneers at the Evil One.

In old Eastern Orthodox theologies, during baptisms, the congregation turns to the West and spits three times at the ground as a way of saying, “We snatched these out of the hands of the devil!”

Jesus heals and brings us into the Light, out of the darkness.

Back to the literary bomb: Now that day was a Sabbath. John didn’t start with that but ties it to the end of the healing narrative. Oh, and by the way, did I mention he did this on the most sacred day of the week when no one was supposed to work and you got in trouble if you did?

It’s right there in your bedside Mishnaic tractate Sabbath (Chapters 7 and 10): carrying empty beds is forbidden on the Sabbath!

So, the healed man obeyed Jesus and started carrying his mat and “The Jews” caught him at it. “The Jews” were, of course, not all the Jewish people present since all present were Jews! “The Jews” in John’s Gospel refers to those in the religious establishment who were out to get him. Sometimes “Germans” and “Nazis” were interchangeable words during World II, but not all Germans were Nazis and not all Nazis were in the Gestapo (the really bad Nazis!). Even more so, we shouldn’t read these words as ethnic, except for historical purposes, but as human roles: “The Jews” refers to rigid, even cruel, religious leaders — a role you can find in many religious communities.

Today’s main point: the very religious leaders whose lives orbit around faith in God could not celebrate the man’s healing. They saw two problems: this man carrying his mat on the Sabbath and, as we shall see, Jesus healing on the Sabbath, both of which constitute work expressly forbidden on the Sabbath. And they could cite chapter and verse to prove it!

This leads us to consider: do we sometimes call something God is doing evil because it doesn’t fit our narrow definition of what God should be doing?? Do our religious rules put up a roadblock for God? Worse, do we hurt rather than heal people in the name of God?

Yeah, heavy. And necessarily so!