Chapter Twenty-Two
T
he day on which this took place was a Sabbath. So, it wasn’t long before certain religious authorities found the man who had been healed. They began to instruct him, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.”
He wondered what concern it was of theirs; they had never noticed him before. For thirty-eight years, he had endured their sneers and condescension and now they notice him because he carries his mat! Still, he wanted no trouble so he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’”
“Who told you to do that?” He had no idea who it was, and Jesus had slipped away into the crowd.
“I don’t know. He was here only a moment ago. “The men who had stopped him quickly lost interest in him. What would he do? Now that he had his legs back, where would he go? Get a job? The thought terrified him. He had begged all his life. He could still beg. He could assume the same posture he had at the pool and know one would know that he could really walk. The pool? Bethesda? He couldn’t go back there. He was known there. He would be a laughing stock. He wouldn’t be tolerated. Where then? He began to wander aimlessly. In time, he came to the steps of the temple where he saw other beggars sitting about. He smiled; found a place where there seemed to be a lot of foot traffic and assumed the same forlorn position in which Jesus found him at the pool.
But Jesus found him again. Glancing furtively about, he wanted to hide but obviously could not. He had been found out after only a few hours of deception. Jesus said simply, “You know you can walk. You need to stop this. Find a way to support yourself or something worse may happen to you.” The man got up and ambled away. He was upset. He knew how to support himself. He begged. That’s what he did. He had done it for years. And now Jesus was depriving him of his means of making a living. Erect and whole, he walked away into the crowd. And in a moment, he saw the Jews that had caught him with his mat. Then he told them it was Jesus who had made him well.
Of course, these Jews had heard of him. Stories of Jesus had circulated not only through Galilee, but the whole country, including Jerusalem. So, when they knew Jesus was in Jerusalem, they knew -- or thought they knew -- they had him! Back they went to the temple where they recruited some of the other, more powerful members of the Sanhedrin. Together, six of them found Jesus and began to harass him. “Do you think you can violate the Law of God with impunity?” they shrieked at him. “Do you think Moses gave us Shabbat in order for you to ply your silly magician’s trade? Even God does not work on Shabbat!”
“No,” said Jesus, “You are wrong about that. My Father never stops working. He is always at work and so am I.”
This provoked the temple delegation furiously. “What are you trying to do? Usurp the Law and traditions of Moses? You arrogant bastard, you work on Shabbat, you influence these poor sheep to also work compounding your wickedness, then you dare to call Yahweh your Father? For this you will die! We will see to it! No man can make himself equal with God an live!”
Jesus smiled. He relished moments like this. He made his next remarks evenly and without passion. He was in perfect control of himself. “Let me let you in on a secret,” he said. “I do nothing by myself. I only do what my Father does. That is the way it is with my Father and me. He shows me all that he does and I do it well. What do you think of that?”
Before they could respond he continued, “And you have seen nothing yet. Just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. You think Yahweh is your Judge? The Father judges no one. He has entrusted all judgment to me, that all may honor his Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. If you believe this truth, you will have eternal life and will not be condemned. Believe this and you have already crossed over from death to life.
The Jews, eyes wide, choked on his words. They had heard that he was a renegade, a radical, but they never expected such blasphemy. They were apalled. But Jesus wasn’t finished.
“The time is coming, indeed it has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live again. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
Mouths open, they listened in stunned silence. By this time, others had noticed this young man instructing these eminent members of the temple leadership. A large crowd began to gather.
“This isn’t so amazing. Why are your mouths all agape? Listen, the time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear my voice and come out -- those who through faith have done good will rise to live, and those without faith who have done evil will rise to condemnation. I will cause both to rise and then I will judge. But by myself, I can do nothing. The Father gave me this power and authority. I judge only on the evidence and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.”
“I know what you are thinking. You think that if I testify about myself, my testimony is not valid. There was another who testified on my behalf and his testimony is valid. John the baptizer testified to the truth about me. I don’t need human testimony but I mention it because you do. My hope is that you will accept his testimony. John was a lamp that burned and gave light and you chose for a time, to enjoy his light. Now I have come and my word is far more important to you than that of John. The work that the Father has given me to finish and which I am doing, clearly demonstrates that he has sent me. The Father who sent me has himself spoken concerning me but you have not listened to his voice nor seen his form, nor does his word dwell in you because you do not believe me. You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by doing so, you possess eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that speak so clearly about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.”
Jesus looked at the six religious leaders standing before him and addressed them directly, “I have no interest in your approval, but make no mistake, I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me. But if one of you comes teaching in his own name, you will accept him and praise him. How is it that you so easily accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes only from God?”
“You need not think I will accuse you before the Father. That will be unnecessary because your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. If you really believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?”
With that, Jesus turned away from them and began his return journey to Nazareth. Many followed him and became his disciples. The Jews, contempt on their faces, watched him go.
