Re:Verse reading–John 5:1-30 (day three)
“Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”
We don’t know what the man by the pool was thinking after Jesus healed his body. But in the light of his subsequent encounter with Jesus, one could reasonably draw this conclusion: He didn’t want to get well, he just wanted to get by. Jesus had plenty to say about seeking God’s minimum requirements: a man with an evil spirit who cleaned up his act but failed to act cleaned up; a son who faked obedience to get his father off his back; a man who was all yoke and no ox when it came to working the field. The only life that remains unharmed by disease and suffering is the actual life of Jesus. It is our learning to live that life which is the purpose for every single miracle he did.
