5:1-4 Jesus travels to Jerusalem where exists a mythic body of water that the people of Jerusalem believe will someday heal everyone with an infirmity. For so long, all of these people have suffered lifelong struggles (metaphorical of the chaos of their lives due to having the wrong, or no philosophy of life). This mythical pool is representative of humans waiting, idly for years to be healed, to be successful, to be progressive and productive... but relying on myth is truly a stagnant reality.
5:5 Jesus approaches this man who is ill, as the word or philosophy does. Each individual is confronted at a point in their lives with the opportunity to think more deeply, to work harder to be more spiritual and compassionate.
5:6 This is a question posed to each individual: do you want to be made well? Spirituality offers so much, peace and guidance, but we must accept it, take it into ourselves. God does not force His philosophy on us, He asks us if we would like it... we must accept the responsibility, the work to truly appreciate all He has to offer. At the end and beginning of each day, it's a personal choice.
5:7 This man represents the dispirited temperament of many people, especially today. We let insecurities and doubts hinder our productivity. We let ourselves feel like victims and we wallow in sad realities instead of changing our realities. This man is representative of those who do nothing to help themselves, wait forever for a hero to burst into their lives and make everything better -- but with God, we are our own productive heroes, and there's no waiting time!
5:8 The essential philosophy of God is this: Rise, Walk. God's compassionate word instructs us to lift ourselves out of sadness and victim-hood and be productive, progressive. The symbol here is rise out of stagnancy, the motionlessness of superficial thought and pessimism. The symbol continues and motivates us to start working toward achieving the changes we want to make in our lives.
God of course can heal all physical infirmaries but here on earth, human bodies are vulnerable to illness and disease -- despite this, while on Earth, God is capable of transforming the resilience of our souls and spirit so that illness is only a minor burden (when we work with Him, when we RISE and WALK). Symbolically, physical illnesses and conditions in the bible are representative of many humans inability unwillingness to work to fill their lives with happiness, compassion and productivity.
In every moment we must work to be perceptive, compassionate and productive. These are the ingredients of a satisfied soul.
5:9 When working on our spirituality, the results are immediate. The condition is that we remain committed. Our motivation and our determination yield fast results.
5:10 There are certain people (who lead the city religiously and politically) who enforce senseless rules in order to maintain power and control. We must also be vigilant so that we do not find ourselves following illogical rules just because we are told to (many religions create their own rules, some even contradictory to the bible). This man is doing nothing wrong and yet they want to condemn him.
5:11 The man explains the truth to his adversaries. By the one who healed me, I was told to be productive. This applies to our lives as well: often when we work to inspire and enforce compassion on the behalf of those taken advantage of, we will meet adversaries who question our authority to do so. So long as we know we are doing the just and compassionate thing, we persevere on in our mission of truth.
A small example: sometimes we are afraid to speak because so many disagree with us. Sometimes we hesitate to speak because others do not want us to cause ripples in the water... but we must do it anyway if the water is in need of disruption.
5:12 Immediately these corrupt leaders are angry -- they want to know who gave this man the strength, courage and wisdom to stand up to them. They feel their authority is being threatened and they do not like it.
5:13 Jesus is a humble soul. Before healing and guiding someone, He does not make a big pronouncement of how awesome He is. He sets us up on our paths and quietly guides us. Symbolically, as our firmly rooted tree, He wants us to branch out from Him, doing wonderful things and being compassionate people... overall strengthening the whole tree. He sets us up to be strong, intelligent, compassionate individuals. Also, He was busy. He had many people to reach, once establishing this man, He worked toward establishing another... and another...
5:14 The man and Jesus meet again and Jesus is proud of the progress. The man had been courageous and productive and Jesus ensures him that his success with continue as long as he remains compassionate, kind and honest. Certainly this is a message we can learn from.
It might seem like it would have an obvious answer but let's address this question: why doesn't God want us to sin? Well, sin does not directly harm God... He's stronger, wiser, more alive and creative than any other entity in the world. God does not want us to sin because when we do, it hurts people. God is hurt, so deeply, when His children are hurt -- indirectly, our sins against others are doubly felt. As long as we are not hurting others, our joy and success will continue. This is not God threatening to punish us... it's simply a matter of logic. When we are kind and compassionate we reap kindness and compassion. When are are mean and dishonest, we reap those unfortunate things too.
5:15 This man, and Jesus, have no shame owning up to what they stand for and who they are. Neither should we. Be truthful, be brave.
5:16 Be perceptive here. Do those who persecuted Jesus want to kill Him because He broke a minor rule of theirs? No. They want to kill Jesus because He threatens their power and control. They want to retain their wealth and control and Jesus is teaching and inspiring people to reject their corrupt policies.
The Sabbath to them was a day during which nothing should be done. Well, find the contradiction to God's philosophy in this. God does not want us to be idle...ever. God is never idle. Jesus is never idle. They are constantly working, preparing, healing, welcoming, guiding... they are leading by example of what we should do.
5:17 Jesus affirms the point: His father, God, has been and continues to work.... He, Jesus is working and continues to work. Why should anyone rest when there is so much work to be done? Until compassion envelopes the world, there is so much to be done. There's always a cause or a person to fight for, to feed, to befriend, to help... there's simply no time for being idle.
5:18 These adversaries are looking for every reason to kill Jesus. They are haughty, arrogant, the thought of someone "above" them in status annoys them.
5:19 Jesus explains to them (and us) that everything He does is a direct emulation of what God is doing. Moreover, everything Jesus is doing is done with the authority and permission of God. What does all that mean? Well, it means that Jesus is perfectly bringing to life the values that God stands for: honesty, compassion, productivity, selflessness, truth, wisdom. Jesus is exerting His humility: "the Son can do nothing of Himself..." He's explaining that He is a servant of God, beloved, but still a worker. Jesus did not come to claim power... He came to do God's work of leading people into compassion.
5:20 Jesus is entrusted with this beautiful mission because of the pure kindness and honest of His soul. He's an able and more-than-willing worker of God and for this, so much miracle and blessing flows through Him.
5:21 Humans perceive death as an ending... they perceive life as irretrievable after it. Yet there is no death for God's children. Spirituality is eternal. God gives life those believed to be lost for good, or gone for good. God and Jesus give life in many ways. After the end of our lives on Earth, we receive life with them, spiritually. But also -- so many are "dead" so to speak here on earth even while they are alive. They have no spark of life, no motivation, no philosophy, no direction, have not accepted their purpose... and God (through various and a multitude of ways) guides them back to life. For some it comes through art or music, from family or friends, adventures or ideas... He reaches us all in different but profound ways when we reach back out to Him.
5:22-23 Jesus is entrusted as the shepherd, the care-taking of all those willing to be with Him. Therefore, God trusts Jesus' judgement. When a person honors Jesus, what they are really doing is honoring what He stands for: they are creating, guiding, inspiring compassion and truth in the world for the rest of humanity. Those who reject Jesus are actually rejecting these things. We determine the destination of our own paths. Jesus' judgement is simply a matter of acknowledging which life we chose to live.
5:24 A reiteration for emphasis: the person who gives attention to this philosophy God teaches, realizes its compassionate nature and fosters it in their lives has purchased eternal life. A kind person does what is right not for reward but because it's what is fair and compassionate... and God can discern our reasoning for what we do.
5:26-27 God has the ability to create, inspire, project, foster, nourish life and He shares that ability with Jesus, with all people who value compassion and life.
5:28 No matter who or where each person is (spiritually dead, spiritually lost, on this continent or that) God has made the plan to appear to everyone in His complete truth.
5:29 When presented with His presence, it will be time to divide ourselves into two groups: the kind and the unkind. Each individual will own their actions.
5:30 Jesus' humility: everything He is able and entrusted to do was given by God. Jesus promises to be perceptive and fair. He promises to be entirely selfless in the process: seeking what is best for us based on what God was established.
5:31 Jesus understands that they might not take His word coming directly from Himself.
5:32-33 John came to prepare humanity for Jesus' coming. His prophetic foretelling spoke of Jesus, who He is and what He come for.
5:34-35 John brought a brilliant light to the world: a new, compassionate message which brought joy and love into the lives of so many. Jesus reminds them that they listened and believed and loved John's message... now, because they feel their wealth and power is going away, they reject it. We each have to make a choice... where do we place our value? In life and love or money and power? Life will constantly force us to choose.
5:36 Jesus implores them to open their eyes. Jesus' productive and compassionate nature evidenced a loving, eternal, impartial spiritual God. In our world today, God's compassionate and productive nature is also evident: we are surrounded by a wise, creative, beautiful natural earth. We meet people and ideas who inspire us and motivate us and bring love and life into our lives -- all of this is from God. If they (or you or anything) finds it difficult to believe a person speaking... let the earth and your own soul do the speaking for you. There is so much truth, wisdom, beauty and honesty within the world and we will see it all if we give attention to it.
5:37-38 Jesus explains that they (and we, I truly believe) have been given all of the evidence needed to realize, acknowledge and love our creator. Some refuse to see, reject the idea... but the impossible miracle of our existence is only the first of infinite reasons evidencing that behind all of this is a compassionate, wise creator. This becomes more apparent when we listen (therefore allowing spirituality to abide in us and heighten our senses, our wisdom).
5:39-40 A prominent issue even in today's world. A person can read every word of the bible, every day of their lives, go into church every Sunday... but if they do not decide and understand the value and meaning of the concepts which this spirituality consists of, there are no results.
Many church leaders read and ascribe to the bible because they want to enforce rules over people, therefore creating a position of authority for themselves. Others use the bible to condemn or punish people who they do not agree with. Some even use the bible to raise funds and they use the money corruptly.
When we read the bible with an open and compassionate heart, we understand our purpose and in fulfilling those purposes, obtain our eternal lives. Be perceptive of yourself and others -- do you (and they) have the right motivations?
Even a person who does not, ever, open the bible can receive life and love from God -- if compassion and truth are in their hearts, they have already found the path.
A church can be, and often is, a beautiful place of opportunity and friendship within communities. But attendance at church is not what makes you wise in God's philosophy... and it's certainly not what qualifies a person as a worker and student of God. We must actually work and study with Him in our own ways... use our own locations and abilities to bring what compassion we can to the world.
5:41 God offers His philosophy to us selflessly. He does not require our approval or acknowledgement to be everything, wise creator that He is. Rather, we wishes to be a family with us. He's not arrogant, He does not want a group of mindless fans to feel validation. Everything He offers us is for our own betterment. He loves us so much that being with Him is always given to us as a choice, an option and not a command.
He remains exactly what and who He is (remember that I use the word "He" loosely, I believe God is an entity independent of such distinctions). He stands for love, creation, compassion, wisdom and truth and He will continue to be and promote those things regardless of who disagrees or rejects Him.
5:42 God (and Jesus) are perceptive. They know when somebody is fake. They know who has the philosophy of God in their hearts and who does not. They know who uses their lives for the betterment of others and they also know who uses their lives for the corrupt benefit of themselves.
5:43-44 Jesus is baffled because these people reject His obvious truths -- humility and compassion yet quickly follow corrupt leaders who work deceptively and selfishly.
5:45 Jesus is speaking to believers of the Old Testament. Jesus is explaining that mention of Him was made by Moses and yet they still reject Him. He implores them to use logic... the logic of the scripture they ascribe to and the logic of His living example right in front of their eyes.
5:47 Jesus asks them: How can you do one thing and say the other? They are being hypocrites: saying they believe in compassion but doing everything in their power opposite of compassion. They are contradicting themselves but they refuse to own up to it. What progress can be made by a person who will not be perceptive and truthful? What progress can be made by someone who chooses to remain in hypocritical chaos? We must be fair, honest and observant. We must correct ourselves when we realize we are wrong. Be humble enough to allow yourself room to grow.
