John 5:5-23: You Cannot Put God in a Box

John 5:5-23: You Cannot Put God in a Box

In John 5, Jesus heals a crippled man on the Sabbath and then tells the healed man to take up his "bed and walk."  The man is not aware it is Jesus that has healed him but later identifies Jesus as his healer to the Pharisees.  They become angry with Jesus for healing on a Sabbath and instructing the man to carry his mat.  Where is the awe at the miracle Jesus performed?

Sometimes I think Jesus enjoyed showing the hypocritical "religious" leaders that they could not place God in a box.  You cannot confine God to man's laws.  Jesus wants us to keep the Sabbath holy as a way to honor Him (Exodus 20:8), but He also realizes that there are some things that are not considered a sin such as carrying a mat.  Also, if a good deed can be done that requires work on the Sabbath, why would one refuse to help simply because it is a Saturday or Sunday.  I do not believe Jesus cares which day you choose for some form of Sabbath as long as you set aside a special day for God.  We should honor God 7 days a week, of course, but choosing one day a week for extra Bible study, praise, and prayer is a great way to honor the King of Kings.

I like Jesus' answer in verse 17, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work " In other words, the Holy Trinity always has work to do and no man nor any of man's laws can prevent God from doing whatever He wants whenever He wants!  

Be careful not to put Jesus into a box - He cannot and should not be confined. 

In my opinion, man-made religions are the biggest offenders of placing God in a box.  How can one define a religion as man-made?  I do not mean the laws of Jesus Christ, but religion created by man-made traditions. What I have is a relationship with my Creator.  It is personal and different for everyone.  When we confine God to ritual and obligation, we limit the spontaneous experiences.  By this I mean if we read liturgy or follow the exact same routine in church every week, we quench the leading of God's spirit.  When we pray, we should pray from our heart and use our own words, no matter if we think we sound awkward or don't quite know how to word ourselves. 
 
Religion is a thousand different denominations.  Relationship with God is a one-on-one experience.  If you go to church and only say and do what your leaders tell you to do without considering what Jesus tells you to do or not to do, you are into religion.  If you only believe what you hear and never seek Biblical Truths apart from what others tell you, you are into religion.  

Read your Bible and study on your own.  Closely examine every book of the Bible.  Not everything the church teaches is accurate.  I promise if you start reading your Bible outside of a group, you will often find yourself sitting in church saying, "That's not what the Bible teaches."  

My point is, not seeking God's face and discovering who He can be to you is keeping God in a box.  When you meet someone for the first time, do you take all the rumors you've heard about him at face value?  Or do you get to know this person based on forming your own opinions?  Would you get married and then never talk to your spouse?  Would you tell yourself you knew your mate well enough before you got married so you don't bother trying to learn all his layers and all he has to offer?  Would your love for each other stop growing after the wedding?  I sure hope not!  No, you would continue to get to know every nuance about each other and fall more and more in love. The same attitude should be applied to Jesus.  Get to know Him better and better.  Walking with the Lord means you never stop learning and growing in Christ.  

The more you grow in Christ, the more He outgrows that tiny box, and you will see just how truly limitless God truly is!

(John 5:5-23) And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, "Wilt thou be made whole?..." Jesus saith unto him, "Rise, take up thy bed, and walk." And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, "It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed."

He answered them, "He that made me whole, the same said unto me, 'Take up thy bed, and walk.'"

Then asked they him, "What man is that which said unto thee, "'Take up thy bed, and walk?'"

And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place. 

Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, "Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee."

The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole. And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.

But Jesus answered them, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work."

Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

Then answered Jesus and said unto them, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him."