John 5:1-15<\/a> where Jesus enters Jerusalem, the pool in Bethesda where a man had been waiting 38 years to be healed by its waters. Now, Jesus, fully capable of healing all who were there, sought out this one man. He asked him, “Do you wish to get well?” the man replied, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while * I am coming, another steps down before me.”<\/p>\n\n\n\nJesus responded, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Immediately the man became well. Noticing this, he locked his gaze upon Jesus and did as he said. He picked up his pallet and walked to follow him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Being that this was the Sabbath day, surrounding him were Pharisees who could not see the miracle that was performed on this man who had been faithful in waiting for the waters to heal him, nor could they recognize the Son of God who had entered their holy space. All that they could see was that he was breaking the rules of the Sabbath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I love this story because it represents so much of how we experience life today. Who’s word do we value more? The voice that tells us to ‘pick up our pallet’ and follow Him? Or the voice that warns us about the consequences of breaking the rules? Which sounds more like faith… and which one sounds more like fear?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cDo you believe that the God of Jesus loves you beyond worthiness and unworthiness, beyond fidelity and infidelity\u2014that he loves you in the morning sun and in the evening rain\u2014that he loves you when your intellect denies it, your emotions refuse it, your whole being rejects it. Do you believe that God loves without condition or reservation and loves you this moment as you are and not as you should be.
We unwittingly project onto God our own attitudes and feelings toward ourselves… But we cannot assume that He feels about us the way we feel about ourselves — unless we love ourselves compassionately, intensely, and freely. \u201d<\/p>\n– Brennan Manning<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n