Sermon:. A Day in the Life of Jesus
I imagine Jesus at the end of the day we have just read about, talking to his Father.
Oy! Abba, Father, such a day I've had. I arrived in Jerusalem for the Pesach that was soon approaching. The traffic! Camels, donkeys, oxcarts, and people everywhere! However, like every good Jewish man, I followed the traditional teaching of the Torah to make the pilgrimage to the temple in Jerusalem for Passover.
Not wanting to attract attention, I enter by the Sheep Gate. Such misery I saw at the pool of Bethesda. The discarded of humanity are there, the blind, the lame, and paralyzed were everywhere around the pool.
They crowded, pushed and shoved to be the first to enter the pool when ripples spread over the surface of the water. They trusted in the waters to heal them, if only they could be first. All strained to see the pool or listened for the sound of the disturbed water.
All but one man. One man looked straight into my eyes and I saw in his heart how for 38 years he has placed his faith in the rumor of miraculous healing in this water.
I asked him simply, “Do you want to be healed?” He didn't understand what I was offering him and replied that no one would help him.
Gently but firmly I said, "Get up, pick up your cot, and walk."
Immediately, he stood. The emotions flooded crossed his face; surprise, relief, joy, thankfulness, and more. He gathered his meger bedding and was almost skipping on those long unused legs.
I thought nothing more about it until later when he pointed me out to the religious leaders.
When they saw him healthy, walking, and carrying his bedding, instead of sharing his joy and praising You, Father, they were angry that he was working on the Sabbath. And angrier still with me for healing him on the Sabbath. The poor man had suffered already 38 years and they would have had him suffer another day when I could heal him immediately. How lacking in compassion are these hard hearted leaders.
They have so twisted Your words, the law of Moses, and the prophet's teachings that the gift we gave them, of a day of rest, has become a burden of rules and regulations instead of the joy it was meant to bring. How have things gotten so out of hand?
What? Oh, right, that’s what I’m here to correct. You know how hard headed and hard hearted these people are but I’m making headway. I’ve lit a spark and we both know how it will be fanned and eventually spread to every corner of the world.
Anyway, I once again explained in detail to the religious leaders that God is working now and I, as His Son must also be working. I showed them the scriptures that testify about me. Father, how can they claim to follow Moses but fail to follow who Moses himself followed. They are already being judged by the very scriptures they profess to know.
Though secretly there are those among them who know and believe in me, still the majority plot ways to murder me. You and i know that the day will come soon enough, but there is yet more to be done. By the way, if there is any way that you could change the plan, I'd be for it. This human body is so frail and I'm not looking forward to the beatings and pain of execution. But as always, Your will be done.
I left the city with my faithful friends and crossed the sea so that I might have more time to instruct them in the work that lay before them. Dad, they are still so slow to understand the depth and breadth of our plan for them.
We retired to a hillside to be alone but, alas, word spread that the healer, the miracle worker, had come to their shore. Father, when will they understand that all of these signs are to get their attention so that they will listen to the good news I bring to them?
Abba, you know I could not deny these poor lost sheep. It is not in our nature to ignore them. So I spoke until evening was approaching. I understood that though I was feeding their minds and spirits on your word, God, they hungered physically also. Evening was coming and the people had been there for hours. Having compassion for them, I asked, "Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?" Philip answered first that we had no money to purchase bread. Andrew had a partial solution, a boy's lunch of bread and fish, but said it would never feed so many.
How sad it makes me that even those closest to me still do not understand. Dad, there is so little time left. I asked them what they could do. And was answered with what they could not do. Really?!
Once more I would have to demonstrate the power we are giving them. With your blessing on the food, I fed the multitude from the gift of that simple lunch. They were filled and yet there was excess. Did they understand that, all that is given to God, can be multiplied without limits?
Some understood but most wanted to make me an Earthly king. Father, you know that is not why you sent me nor why I came. So I slipped away into the mountains to be alone.
As darkness began to settle in, my friends loaded into boats and began to row toward Capernaum, which was to be our next stop. They were about half way across the sea when the wind came up and the sea became choppy. I knew that they would be afraid, so I walked across the sea to the boat. It took a moment for them to realize I wasn't a ghost. But finally they let me in the boat. Sometimes I just shake my head in wonderment about these guys, Dad.
Oh, You think I should have just appeared in the middle of the boat and said, “Don’t be afraid”? I know you like to do that when you send angels to them. But trust me on this, they would have shrieked like little children if I had just suddenly appeared in their midst. But, just for grins and giggles, I may just do that later, after my death and resurrection. We'll see then if their faith has grown enough to not be afraid.
By the way, they were still so amazed about a simple thing like walking on water that they didn't even notice that we were suddenly all the rest of the way across the lake! There are none so blind as those who do not see.
What a day, Father. In all things Your will will be done. Goodnight and Amen.
How do you talk with God at your days end your day?
No comments:
Post a Comment