Grading on the curve

October 8, 2008


Sometimes you need to answer the question given you. I took a test one time that I failed because rather than answer the question that was there I answered the question that I thought was there. Obviously if you do it in class you fail. Jesus however grades on the curve...


John 5:6 GW
(6) Jesus saw the man lying there and knew that he had been sick for a long time. So Jesus asked the man, "Would you like to get well?"

Pretty straight forward question. Jesus sees one person out of a whole bunch of sick people and asks him - 'do you want to be well'. I mean the answer is yes or no. Where can he not understand the question? But he does.

John 5:7 GW
(7) The sick man answered Jesus, "Sir, I don't have anyone to put me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I'm trying to get there, someone else steps into the pool ahead of me."

In response to a yes or no type question he gives excuses of why it will not happen. Jesus did not ask him if he had the ability to get healed. He did not ask if he needed help to get into the pool when the water was stirred. He asked if he wanted to be healed.

How often does God speak to us about something in our life? Does he ask you if you want you marriage healed, your finances well, your mind free? And you answer that your spouse needs to be fixed, that you need a better job, that you have an addiction that you cannot break. You are giving excuses for a question that God never asks. Do you want "_____" (fill in the blank)? God asks you and all you have to answer is yes or no.

Sometimes in our stupidity, God will go ahead and grade on the curve, even though we flunk the test:

John 5:8 GW
(8) Jesus told the man, "Get up, pick up your cot, and walk."

We had better not plan on that happening all the time though.


Read through the Bible in historical order
Today
John 5:1-47
Tomorrow
Matthew 12:1-21, Mark 3:1-35, Luke 6:1-49
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