John 5
19 Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. (NASB)
This was Jesus’ reply to those seeking to kill Him “because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.” (v. 18)
Jesus healed a man on Sabbath (vv.1-15) According to the Jewish laws, it is illegal to work on the Sabbath. Jesus added insult to injury when He told them that He and His Father are both working. (v. 17)
Work… this word holds special meaning for me at this point in my life… at the crossroad… transition of life… most especially at this time of world events – the virus that restrains and restricts work, the pandemic that redefines and reconfigures working terms and conditions.
Truly, truly, children can do nothing of themselves unless it is something they see their parent doing. So whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.
Questions to ponder:
As a follower of Jesus, do I see what the Father is doing? Am I even aware of what He is doing?
How else can I do in like manner what He does if I do not know his thoughts and his ways in the world?
To know is one thing. To do in like manner is quite another. Knowing and not doing is even worse than not knowing at all.
Everyday, we make choices… to hold on or to let go… to love or to hate… to do nothing or do something… to wait or to act..
Jesus went against the customs of the day to help people. He was not afraid to do the right thing. He knew his mission from the Father. The Father empowered the Son to work according to His manner.
May this day be another opportunity for me to do as my heavenly Father does… to be a faithful follower of Jesus.
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