March 14, 2023
Getting It Right the First Time
“The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. For this reason, the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath. But He answered them, My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.”
John 5:15-17 (NASB)
In early ministry, through times of confidence with people, I messed up. In my past I shared an exciting thing with folks about something God did in someone’s life. It was meant to be kept in confidence. I meant well, but the fact remained, I let the person down. My motives were not to spread things held in confidence, but to share the good news of what God performed in a life. I wanted folks to be encouraged by what God is doing today. During this time many were saying they hadn’t seen God working anything outward today and began to question God. I realize now the fault was in their faith, but I still wanted to share God’s moving today. Jesus said, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.” God is active each day, even if when we don’t see Him. God hasn’t rested. He oversees the world every day.
In the above passages, we see a man who didn’t understand the implications of Jesus words, “Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you,” (John 5:14). When Jesus gave him this warning, He didn’t tell the man to never sin again. It’s impossible. Everyone sins. Jesus knew the events ahead. He warned him of the possibilities of his actions in the near future. “The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.” A quote from Matthew Henry has a pretty good summation; “Those eased of the punishment of sin, are in danger of returning to sin, when the terror and restraint are over, unless Divine grace dries up the fountain. The misery believers are made whole from, warns us to sin no more, having felt the smart of sin. This is the voice of every providence, Go, and sin no more. Christ saw it necessary to give this caution; for it is common for people, when sick, to promise much; when newly recovered, to perform only something; but after awhile to forget all. Christ spoke of the wrath to come, which is beyond compare worse than the many hours, nay, weeks and years of pain, some wicked men have to suffer in consequence of their unlawful indulgences.”[1] To forget all? Do those who have been forgiven, return to the same actions as before? Some do, some don’t. Perhaps he was incompetent in his action and didn’t know what trouble he brought to Jesus? Some think he told the Jews because of his excitement. Why then, would he seek the Jews once more to report His identity? Did he fear stoning? None of us know his thoughts the day he reported back. One thing is certain, the man could not change the course of Jesus. This was God’s plan, and it wouldn’t be thwarted. Jesus even knew this…
Each one of us should ask ourselves daily if we really have good intentions about the moving of God. Do we share with excitement or pressure to tell others? Even though we will never know what the man’s motives were reporting to the Jews that day, we do know something. We know ourselves. So, we should begin to examine our motives in sharing with others. I learned the hard lesson some twenty plus years ago. It wasn’t an easy lesson. I wanted to share what God was doing, but at the expense of someone else. Don’t repeat this lesson in your life today. Take some advice. It is avoidable, learn it from someone who has made the mistake.
[1] Matthew Henry and Thomas Scott, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, 1997), Jn 5:10.