5/8/21

"He was a burning and shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light." (John 5:35)
In my reading assignment this morning, I read what Jesus said about John the Baptist. The Lord boasted of John's faithful service!
The setting for this testimony is this:
1) Jesus is in Jerusalem, where His Father's house is located.
2) Jesus goes to a pool, called Bethesda, where a lot of homeless, diseased, and crippled people live. (They live under the porch roofs that surround the pool of water. They wait for an angel to stir the water, then the first one in is healed!) (John 5:3-4)
3) Jesus sees a man that is pitiful. He is too weak to get into the water for his healing, and no one will help him. They jump in before he can get there.
4) Jesus heals the poor fellow! (Jesus has pity upon the pitiful!)
5) Jesus tells him to take up his bed, and leave the pool of Bethesda. It is a Sabbath day! To carry his bed on the Sabbath was illegal.
6) The poor fellow is caught, and questioned. The Jews want to know why he is carrying his bed on the Sabbath.
7) He tells them, "...He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk." (John 5:11)
Well, upon further investigation, the Jews discover that it was Jesus that had healed this man, and told him to carry his bed away from the pool.
"And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day." (John 5:16)
When the Jews confronted Jesus about this matter, he spoke of John the Baptist. Jesus told them about John's bright light that pierced the darkness of this world. You could hear the love and respect that Jesus had for John's loyalty and service to Him!
Jesus reminded them that they had John for only a little while, and then he was gone. John was only six months older than Jesus.
Though John was only here for a little while, Jesus had not forgotten his faithfulness, and had not forgotten that he was a beacon to others in this dark world.
Neither will Jesus forget your faithful service unto him.
The Jews had forgotten so much! They have hunted Jesus down, just to fuss at Him for healing a poor old soul at the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath day!
People may not appreciate good deeds, but Jesus does! And He doesn't forget them.
Go out into this day, and spread a little Son-shine as you go. Help someone who needs some help.
"For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister." (Hebrews 6:10)
From my heart to your heart.