The Father's Work

Jesus answered the Jews: «My Father is at work until now, so I am at work.» John 5:17

John's father gave him an ultimatum, "Clean the windows or else." *

John was blinded by an  accident. He was devastated. He imprisoned himself in his room only to come out for meals. He said his life is finished. For a young man who has been used to see the world, his eyes opens only for the darkness.

So, on that day, his father challenged him to go out of his room, out of his shell. He heard the bang of the door as his father exited their home. He was mad, "Didn't my father know I'm blind? And he has serious valid inquiry, "What if I fall in wiping the windows all around the house?"

He took up the challenged. John mapped and traced his way around the house, and moved and climbed the ladder to clean the windows. John finished the job without falling or destroying something. He was glad to realize that his life has not ended after all. That his dark vision has a bright future. His life went forward after this incident.

After some time, John was told that all the time he was cleaning the windows, his father was on his side and his father was keeping him from falling down.

When life becomes dark, we tend to think the Father has stopped working on our behalf. If problems and trials block our sight of the present and the future, we have the concept of the Father leaving our side. When the challenge is just too much to handle, we feel abandoned by the Father. As the sun sets, and as sure as the sun rise, the Father's love shines on us. He is the Father who does not leave the house and who doesn't leave his child.

The Father stays on our side and continue to work for us. He keeps us from falling. He guides us and clears the path ahead of us. Sometimes we may not see, but he is with us. Sometimes we may not feel, but he is on our side. When we our about to have imbalance, he levels the ground for us.  In the midst of family problems, he is at work. When you are jobless, he is doing his job for you. When sickness overcomes the body, he is the healer reaching out. Between relationship issues, he is working for peace and unity. He is at work until now,...24/7 for his children.

Come out of your dark room. Take up the challenge and work. The Father's grace is upon you. He is on your side always, and he is enabling you. This is the Father's work.

* This is story is adapted from Max Lucado.

Losing and Finding

The man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away, since there was a crowd there. After this Jesus found him in the temple area and said to him, "Look, you are well; do not sin any more, so that nothing worse may happen to you." John 5:13-14

He lost Jesus but Jesus found him.

He will surely lose Jesus for he did not know who healed him. He was not walking and was lying on his mat for thirty-eight years yet when he was healed by Jesus, he did not take note who healed him. Maybe the healing was instant. Maybe it was too fast for him. Maybe it was too fast for him. Maybe he was focus on the healing and not on the healer. As the crowd ate Jesus, the man who tiptoes in his first steps, loses his healer.

It may happen to us. When we are fixated on the blessings and not on the One who is blessing us, we lose sight of him. When the healing is too much for us, that too much can crowd our hearts and forget who did it for us. Overwhelmed by his grace, we can take for granted his constant presence in our daily lives of constant routine. The crowd of career, family and friends may get in the way for us to acknowledge him.

But Jesus found him. Jesus sought him. The sheep lost the shepherd and the shepherd found him. In his first steps, he loses sight of Jesus. In his next steps, Jesus finds him. Jesus did not go to another town to pursue his mission, the man was his mission. He sought this man for once again he loses Christ.

Jesus finds us when we lost him. He seeks the lost who lost him. He has given us much but he will give us his presence, its all we need. The shepherd will go out of his way to bring us back to his way. He makes sure our hearts will be in the right place when we are in the wrong place. When the crowd is too much for us, Jesus will emerged and will say his first word to us, "Look..."

We lost Jesus but Jesus finds us.

Out of Town

The woman left her water jar and went into the town and said to the people, Come see a man who told me everything I have done. Could he possibly be the Messiah?  They went out of the town and came to him. John 4:28-30

This was a field trip.

There was no connection between her and the people. No part of the people were her friend. They ignore her and she ignores them. She was alone at the well taking water.

Check that. She was not alone at the well. She was with Jesus. Being with Jesus made the difference. Speaking with Jesus opened her to a new life. Knowing that Jesus knows her sins yet sat with her and spoke with her mattered to her. He did not ignore her.

It changed her.

She goes to the people. She used to ignore them. She used to go where they aren't. She gets water when they are all drinking water. But now after meeting Jesus, she goes to them. She spoke with them and breaks the news about the Messiah.

It changed the people.

They listened to her. They don't used to be near her but now she is inches away from them. They used to talk about her and her husbands but now they are talking to her. Not only that, they believed her that they wanted to know what she knows --- the Messiah.

Change brought by Christ brings you out of yourself. Out of your sinful nature. Outside of your comfort area. Out of your dark past. Out of your discriminating norm. Allow yourself to go out of your zone and speak about Christ to your family, friends or neighbors. A group of people may go out of themselves when they hear out someone's life changing experience with Jesus.

One destination -- come to Jesus. One action -- out of town.

Left and Lifted

The woman left her water jar and went into the town and said to the people,  Come see a man who told me everything I have done. Could he possibly be the Messiah? John 4:28-29

She left her water jar.

This was her only purpose before Jesus met up with her and spoke with her. To fetch water when no one was near the well. When everyone might be having their lunch at their homes, she sneaked to the well. Water was there. The living water was there. Jesus talked about her. Jesus talked about himself. He quenched her thirst, not of her body but of her soul. Thus she forgot about her water jar just as she forgot about her past, about her sin. And know only one thing -- knowing the Messiah who took her time and who gave her, her new life.

She was lifted.

No friend to come with her to the well. No husband to hold her hands or hold her jar. At noontime, she was getting water, she is making sure she is not getting attention. She is wrong. Jesus' attention is on her. He knows her. He knows her dirt, her sins. In spite of, he speaks with her, let her know him. Let her have time with the Messiah whose itinerary is fully booked. Don't underestimate her minutes with Jesus, for this moments gave her the lift from playing hide and seek. She went into the town and exposed herself to the folks saying, "Come see a man who told me everything I have done. Could he possibly be the Messiah?" From keeping herself out of the crowd, she goes to the crowd. From living in the shadows, she emerged to the light.

Jesus knows your past and he urge you to leave your sins. Leave behind your old self. Leave matters that doesn't satisfy your thirst. Drink from God's well. Feast on his feast. Come out from hiding. Come to the Son. Exist for a new purpose. Live a new life. Know Jesus and make him known. Love him and make him loved.

Have you met Jesus? Leave your water jar and be lifted.

Sinnergy

Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. Luke 18:10

It's the study of sinners.

If Jesus is a science teacher, Jesus discusses two species for you to ponder who will you be.

The Pharisee does not expose his sins to God, who knows his sins. He is confident of his righteousness. He is boasting of his work. He comes before God like he is attending a masquerade party, he has a mask. He even points to others and not to himself. He exalts himself, he acts like he is looking to God yet he is looking at himself.

The tax collector exposes himself as a sinner. He is not confident of himself but he is confident of God's mercy, he is confident God forgives his transgressions. He does not boast of he does or what he did but surely he boasts of God's merciful work. He comes before God without any cover on his face, he uncovers his sins before God. The tax collector points only to himself as the prime principal of sin. If he is in a police line-up, he declares himself as guilty. As he pinpoints himself, his heart opens up for heavenly grace. He does not exalt himself, he acts like he is looking at himself yet he is looking to God, for his mercy.

At this point, choose who will you be before God. A Pharisee or a tax collector?

Be confident of God's mercy. Expose your sins and yourself to him for nothing is hidden from him. Depend on his work and not on what you have done or what you can achieve, boast of God 's work. Uncover your sins for God loves you in spite of these. If you want to point to someone else, make sure that someone else is you. Exalt God by humbling yourself.

Friends, reflect on how you pray and come before God. Study sinnergy.