If God is the creator of all that is, how did “sin” enter the world? That is, if all that God has ever created is good, and if humans are created in God’s image, how did humans become capable of sin? For that matter, what exactly is sin? Let’s ask the question another way . . . What is the difference between right and wrong, who gets to decide, and how do we know?

In this week’s reading (John 5:2-18), Jesus encounters a man who has been paralyzed for thirty-eight years and has been denied assistance in obtaining access to his limited options for a cure. Once healed, the man is then confronted by the religious authorities for doing as Jesus had instructed him; namely, for carrying his mat on the Sabbath and thereby violating law/Word of God given through Moses. Jesus sees the man later in the Temple and cautions him “not to sin any more” (vs. 14). The man then reports to the religious authorities that Jesus is the one who healed him, which in turn leads to a confrontation between Jesus and the religious authorities about whether it is right or wrong (sinful or not) to heal on the Sabbath.

For those of us who consider ourselves people of faith, what parallels do we see between those who are alone, in need of care, and the religious authorities today?

This Week’s Zoom Info:

Link for Men’s Bible Study at 7:30 a.m. Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85610681954?pwd=lbwwfzdUbAtlK7OVMswSP8uDvRsyA2.1

Meeting ID: 856 1068 1954 Passcode: 200461

Link for Women’s Bible Study at 10:30 a.m. Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83582289022?pwd=F0kOsaeGRTTnaoaL12rx7rIzjy89nJ.1

Meeting ID: 835 8228 9022 Passcode: 130287

Dealing with Sin

Healing Our Brokenness

Unhindered