7-21-2020

Good Morning All, 

    John 5:7; “The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.”

    “Brother, can you spare a dime?”  This was a song from the depression era that sort of became the anthem of the Depression.  It was a song about a guy who had it all and was successful and now is standing in a bread line or a soup line looking for any kind of help he can get.  It reflected the almost overnight drastic change which often took place in people’s lives at the time of our history.  The number of people who went from rich to flat out broke; is amazing.  There were families who were split up because parents could not afford to feed the whole family so some of the older ones were sent on their way to fend for themselves.

    How do you help all the people?  That is often a daunting question.  Whenever a church sits down and tries to be some sort of social support system, whether a food bank, or a place to sleep, or a counseling center; it can very easily be overwhelmed.  This can cause a great panic among the members of the church as they consider a project or program.  It can cause enough problem that those members may simply back away.  We do not have near enough to do any good, so why try?

    Our verse and the portion that proceeds it has always been a fascination to me.  This account told by John involves the healing of a man on the Sabbath and the reaction of the Jewish leaders.  The man in our verse was one of many people who were waiting by this pool of water that many believed brought healing.  There were five roofed colonnades where multitudes of the sick laid waiting to get into the water.  There were multitudes and Jesus healed one.  All those people and Jesus only healed one. 

     In a different portion of Scriptures, Jesus tells us that we will always have the poor.  There will always be the poor and there will always be the sick; as long as there is sin in the world, sickness and poverty, injustice and unfairness will exist.  But we should never let that stop us in living our lives as God’s redeemed children; trying to reconcile the world to God.  We will not and cannot reach everyone; a broken and sinful world will prevent that.  We are not God; we are only man, but we are God’s redeemed children and, while we may not be able to help everyone, we can help someone.  We can make a difference in someone’s life.  We cannot help everyone, but we cannot let the devil use that to stop us from helping someone.

    Every good work of the church or believer shows the glory of God and reflects upon their faith.  It does not matter how big or small; God’s Word at work in the world is a light to the world even if it is only a match.  So be a match and trust God’s Spirit to make it shine brightly.

Gracious Father, the task is so daunting that we tremble at even the thought of it.  Give us the strength and the courage to reach out to one person and be that light to them.  Help us to go forth in confidence.  Guide us towards those who are in the greatest need of your grace.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret