The Crippling Effects of Mishandling the Scriptures
Sunday, February 28, 2016
John 5:1-18
We are now in the season of Lent, the 40 days leading up to the death and resurrection of Christ. The scriptures show, as His crucifixion drew near, Christ repeatedly confronted the Chief Priests and Scribes of the Temple. The conflicts concerned the rabbinic tenets and traditions that were in direct opposition to the intent of God. Christ’s healed of a man crippled for 38 years on the Sabbath, telling him to stand, take up his mat and leave his place of begging. Jesus overturned their traditions, including doing absolutely no work on the Sabbath and expelling the money changers from the Temple.
He Challenged Their Religious Piety. The Temple authorities did not rejoice with the man who had been healed; they did not praise or give thanks to God or proclaim His power. Instead, they were concerned with the violation of their rituals, starting with Christ’s commanding the man to break their rules. Their hearts were filled with murderous intent towards Christ, who showed their pride overruled the love they should have had.
He Challenged Their Theology. Just as emergency services are available 24/7, the Father’s work of compassion, making others well and redeeming man is never ending. Christ was compassionate towards the crippled man, but He revealed the spiritually crippled condition of the Temple leaders. The crippled man was pitiful, but the religious leaders were petty.
He Challenged Their Destiny. The Temple leaders presumed they alone knew what God wanted, and their rules and traditions were correct. Instead, their pride in assuming a grand spiritual destiny led them to question the authority of the One in eternity who judges all.
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