In today’s reading, we hear that Jesus tells us that our physical self and our physical health is important to God, too! We also tackle the idea that sometimes we read the Scriptures quite literally, and how that can be a dangerous way of understanding what the Bible actually says.
Today we talk about:
- How this passage is similar to the American healthcare system
- Jesus’ way of telling us that our physical needs are also important
- Physical healing and restoration to the community
- How not getting cured of illness has nothing to do with how strong your faith is
- Not treating the Scripture as a rule book or textbook with it comes to personal faith
Don’t forget to visit QueerTheology.com/community to learn about reading Reading Queerly, and also, check QueerTheology.com/courses to get on the waiting list for our Bible reading course that’s coming up soon.
John 5:1-9
After this, there was a Jewish festival, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In Jerusalem, near the Sheep Gate in the north city wall, is a pool with the Aramaic name Bethsaida. It had five covered porches, and a crowd of people who were sick, blind, lame, and paralyzed sat there. A certain man was there who had been sick for 38 years. When Jesus saw him lying there, knowing that he was already been there a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”
The sick man answered him, “Sir, I don’t have anyone who can put me in the water when it is stirred up. When I’m trying to get to it, someone else has gotten in ahead of me.”
Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” Immediately the man was well, and he picked up his mat and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath.
Photo by Sharon McCutcheon