House of Mercy

John Baw / General

John 5:1–9

Painter Joshua Reynolds

It’s said a well-to-do lady once went to the painter Joshua Reynolds to have
her portrait painted.
“I want you to do me justice,” she told him.
Looking at her face, he replied, “Madam, it’s not justice you need, but
mercy!”

Funny, but how often WE need Mercy rather than Justice!

House of Mercy
Have you ever gone to a place and thought - Man, this is NOTHING like the
brochure! ???
This is NOT what it was advertised to be!
John has a powerful story about a place that was NOTHING like the brochure
- NOTHING like what the name suggested.

John 5:1–9 NRSV

1
After this there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2
Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-
zatha, which has five porticoes. 3 In these lay many invalids—blind, lame, and
paralyzed. 5 One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6 When
Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he
said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” 7 The sick man answered him,
“Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and
while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.” 8 Jesus

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said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was made
well, and he took up his mat and began to walk. Now that day was a sabbath.

Welcome to Bethesda!

Bethesda means “House of Mercy”!

Beautiful name!
Except that when we drive there, and get to John 5 it is NOTHING like that!
We find that the pool is full of sheep - by the market.
Wet sheep is the last thing I needed on this trip - wet sheep stink!
We find here a MULTITUDE of invalids - there is a CHAOS of people / and a
stink of wet sheep.

Survival of the fittest !

A scribe later explained how this multitude was “waiting for the moving of
the water. 5:4 For an angel of the Lord went down and stirred up the water at
certain times. Whoever first stepped in after the stirring of the water was
healed from whatever disease which he suffered.”

What was supposed to be a House of Mercy was in reality a cruel

competitive arrangement

Can you imagine the scene when the waters stirred a little?
The pushing, the shoving, the elbowing of others - wanting to get in first
(or get their sick relatives in first)

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 Black Friday strikes again. The post-Thanksgiving day of shopping
discounts normally sees crowds of shoppers quite literally battling for the
bargains to be had.

Here we see the Bethesda “Black Friday” of healing.

Stirring of the waters gave healing -

But NOT to the sickest or weakest
This deal REWARDED *EFFORT*
It was a STORM of competitiveness!

John 5:5–6 NRSV

5
One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw
him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him,
“Do you want to be made well?”

I love it how God knows your story

Jesus:
• SAW him (Among the multitude)
• KNEW his circumstances
• SPOKE a word of life over him
• CHANGED this man forever

You are not a forgotten statistic.

God sees you. God knows what you are going through. And He has a
transforming word of LIFE for you!

Before Jesus heals this man - He asks a very odd question: Do you WANT to
be healed?

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For a man who has spent 13,870 days in infirmity - this must have sounded
like a joke.

Except that maybe Jesus wanted to go deeper?

• Are you SURE that you want to be healed?
• You won’t be able to beg any more
• You’ll now be a “normal” adult
• You’ll have to get a job and work....

The implications of healing needed to be worked out?

John 5:7–8 NRSV

7
The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool
when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else
steps down ahead of me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and
walk.”

Jesus was not going to help him get in the water before others!
He was offering something different to the competitive deal that rewarded
strength / speed / being well-connected

Jesus is the ALTERNATIVE to the storm

He will NOT help you row better
Go faster
Or stronger
He is the House of Mercy

A cruel system
The House of Mercy was only a House of Mercy in name!

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 It was actually a cruel competitive (religious?) system!

Every religious system is built on the premise that if you try a little bit
harder, if you behave in a certain way, if you perform certain religious
exercises, (pray more read your bible more)

“then“ God will react and be with you

IF my people….. THEN. I will hear.

2 Chronicles 7:14 NRSV

14
if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my
face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will
forgive their sin and heal their land.

What they are saying is: God help me to fight more/better

God is NOT a slot machine!

Jesus asks us to go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice“

Matthew 9:13 NRSV

13
Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have
come to call not the righteous but sinners.”

Go and learn-: rabbis told their students to go and study this issue.
Homework!!!!

An alternative to the storm of

competitiveness
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Jesus offered the man an alternative to this storm of competitiveness
Jesus is the ALTERNATIVE to the storm

Jesus had an interesting relationship with storms!

In the book of Mark he slept through one - He walked on another
And saved His disciples from both!

Mark 4:35–41 NRSV

35
On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to
the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in
the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. 37 A great windstorm
arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being
swamped. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke
him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39
He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then
the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you
afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great awe and
said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey
him?”

Don’t you even care that we are rowing here with all our might and getting no
results!
Are you enjoying your nap?
Jesus spoke a word - PEACE!
(Aram - Shlama).
Shlama: "whole, safe, intact, unharmed, to go free, without
blemish

The were ASTOUNDED at His authority.

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Messianic Promise in Isaiah
Isaiah 9:6–9 NRSV
6
For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his
shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting
Father, Prince of Peace. 7 His authority shall grow continually, and there shall
be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish
and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and
forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. 8 The Lord sent a word
against Jacob, and it fell on Israel; 9 and all the people knew it— Ephraim and
the inhabitants of Samaria— but in pride and arrogance of heart they said:

He is the Prince of Shalom

Because authority rests upon his shoulders

Matthew 28:18–20 NRSV

18
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has
been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and
teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And
remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

ALL authority now rests on His shoulders

Therefore GO and you too calm storms and bring healing.

Aroma of Christ
2 Corinthians 2:14–15a NRSV
14
But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal
procession, and through us spreads in every place the fragrance that comes
from knowing him. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who
are being saved and among those who are perishing;

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You will smell of Christ
And diffuse that smell everywhere.
We DO need MERCY!

The problem is that we often do not diffuse the

aroma of Christ!

Much like the Pool of Bethesda

Full of smelly sheep!
The REALITY is somewhat different to the BROCHURE (Bible)

But I have found Good news!

Jesus (the Master Artist) is at work
At work within us
Not with JUSTICE
But with Mercy.

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