Hello, my friend, and welcome.
00:00:29.35\00:00:31.55
Welcome to a time of spending
a few minutes with Jesus
00:00:31.56\00:00:34.93
and what better time
could we invest ourselves in,
00:00:34.94\00:00:39.08
than spending time with Jesus.
00:00:39.09\00:00:41.11
I'm so glad that
you've joined me.
00:00:41.12\00:00:42.53
I'm Don Pate from
"Between the Lines"
00:00:42.54\00:00:45.17
and it's my sincere privilege
to be granted this opportunity
00:00:45.18\00:00:48.85
to take you into the word,
00:00:48.86\00:00:51.61
to spend a few
minutes with Jesus.
00:00:51.62\00:00:53.23
I invite you to pray with me.
00:00:53.24\00:00:55.35
Father, thank you so
much for the rich experiences
00:00:55.36\00:01:00.07
that we find in the
life and ministry of Christ.
00:01:00.08\00:01:04.79
How He was born
and He lived a life
00:01:04.80\00:01:07.55
and such a life for us,
and then died and rose again.
00:01:07.56\00:01:12.30
And we pray now that is
00:01:12.31\00:01:13.94
we go back into the
experiences of His life
00:01:13.95\00:01:18.80
that they would
become real and vibrant
00:01:18.81\00:01:21.81
that the ministry of the gospels
00:01:21.82\00:01:24.02
would be energized
in our lives today.
00:01:24.03\00:01:28.35
This is our prayer in
the name of Jesus, Amen.
00:01:28.36\00:01:32.33
I don't know if some
of the gospel stories
00:01:34.57\00:01:37.49
to you seem old,
old for two reasons.
00:01:37.50\00:01:42.80
Number one, old
00:01:42.81\00:01:43.89
because it was couple
of thousand years ago, old.
00:01:43.90\00:01:47.98
It is really is
distant from our experience.
00:01:47.99\00:01:51.88
This is not contemporary, man.
00:01:51.89\00:01:54.07
And some times we tent to
look at the biblical stories,
00:01:54.08\00:01:57.74
the stories of all of
the Old and the New Testament
00:01:57.75\00:02:00.86
but primarily we're
dealing with the gospels here.
00:02:00.87\00:02:04.24
The events of
the ministry of Jesus
00:02:04.25\00:02:05.77
and we tent to, you know,
00:02:05.78\00:02:07.19
categorized them back
off into the dusty past,
00:02:07.20\00:02:11.28
the dim past.
00:02:11.29\00:02:12.45
And we look at them
we say, well that sweet,
00:02:12.46\00:02:15.68
that's nice and
I appreciate Jesus.
00:02:15.69\00:02:18.08
But we have a hard
time bringing these events
00:02:18.09\00:02:21.52
forward into the
present reality of the grind
00:02:21.53\00:02:25.53
and the challenge
of your life today.
00:02:25.54\00:02:27.15
I don't know if
you have that problem.
00:02:27.16\00:02:29.00
Many, many people do.
00:02:29.01\00:02:30.41
But some people also
then, categorize the stories
00:02:30.42\00:02:34.34
as being sort of
they mentally block it,
00:02:34.35\00:02:36.71
that the
stories are old in that,
00:02:36.72\00:02:39.39
"Huh, you know, I've
heard that one before.
00:02:39.40\00:02:41.60
And I've heard that one before."
00:02:41.61\00:02:43.04
And ever since I've
heard that one before
00:02:43.05\00:02:44.97
and so we tend to--
sometimes it considered them old
00:02:44.98\00:02:48.59
because they've
lost their power,
00:02:48.60\00:02:50.52
they've lost their--
because we've heard it
00:02:50.53\00:02:52.15
so many times before.
00:02:52.16\00:02:53.94
There's the
great old gospel hymn
00:02:53.95\00:02:55.66
"Tell me the old, old story.
00:02:55.67\00:02:58.88
Tell me the old, old--"
00:02:58.89\00:03:00.38
and sometimes it just
becomes old, old story.
00:03:00.39\00:03:04.97
Well, I have a
passion for my life
00:03:04.98\00:03:09.21
and it's a little
selfish, I confess, yes,
00:03:09.22\00:03:12.53
it's a privilege for
me to be able to do it
00:03:12.54\00:03:14.31
for my
congregation, for me to do it
00:03:14.32\00:03:15.98
through the
ministry "Between the Lines"
00:03:15.99\00:03:17.34
everyday around the world.
00:03:17.35\00:03:18.78
But a lot of it is--
I'm sorry it's selfish.
00:03:18.79\00:03:21.39
It is precious to me
personally to go back
00:03:21.40\00:03:25.43
into the gospel events
and find someway to have them
00:03:25.44\00:03:31.60
move forward to
become a present living
00:03:31.61\00:03:36.05
vibrant breathing experience
that I can grapple with
00:03:36.06\00:03:41.42
and I can put myself in
sort of on the side of the story
00:03:41.43\00:03:43.58
and stand there and
almost feel like I'm there.
00:03:43.59\00:03:46.30
Like I'm in the
sandals of the crowd,
00:03:46.31\00:03:48.96
observing Jesus and
that's a passion with me.
00:03:48.97\00:03:52.62
And I hope that you
have the same desire
00:03:52.63\00:03:56.40
that Jesus-- that you could
00:03:56.41\00:03:58.11
almost feel Him
breathe with you.
00:03:58.12\00:04:02.42
It isn't that a
precious thought?
00:04:02.43\00:04:04.00
Well, let's
spend time in the text,
00:04:04.01\00:04:05.85
just a few minute with Jesus
00:04:05.86\00:04:07.10
and see if can have
that happen for us today.
00:04:07.11\00:04:10.12
I'd invite you
to take your Bibles
00:04:10.13\00:04:11.43
and turn to the Gospel of John.
00:04:11.44\00:04:14.34
Now, John of course wrote
his gospel by his own admission.
00:04:14.35\00:04:19.33
Now he can freely confesses it.
00:04:19.34\00:04:21.04
He wrote his
gospel for intention,
00:04:21.05\00:04:23.26
there was a certain reason.
00:04:23.27\00:04:24.81
He says, at the
beginning of the book
00:04:24.82\00:04:26.40
and the end the
book both he says,
00:04:26.41\00:04:28.19
"look there are some stories
you haven't heard about Jesus
00:04:28.20\00:04:31.65
and I want to fill in the gaps."
00:04:31.66\00:04:33.76
That Matthew, you know,
00:04:33.77\00:04:35.45
he said some great
things about Jesus.
00:04:35.46\00:04:38.64
Told you some wonderful stories
00:04:38.65\00:04:40.09
and Mark also gave a
little bit of an angle
00:04:40.10\00:04:42.32
that Matthew had not given you.
00:04:42.33\00:04:43.87
And Luke, he brought
something to the table
00:04:43.88\00:04:46.46
that the other two did not.
00:04:46.47\00:04:47.85
But still there's
more for you to know
00:04:47.86\00:04:51.17
and so John decidedly after
the other gospels were written
00:04:51.18\00:04:54.86
came in to sort
of filling the blanks
00:04:54.87\00:04:56.51
and put some
pieces into the puzzle
00:04:56.52\00:04:58.82
that we haven't
seen upto this point.
00:04:58.83\00:05:02.01
As a result the gospel
of John for several reasons
00:05:02.02\00:05:05.87
is incredibly
precious to most Christians.
00:05:05.88\00:05:08.56
One is it is so
simple, it is so simple.
00:05:08.57\00:05:12.13
If you know much about
the language Hebrew or Greek.
00:05:12.14\00:05:15.76
You know that
whenever you teach somebody
00:05:15.77\00:05:18.17
German or
Portuguese or something,
00:05:18.18\00:05:20.61
you always start
with the very elementary
00:05:20.62\00:05:22.69
basics of the language.
00:05:22.70\00:05:24.41
In English we have a sort
of colloquial Dick and Jane,
00:05:24.42\00:05:28.49
the Dick and Jane books.
00:05:28.50\00:05:29.92
Those first
little grammar school
00:05:29.93\00:05:32.21
elementary readers that--well,
it was Dick and Jane, you know,
00:05:32.22\00:05:35.95
and there is with in the
text of the Bible itself.
00:05:35.96\00:05:39.55
There are some books
that are Dick and Jane,
00:05:39.56\00:05:42.35
as far as the language
goes in the Old Testament,
00:05:42.36\00:05:45.79
predominantly when you
read the Old Testament.
00:05:45.80\00:05:48.23
If you were to do it
in the original language
00:05:48.24\00:05:50.49
in the Hebrew,
you would find that
00:05:50.50\00:05:52.17
most often when you take Hebrew
00:05:52.18\00:05:53.62
one of the first books they're
going to have you wrestle with
00:05:53.63\00:05:55.64
and translate is
the little book of Ruth,
00:05:55.65\00:06:00.17
because Ruth is
just Dick and Jane.
00:06:00.18\00:06:02.09
It's very simple language
00:06:02.10\00:06:04.48
were as then you get
into the more complex language
00:06:04.49\00:06:07.35
later on as you
become more adapt in Hebrew.
00:06:07.36\00:06:10.17
You get into issues of Isaiah.
00:06:10.18\00:06:12.21
You get into the
problematic passage
00:06:12.22\00:06:14.80
of the story of Jonah
Chapter 3 and Chapter 2
00:06:14.81\00:06:19.68
especially even more than three.
00:06:19.69\00:06:21.12
There are some very
difficult Hebrew there.
00:06:21.13\00:06:23.44
So you move as you
become more experience.
00:06:23.45\00:06:26.58
Well, in the New Testament you
have the same thing in Greek.
00:06:26.59\00:06:29.37
In the New Testament,
you have difficult passages
00:06:29.38\00:06:32.38
of well, you know, who? Paul.
00:06:32.39\00:06:34.46
Our friend, Paul,
very challenging language
00:06:34.47\00:06:38.73
in many, many places,
00:06:38.74\00:06:40.28
but you're not
gonna get that from John.
00:06:40.29\00:06:42.76
John is Dick and Jane Greek.
00:06:42.77\00:06:45.67
And it even comes out in
the translations that way.
00:06:45.68\00:06:49.08
It is so simple and
therefore many of us
00:06:49.09\00:06:52.33
it is so heart warming because
of the lack of complexity
00:06:52.34\00:06:57.57
of the Book of John,
00:06:57.58\00:06:59.41
and the writings of John later
on, of course in 1, 2, 3 John.
00:06:59.42\00:07:02.77
Now when you get to Revelation
00:07:02.78\00:07:03.77
that--that's a
whole different story,
00:07:03.78\00:07:05.19
because of the package of
what Revelation represents.
00:07:05.20\00:07:09.28
But in the language the
Gospel of John is your--
00:07:09.29\00:07:11.98
It's your
elementary school reader
00:07:11.99\00:07:14.64
of the Bible text
of the New Testament.
00:07:14.65\00:07:19.44
One thing that happens though,
00:07:19.45\00:07:21.18
because it's so
simple is John doesn't loose
00:07:21.19\00:07:23.99
a whole lot of
sleep over chronology.
00:07:24.00\00:07:26.62
If you want to find out,
Jesus did this then He did this,
00:07:26.63\00:07:31.35
then he did
this, then he did this,
00:07:31.36\00:07:33.25
then he did this, probably
go to the gospel of Mark.
00:07:33.26\00:07:37.53
Mark, it seems to be
the most chronological
00:07:37.54\00:07:40.57
and will keep you some
what in order of event.
00:07:40.58\00:07:44.58
Matthew isn't
quite as concerned.
00:07:44.59\00:07:46.29
Luke is
decidedly less concerned.
00:07:46.30\00:07:48.19
And John doesn't even
know what the word means.
00:07:48.20\00:07:50.62
You know, it just, it
doesn't matter to him,
00:07:50.63\00:07:52.47
but he admits that.
00:07:52.48\00:07:53.47
He says, look, I'm
not here to put this
00:07:53.48\00:07:55.69
all in perfect order for you.
00:07:55.70\00:07:56.80
I'm here to just
randomly throw some stories
00:07:56.81\00:07:58.85
at you that you
haven't heard otherwise.
00:07:58.86\00:08:01.61
In John, we find a story
00:08:01.62\00:08:04.25
that is uniquely
decidedly John chapter 5.
00:08:04.26\00:08:09.00
A story about a man
at the pool of Bethesda.
00:08:09.01\00:08:13.98
Let's begin in the text.
00:08:13.99\00:08:15.13
John Chapter 5 verse 1.
00:08:15.14\00:08:17.82
After this sometime after the--
00:08:17.83\00:08:20.41
what I was just
telling you about,
00:08:20.42\00:08:21.82
John seems to say, you know,
00:08:21.83\00:08:23.17
that sometimes
later down the line.
00:08:23.18\00:08:25.43
"There was a feast of the Jews,
00:08:25.44\00:08:27.97
and Jesus went up to Jerusalem."
00:08:27.98\00:08:29.64
It was one of the
pilgrimage festivals.
00:08:29.65\00:08:31.61
You probably know that there
were three pilgrimage festivals
00:08:31.62\00:08:35.00
that were three
times of the year
00:08:35.01\00:08:36.89
that Jews were
expected to come--the faithful,
00:08:36.90\00:08:41.36
the observant, we're
expected to come to Jerusalem
00:08:41.37\00:08:44.20
to participate in the ritual.
00:08:44.21\00:08:46.96
To draw near, the central
core of Judaism, the temple.
00:08:46.97\00:08:52.98
And as a result Jesus faithfully
00:08:52.99\00:08:56.41
went to the
pilgrimage festivals.
00:08:56.42\00:08:58.61
Hey, He was supposed to
and it was important to him.
00:08:58.62\00:09:01.45
And so Jesus went up to
Jerusalem and in Jerusalem,
00:09:01.46\00:09:04.74
verse 2 of John Chapter 5.
00:09:04.75\00:09:06.99
"In Jerusalem there
is, by the sheep market"
00:09:07.00\00:09:10.36
now that's terribly
important, by the sheep market,
00:09:10.37\00:09:14.71
"there is a pool
which in the Hebrew tongue
00:09:14.72\00:09:17.43
was called
Bethesda," having five porches,
00:09:17.44\00:09:20.08
house of the five, five
porches, by the sheep market.
00:09:20.09\00:09:25.80
And there was a
great multitude, verse 3--
00:09:25.81\00:09:27.67
there were a whole
lot of people around there
00:09:27.68\00:09:29.47
and you probably know why.
00:09:29.48\00:09:30.97
It's a famous story,
because--verse 4 says,
00:09:30.98\00:09:34.16
there was this legend,
superstition, some expectation.
00:09:34.17\00:09:38.93
There was this legend
that an angel would come
00:09:38.94\00:09:41.40
and stir the waters and
that if you're the first one
00:09:41.41\00:09:44.05
into the water that you
would be miraculously healed.
00:09:44.06\00:09:47.04
Now, where'd they come
up with that, who knows?
00:09:47.05\00:09:49.95
You know, it did,
somebody one day accidentally,
00:09:49.96\00:09:53.25
you know, they
were healed by some
00:09:53.26\00:09:55.27
and somebody said it was
an angel and some, you know.
00:09:55.28\00:09:57.19
Who know how the legend evolved.
00:09:57.20\00:10:00.27
But the truth is that
this was a known rumor
00:10:00.28\00:10:04.23
related to the pool,
"That an angel would go down
00:10:04.24\00:10:07.44
at a certain season" verse 4,
00:10:07.45\00:10:09.16
"and into the pool and
would troubled the waters,"
00:10:09.17\00:10:11.91
stirred up, troubled the water,
"and whoever was the first"
00:10:11.92\00:10:15.88
after the
troubling of the water,
00:10:15.89\00:10:17.60
whoever got into the
water first will be cured.
00:10:17.61\00:10:22.28
He stepped in, he was made
00:10:22.29\00:10:23.36
a whole of
whatever disease he had.
00:10:23.37\00:10:26.12
Now, now comes the
focus of the story,
00:10:26.13\00:10:30.48
the central character.
00:10:30.49\00:10:32.79
"A certain man
was there" verse 5,
00:10:32.80\00:10:35.66
"a certain man was there
00:10:35.67\00:10:36.93
who had an
infirmity 38 years," 38 years.
00:10:36.94\00:10:44.42
In our culture
today, in our world today
00:10:44.43\00:10:46.63
that sort of half a lifetime.
00:10:46.64\00:10:50.33
In the Roman world,
00:10:50.34\00:10:52.32
it was a lot more
than half a life time.
00:10:52.33\00:10:53.98
You may not know
that in the Roman Empire
00:10:53.99\00:10:56.40
the average
lifespan apparently was 44.
00:10:56.41\00:11:01.40
This man's a senior
citizen in his world.
00:11:01.41\00:11:06.74
Thirty eight years
by the side of the pool.
00:11:06.75\00:11:11.20
And you have to know
after 38 years this man,
00:11:11.21\00:11:16.72
he's figure this thing out.
00:11:16.73\00:11:18.04
There is no miracle of angel.
00:11:18.05\00:11:21.77
So why would he
stay? Well, think about it.
00:11:21.78\00:11:25.87
It's already
expressed in the story,
00:11:25.88\00:11:27.75
number one that
it's close to the temple.
00:11:27.76\00:11:29.71
The man is staying in
some proximity to the temple.
00:11:32.18\00:11:34.94
Is that because
he fully believes
00:11:34.95\00:11:36.83
that if I just
stay near the temple
00:11:36.84\00:11:38.04
some day God is
gonna heal me? May be,
00:11:38.05\00:11:43.45
but it's also not a
bad place to hit people up,
00:11:43.46\00:11:47.88
if you want them to be generous.
00:11:47.89\00:11:50.98
If somebody is coming,
you know, into the church
00:11:50.99\00:11:55.09
and they want to impress God,
00:11:55.10\00:11:58.19
they certainly
don't want to reject
00:11:58.20\00:12:00.26
one of God's little children,
00:12:00.27\00:12:01.74
just outside the
door of the church.
00:12:01.75\00:12:04.15
If you want to
impress God you, you know,
00:12:05.11\00:12:06.87
dig a little deeper and
right there at the house,
00:12:06.88\00:12:10.65
at the door of the house.
00:12:10.66\00:12:12.50
There's some logic to this that
why people who were beggars,
00:12:12.51\00:12:16.79
the broken would
gather near the temple.
00:12:16.80\00:12:19.53
I'm not so convinced
that it was because they felt
00:12:19.54\00:12:21.88
some aura of the
temple would meet their need.
00:12:21.89\00:12:24.84
It was a whole
lot more--the people
00:12:24.85\00:12:26.16
were coming into the
temple, who had to impress God,
00:12:26.17\00:12:29.89
would meet their need.
00:12:29.90\00:12:31.85
He remained, he'd been there
for 38 years, 38 long years.
00:12:31.86\00:12:39.22
Now do you remembe what
I already shared with you.
00:12:39.23\00:12:41.82
I wanted you to
remember from verse 2,
00:12:41.83\00:12:45.80
it was by the sheep market.
00:12:45.81\00:12:49.89
That's terribly
important in the story.
00:12:49.90\00:12:53.58
The sheep gate in the Jerusalem
temple was on the North side.
00:12:53.59\00:12:59.39
The pool of Bethesda
was on the North side.
00:13:00.29\00:13:04.30
If some guilty sinner
came from up in the Galilee
00:13:04.31\00:13:09.31
to come to make
sacrifice at the temple,
00:13:09.32\00:13:12.06
you know, very few of them would
come dragging a lamb along.
00:13:12.07\00:13:17.36
Very few of them would
bring their sacrifice with them
00:13:17.37\00:13:20.68
and it's a whole lot
easier just to come to Jerusalem
00:13:20.69\00:13:23.10
to get to Jerusalem
and purchase it there.
00:13:23.11\00:13:26.19
That was pretty
inconvenient, you know,
00:13:26.20\00:13:27.72
if you're potter you
don't have a lot of lambs,
00:13:27.73\00:13:29.36
you're not a
Sheppard in any way.
00:13:29.37\00:13:30.69
If you're a scribe
you don't own lambs.
00:13:30.70\00:13:33.03
I mean, there had to be a
place where a person could go
00:13:33.04\00:13:36.06
to have access to
purchase the sacrifice.
00:13:36.07\00:13:40.96
But you know from
the gospel stories
00:13:40.97\00:13:42.95
two events on the front
of the ministry of Jesus
00:13:42.96\00:13:45.66
and the back of
the ministry of Jesus.
00:13:45.67\00:13:47.49
Jesus said, this is corrupt,
00:13:47.50\00:13:49.94
that even the
process of the purchase
00:13:49.95\00:13:52.51
of the sacrificial
animals was just vicious,
00:13:52.52\00:13:57.40
in devastating the
people, it was a rip off.
00:13:57.41\00:14:01.58
Now what
appears to have happened
00:14:01.59\00:14:04.09
was that they would hit
people coming and going,
00:14:04.10\00:14:06.90
if we use that
sort of vernacular
00:14:06.91\00:14:08.46
that idiomatic expression
got him coming and going.
00:14:08.47\00:14:10.94
Some poor sinner
would come to the temple
00:14:10.95\00:14:12.73
without a sacrifice knowing
that he needed to approach God
00:14:12.74\00:14:15.26
to make
sacrifice that was the law.
00:14:15.27\00:14:17.64
He would come to the sheep gate,
00:14:17.65\00:14:19.54
to the sheep market
region and he would,
00:14:19.55\00:14:22.56
you know, negotiate.
00:14:22.57\00:14:23.56
Now, let's take it
even little farther.
00:14:23.57\00:14:25.42
Suppose you did have
somebody who had his own lamb.
00:14:25.43\00:14:28.91
This is apparently,
according to history
00:14:28.92\00:14:30.70
this is
apparently what happened.
00:14:30.71\00:14:32.19
He would bring his little lamb,
00:14:32.20\00:14:33.55
he'd come up to the gate
of the temple ready to go
00:14:33.56\00:14:36.35
and sacrifice
with this little lamb
00:14:36.36\00:14:38.04
and a priest might
step forward and say,
00:14:38.05\00:14:39.39
oh, well, it's nice
to have you here today,
00:14:39.40\00:14:41.31
it's wonderful to
have you here today,
00:14:41.32\00:14:42.46
are you here to sacrifice?
00:14:42.47\00:14:43.46
And the poor penitent
would say, "oh yes I am."
00:14:43.47\00:14:47.59
Oh, I see you
brought a lamb. "Yes, I did."
00:14:47.60\00:14:50.56
Has your lamb been
inspected? Is it fit?
00:14:50.57\00:14:53.35
Is it kosher? Is it approved?
00:14:53.36\00:14:56.11
"Well, it looks like a
good lamb to me, I don't know."
00:14:56.12\00:14:59.03
And so the
priest might reach down
00:14:59.04\00:15:01.58
and start groping
around on the lamb.
00:15:01.59\00:15:04.05
Now you remember
it was to be a lamb
00:15:04.06\00:15:06.19
in order for
sacrifice to be appropriate,
00:15:06.20\00:15:08.38
it was to be an
animal with out blemish.
00:15:08.39\00:15:11.73
Now the mission
that defines that to be
00:15:11.74\00:15:14.33
without permanent
deformity apparently
00:15:14.34\00:15:17.15
it wasn't that the lamb
couldn't have a little scratch
00:15:17.16\00:15:19.89
or a little dirt
smudge on his nose.
00:15:19.90\00:15:22.36
But it could have
no permanent deformity
00:15:22.37\00:15:25.35
that was the
definition of without blemish.
00:15:25.36\00:15:29.60
So the priest
potentially could reach around
00:15:29.61\00:15:31.65
and grope around
on the lamb and say,
00:15:31.66\00:15:32.84
"oh, my, feel this"
00:15:32.85\00:15:35.20
and the sinner the poor
little penitent could reach down
00:15:35.21\00:15:37.66
and feel on his lamb and there
would a little bump there on it.
00:15:37.67\00:15:40.11
"Oh, I didn't
know that was there."
00:15:40.12\00:15:41.60
vNow of course it could have
been any thing, could be spleen.
00:15:41.61\00:15:44.69
I mean how many people know how
to feel the spleen on a lamb?
00:15:44.70\00:15:49.99
"I'm sorry you have a
permanent deformity here.
00:15:51.49\00:15:55.25
You're not gonna be
able to sacrifice this lamb."
00:15:55.26\00:15:57.60
"Oh, I came all the
way down from the Galilee,
00:15:57.61\00:15:59.91
you know, what do
you expect me to do?"
00:15:59.92\00:16:02.64
"Well, we happened have
some over here for sale."
00:16:02.65\00:16:06.05
"Oh, what am I
gonna do with my lamb?"
00:16:06.06\00:16:08.04
"Look, let me give you a--half
a shekel for your little lamb
00:16:08.05\00:16:12.18
and you know we'll
sell it in the market place.
00:16:12.19\00:16:15.61
And at least in
won't be a complete waste."
00:16:15.62\00:16:18.16
And so potentially
the priest then would,
00:16:18.17\00:16:20.52
you know, give
him a half a shekel
00:16:20.53\00:16:21.88
and the man would go over
to the market place over here
00:16:21.89\00:16:24.88
where they would
be selling lambs.
00:16:24.89\00:16:25.88
He'd walk up and say,
"you know, I brought a lamb
00:16:25.89\00:16:27.27
but it wasn't good
enough so I need a kosher lamb,
00:16:27.28\00:16:28.81
I need a lamb that's
better lamb that's acceptable."
00:16:28.82\00:16:31.25
And the man behind
the counter would say,
00:16:31.26\00:16:32.63
"more than
happy to sell you one,
00:16:32.64\00:16:34.45
it will cost you two shekels."
00:16:34.46\00:16:37.10
"Two shekels excuse me. I
only got a half a shekel for--
00:16:37.11\00:16:40.25
"No, well, of course
you had a defective lamb,
00:16:40.26\00:16:42.65
you don't expect
a kosher fit lamb
00:16:42.66\00:16:45.07
to be the same price
as a defective lamb."
00:16:45.08\00:16:48.28
Oh, wow, now of
course you know what
00:16:48.29\00:16:50.76
then potentially the
first priest would do.
00:16:50.77\00:16:52.80
He would take that
little lamb that they gotten
00:16:52.81\00:16:54.38
for half a shekel move around
00:16:54.39\00:16:55.69
and sell it to
somebody else for two shekels.
00:16:55.70\00:16:59.88
The priest then would say,
00:16:59.89\00:17:01.66
"okay, two shekels
for a fit lamb right here,
00:17:01.67\00:17:04.70
certified, guaranteed."
00:17:04.71\00:17:07.77
The little man would pull out
00:17:07.78\00:17:08.89
and lay two
shekels on the counter
00:17:08.90\00:17:10.90
the priest would back
off and say, "Excuse me,
00:17:10.91\00:17:12.82
can I ask you a question?
00:17:12.83\00:17:13.82
Do you have any idea
where those coins have been?"
00:17:13.83\00:17:18.54
I mean, who of us any of
us, who of us could ever know
00:17:18.55\00:17:21.89
where the money that we have
in our pockets, where it's been.
00:17:21.90\00:17:25.68
"Can you guarantee that
this is not been touched
00:17:25.69\00:17:27.59
by the hand of a
Roman?" "Oh, no."
00:17:27.60\00:17:30.08
"In that case I
can't accept it."
00:17:30.09\00:17:32.21
"Oh, what am I gonna do?"
00:17:32.22\00:17:33.21
"Well, you have to
use temple coinage.
00:17:33.22\00:17:36.15
Go up to the money exchange."
00:17:36.16\00:17:38.09
The man would take
his two little shekels
00:17:38.10\00:17:39.67
lay it down at the
temple coinage bureau
00:17:39.68\00:17:43.21
and say, "here
I need two shekels
00:17:43.22\00:17:44.61
so I can go buy
a lamb over here.
00:17:44.62\00:17:46.02
And they would say,
but the exchange rate here
00:17:46.03\00:17:47.82
is four to two or whatever.
00:17:47.83\00:17:50.04
They got them coming and
going and if you're 38 years
00:17:50.05\00:17:53.23
by the side of the sheep gate
00:17:53.24\00:17:54.81
you have seen
this corrupt system
00:17:54.82\00:17:56.53
over and over
and over and again.
00:17:56.54\00:17:58.21
This man 38 years has watched.
00:17:58.22\00:18:02.15
the corruption of the temple
class, the priestly class.
00:18:02.16\00:18:05.57
Not all the priests,
some of them are very sincere
00:18:05.58\00:18:08.92
but there was
enough corruption for Jesus
00:18:08.93\00:18:10.46
to call the
place a den of thieves.
00:18:10.47\00:18:13.35
This man has
observed this for 38 years.
00:18:13.36\00:18:18.98
And after 38 years I
think if I had been him
00:18:18.99\00:18:22.74
I might have
figured some of this out.
00:18:22.75\00:18:26.77
And imagine, imagine what
might go on in this man's heart
00:18:26.78\00:18:34.57
as he observes the
ones who are the select,
00:18:34.58\00:18:37.81
the chosen, the
holy, the priests,
00:18:37.82\00:18:39.81
who are--they're the,
they're the criminal element
00:18:39.82\00:18:43.43
and sincere people coming
and getting ripped off everyday
00:18:43.44\00:18:49.09
and yet you just because
you happened to be broken,
00:18:49.10\00:18:52.13
you're not allowed to go in,
00:18:52.14\00:18:53.46
you're not even
allowed in the door.
00:18:53.47\00:18:56.95
If I would've been this man
00:18:56.96\00:18:57.95
I would have had
a number of reasons
00:18:57.96\00:19:00.85
to have some sense of
resentment toward heaven.
00:19:00.86\00:19:06.29
I mean really, and
as he was laying there
00:19:06.30\00:19:11.67
one day, verse 6,
"Jesus saw him lie and knew"
00:19:11.68\00:19:19.05
Jesus knew what was
under the, the background,
00:19:19.06\00:19:21.43
you know, in the
background of this story.
00:19:21.44\00:19:23.85
Jesus knew this man's biography,
he knew the life history,
00:19:23.86\00:19:27.82
he knew what brought
the man to that point.
00:19:27.83\00:19:31.17
"Jesus knew he'd been
there a long time in that case.
00:19:31.18\00:19:37.59
And he asked a question."
00:19:37.60\00:19:39.26
One of the most astounding
questions in all the Bible?
00:19:39.27\00:19:42.30
I love the
questions of the Bible.
00:19:42.31\00:19:44.96
In fact the questions
in the Book of Genesis
00:19:44.97\00:19:47.02
are some of the best.
00:19:47.03\00:19:48.11
They're questions in the
first four chapters of Genesis.
00:19:48.12\00:19:51.82
You get some questions
00:19:51.83\00:19:53.07
that are eternal
questions to the end of time.
00:19:53.08\00:19:56.61
God has great
questions in the scripture,
00:19:56.62\00:19:58.93
incredible questions.
00:19:58.94\00:20:01.58
And Jesus asked one
here that, when I was younger
00:20:01.59\00:20:04.36
I used to like
that's pretty dumb,
00:20:04.37\00:20:07.88
what kind of questions that?
00:20:07.89\00:20:09.77
Jesus verse 6, "Said onto him,
00:20:09.78\00:20:13.03
wilt thou be made whole?"
00:20:13.04\00:20:16.47
You know, the youth
today often when something
00:20:19.50\00:20:22.40
is just so outlanders
they go, "Oh! Well, dud!
00:20:22.41\00:20:27.21
That sort of sarcastic--
how can you be so silly,
00:20:27.22\00:20:30.85
Wilt thou be
made-- I used to think
00:20:30.86\00:20:34.33
what a preposterous question
that is for Jesus to ask.
00:20:35.03\00:20:39.30
If I would have been
that man laying there
00:20:39.31\00:20:40.91
by the side of the
pool I might have thought,
00:20:40.92\00:20:42.37
"yeah and I wish
that the pool would,
00:20:42.38\00:20:44.59
you know, turn
into, you know, wine
00:20:44.60\00:20:47.86
and I wish Herod's is
dancing girls would come by
00:20:47.87\00:20:50.30
and I wish it would rain,
you know, cherries I," you know.
00:20:50.31\00:20:55.96
What kind of a question is
that? "Wilt thou be made whole?"
00:20:55.97\00:21:02.04
I never understood that question
until I was in Berkeley.
00:21:02.05\00:21:04.68
I was doing my graduate studies
00:21:04.69\00:21:05.97
at the graduate
theological union,
00:21:05.98\00:21:07.77
the center for Jewish studies.
00:21:07.78\00:21:09.29
I was pastoring in Berkeley
and I had several church members
00:21:09.30\00:21:13.17
who would have been this man.
00:21:13.18\00:21:16.39
They would have
been held at a distance
00:21:16.40\00:21:19.03
because they had
issues of deformity,
00:21:19.04\00:21:21.61
both of them were in wheel
chairs and there's a whole--
00:21:21.62\00:21:24.40
I need to take just a second
her to explain this to you,
00:21:24.41\00:21:26.98
if you're a person who
has some physical defect
00:21:26.99\00:21:30.51
and you have held some
resentment toward heaven
00:21:30.52\00:21:34.03
about these
stories about how that God
00:21:34.04\00:21:36.33
seem to hold these
people and I was like,
00:21:36.34\00:21:38.18
let me give you something
that actually come from
00:21:38.19\00:21:40.14
the mentality of Judaism
that might be refreshing to you
00:21:40.15\00:21:43.57
and that is that they didn't
necessarily see this as a curse.
00:21:43.58\00:21:49.06
They saw those moments
when God would proclaim a person
00:21:49.07\00:21:52.07
ritually unclean and
he was releasing them
00:21:52.08\00:21:56.45
from the obligation,
00:21:56.46\00:21:59.80
because of the
challenge that they faced.
00:21:59.81\00:22:03.59
They actually read
often as they define this out,
00:22:03.60\00:22:08.62
Judaism is often read
these rituals uncleanness
00:22:08.63\00:22:12.66
not to be a curse or a
negative but to be God's mercy,
00:22:12.67\00:22:17.70
God's compassion that will allow
a person just a little break,
00:22:17.71\00:22:22.85
because of the
challenge they faced in life.
00:22:22.86\00:22:26.16
Just last night I was
flying with a young lady
00:22:26.17\00:22:28.76
from Phoenix,
Arizona to St Louis
00:22:28.77\00:22:31.69
and she had a broken
leg but as we began to talk
00:22:31.70\00:22:35.93
as she was sitting
next to me on the plane
00:22:35.94\00:22:37.18
we began to talk it
was more than a broken leg.
00:22:37.19\00:22:39.76
She shared with me, she'd
been in a brutal accident.
00:22:39.77\00:22:42.81
She was in a coma
for six weeks almost.
00:22:42.82\00:22:46.24
Ten years ago she had
some spinal cord damage
00:22:46.25\00:22:48.60
etcetera, etcetera,
and as I was sitting
00:22:48.61\00:22:49.93
and listening to this young
lady share this, I was thinking
00:22:49.94\00:22:52.55
if this was biblical
time if this, you know,
00:22:52.56\00:22:55.04
God would not expect
as much of you, Maam.
00:22:55.05\00:22:58.75
He wouldn't
expect as much of you
00:22:58.76\00:23:00.72
because of the
challenge you face in life,
00:23:00.73\00:23:02.49
that maybe refreshing to you.
00:23:02.50\00:23:04.89
This man is asked
"Wilt thou be made whole?"
00:23:04.90\00:23:08.34
I never understood
until I had a young women
00:23:08.35\00:23:11.57
in a wheel chair who had
many things wrong with her.
00:23:11.58\00:23:14.73
She had a number
of serious challenges,
00:23:14.74\00:23:17.33
in fact she has now
passed away with breast cancer.
00:23:17.34\00:23:21.11
But Norma was one
of my church members
00:23:21.12\00:23:22.61
and Norma taught me
something about the story,
00:23:22.62\00:23:24.26
I never could have
known on my own being,
00:23:24.27\00:23:26.35
you know,
moderately whole and healthy.
00:23:26.36\00:23:28.69
I never could have known.
00:23:28.70\00:23:30.03
Norma, one day, I was
in prayer closing a sermon
00:23:30.04\00:23:35.55
and we had
actually two church members
00:23:35.56\00:23:37.71
on wheel chairs
that day and I said,
00:23:37.72\00:23:41.64
in my prayer in closing
00:23:41.65\00:23:42.79
and it made sense
to me at the time,
00:23:42.80\00:23:44.37
we long for the
day when we're going
00:23:44.38\00:23:46.03
to run the fields of
heaven with Joe and with Norma.
00:23:46.04\00:23:51.58
At the end of the service Norma
made it black and white to me
00:23:51.59\00:23:54.26
that she was furious with me.
00:23:54.27\00:23:57.82
She looked at me and she said,
00:23:57.83\00:23:59.85
she'd actually spend
her early part of her life
00:23:59.86\00:24:02.07
in an institution
where they believed
00:24:02.08\00:24:03.86
she would never
accomplish anything
00:24:03.87\00:24:05.14
and here she was doing rhetoric
at Berkeley that was her major.
00:24:05.15\00:24:10.12
But Norma looked
at me and she said
00:24:10.13\00:24:11.96
don't you ever
do that to me again.
00:24:11.97\00:24:14.76
I said, "do what?"
00:24:14.77\00:24:17.55
"Don't you ever
do that to me again."
00:24:17.56\00:24:21.38
I said, "Norma,
what I did I do?"
00:24:21.39\00:24:22.42
And she said, "I
don't have a problem
00:24:22.43\00:24:25.17
with what I am, you do."
00:24:25.18\00:24:29.07
This verse
suddenly made sense to me.
00:24:30.82\00:24:33.62
When Jesus looks
at this man and says,
00:24:33.63\00:24:36.40
"Wilt thou be made whole?"
00:24:36.41\00:24:41.88
What he is saying is,
"my friend if I heal you,
00:24:41.89\00:24:44.67
if I really do heal
you, if I change you,
00:24:44.68\00:24:47.27
your life can not be the same.
00:24:47.28\00:24:49.21
For the last 38
years your whole reality,
00:24:49.22\00:24:51.95
your whole sense
of being and manhood
00:24:51.96\00:24:54.78
is being tied up on this
little mat and if I heal you,
00:24:54.79\00:25:00.18
you're gonna have to rise up off
that mat and live a real life.
00:25:00.19\00:25:05.98
Your life can not stay
as it is if I heal you.
00:25:05.99\00:25:09.96
Your reality, your
world is gonna change.
00:25:09.97\00:25:13.84
Are you willing to surrender
what has been your truth
00:25:13.85\00:25:17.20
and your reality
and your existence,
00:25:17.21\00:25:19.12
are you ready to surrender that?
00:25:19.13\00:25:20.65
To step into the unknown
because when I rise you up
00:25:20.66\00:25:23.42
off that mat, when I lift you up
00:25:23.43\00:25:24.66
and heal you your world
is gonna change dramatically,
00:25:24.67\00:25:27.30
you don't even have a clue
of what I got planned for you.
00:25:27.31\00:25:33.26
Would you be made
whole or would you really?
00:25:33.27\00:25:36.53
Are you sure?"
00:25:36.54\00:25:38.82
My friend, this
story is so necessary
00:25:38.83\00:25:44.71
for you and for me.
00:25:44.72\00:25:48.72
Because it is the
confrontation of Jesus
00:25:48.73\00:25:51.29
with everyone of
us about the issue
00:25:51.30\00:25:53.90
of submission and
surrender and the willingness
00:25:53.91\00:25:57.73
that I exhibit or I
refuse to give of me
00:25:57.74\00:26:02.74
being willing to say
to heaven, "Okay, yes.
00:26:02.75\00:26:06.60
God, I don't know
what your plan is.
00:26:06.61\00:26:08.68
I don't know
what your design is.
00:26:08.69\00:26:10.99
I don't know what
you're gonna make of me.
00:26:11.00\00:26:12.42
I don't know what
you're gonna do to me.
00:26:12.43\00:26:13.71
I don't know what
you're gonna take from to me.
00:26:13.72\00:26:16.26
I don't know, Lord,
what you've planned for me.
00:26:16.27\00:26:22.56
But I trust you. And
I'll step into the unknown."
00:26:22.57\00:26:28.81
Will you be made
whole? Will you really?
00:26:28.82\00:26:33.70
If you're gonna be made whole,
00:26:33.71\00:26:36.60
it's going to
require you to surrender,
00:26:36.61\00:26:40.30
submit, put away the
past, get off the rotten mat
00:26:40.31\00:26:46.68
that has been your reality.
00:26:46.69\00:26:48.77
And for all of us, friends,
that is the crisis of the will.
00:26:48.78\00:26:54.92
It is the crucifixion of self.
00:26:54.93\00:26:59.11
My reality, my comfort
zone, the way I see things,
00:26:59.12\00:27:02.12
what I believe about me,
what I believe about God,
00:27:02.13\00:27:04.98
that will I
allow God to be the one
00:27:04.99\00:27:08.51
who shapes and designs
that or will I selfishly clutch
00:27:08.52\00:27:11.99
and cling to my own
little truth, my realities?
00:27:12.00\00:27:16.79
Would you be made whole
is the central question,
00:27:16.80\00:27:23.08
a surrender to the
lordship of Jesus Christ.
00:27:23.09\00:27:27.77
It is the absolute
cutting edge rock bottom,
00:27:27.78\00:27:33.57
baseline, common
denominator issue of submission
00:27:33.58\00:27:38.36
and surrender and dying to self.
00:27:38.37\00:27:40.92
And it is a question that
rings out of John Chapter 5,
00:27:40.93\00:27:44.38
all the way to your
life and to my life today.
00:27:44.39\00:27:47.11
My friend, I'm gonna have to
answer this today and tomorrow.
00:27:47.12\00:27:51.77
Will I really, really,
really, allow the past to die
00:27:51.78\00:27:55.36
to become what Christ wants
me to be and how about you?
00:27:55.37\00:27:58.99