With the leper who gave thanks to Jesus, we realize that we stand our tallest when we are face down at the feet of Jesus. A life of thanksgiving begins at the feet of Jesus.
The man who had the legion of demons found peace at the feet of Jesus. He was clothed, sitting, and in his right mind. Jesus sent him home to tell his people all that the Lord had done for him. From the feet of Jesus, a life of thanksgiving takes you home so you can share your story. Your greatest mission field is where you are.
This week, I want us to look at two healings in the Gospel of John and how people respond to Jesus. There are a lot of characters in these stories but I specifically want you to focus on the paralytic in John 5:1-18 and the blind man in John 9:1-41. I don’t want to write a whole lot on this one because I’d love to hear what you’re seeing in the text. Here are some questions for while you’re reading.
Which person responds with a response of true discipleship? How does the other one not give a response of true discipleship? How does that look in your life today?
What does the paralytic do to provoke Jesus to say, “Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you”? What social pressures is the man feeling? Which becomes more important to him: acceptance by the leaders of society or acceptance by Jesus? How does this look in our lives today?
What does it mean for the blind man to sell out everything for Jesus and only Jesus? What has he given up to be with the one who gave him his sight? What did the paralytic refuse to let go of?
When these two stories are held next to one another, they come to life in a whole new way. Take time to ready both of them each day this week and see what new things stand out to you. We had a great discussion this week in class about the legion of demons. It is always encouraging to hear what you get out of the text. What other questions do we need to ask of these passages? I look forward to being with you on Sunday as God speaks into our lives through his Word.
How are you responding to Jesus this week?