What does "Get up, pick up your mat, and walk" teach about obedience? The Command: Clear, Personal, Non-Negotiable John 5:8: “Then Jesus told him, ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and walk.’” • Three short imperatives—no explanation, no conditions. • Addressed directly to one man; obedience is always individual before it is corporate (cf. John 10:3). • The word of Christ carries the authority and the enablement needed to obey (Isaiah 55:11). Immediate Obedience Releases Power John 5:9: “Immediately the man was made well, and he picked up his mat and walked.” • “Immediately” links obedience to the outworking of God’s power. • Delay would have meant continued paralysis; prompt response opened the door to healing. • Parallel: Matthew 14:29—Peter steps onto the water the moment Jesus says “Come.” Faith Expressed Through Action • The man could have argued, “I can’t stand,” but he acted instead of reasoning away the command (James 2:17). • Obedience becomes the visible proof of invisible faith (Hebrews 11:8). • Doing what Jesus says often precedes understanding what Jesus is doing (John 13:7). Leaving the Past Behind • The mat symbolized years of helplessness; carrying it showed he had no intention of returning. • Luke 9:62—“No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” • True obedience severs ties with the old life (2 Corinthians 5:17). Personal Responsibility in Partnership with God • Jesus heals; the man still has to stand, lift, and walk. • God handles the impossible; we handle the possible (Philippians 2:12-13). • Obedience is not passive; it cooperates with grace (Titus 2:11-12). Obedience Despite Opposition John 5:10: “So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, ‘It is the Sabbath; it is unlawful for you to carry your mat.’” • Obeying Christ may collide with accepted religious norms. • Acts 5:29—“We must obey God rather than men.” • The man’s changed life became an unavoidable testimony, even to critics. Fruit of Obedience: Witness and Worship • His walking mat in hand drew attention to Jesus’ authority (John 5:13-15). • Obedience transforms private faith into public witness (Mark 5:19-20). • Gratitude and holiness follow obedience (John 5:14). Takeaway Truths • God’s commands are also His enablings. • Prompt obedience opens the door for God’s power. • Faith that refuses to act is faith that cannot heal. • Obedience breaks with the past and faces forward. • When God’s word and human opinion clash, choose God’s word. • A life changed by obedience becomes a living sermon to the watching world. |
    |