Daily Readings - Tue Mar 16 2021
Ezekiel
1The man brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar.2He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was flowing from the south side.3As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep.4He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist.5He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in-a river that no one could cross.6He asked me, "Son of man, do you see this?" Then he led me back to the bank of the river.7When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river.8He said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Sea. When it empties into the Sea, the water there becomes fresh.9Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live.12Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing."
John
1Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews.2Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades.3Here a great number of disabled people used to lie--the blind, the lame, the paralyzed.4Verse omitted from the New International Version5One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.6When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?"7"Sir," the invalid replied, "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me."8Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk."9At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath,10and so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat."11But he replied, "The man who made me well said to me, 'Pick up your mat and walk.'"12So they asked him, "Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?"13The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.14Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, "See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you."15The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.16So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter powerful visions of healing and restoration. Ezekiel's vision in chapter 47 describes a river flowing from the temple, symbolizing God's life-giving presence. This river transforms the desert into a fertile land, with trees bearing fruit year-round, signifying eternal life and healing. Ezekiel's prophecy offers hope to a people in exile, promising that God's presence will restore and renew His people.
In the Gospel, John 5:1-16, Jesus embodies this vision of healing. At the Pool of Bethesda, Jesus encounters a man who has been ill for 38 years. Despite the man's despair, Jesus heals him instantly, demonstrating His divine authority and compassion. This act of healing on the Sabbath challenges the Jews' traditions, highlighting the tension between human rules and God's grace. Jesus' action shows that true healing comes from God, transcending physical restoration to touch the spirit.
These readings remind us that Jesus is the living water, fulfilling Ezekiel's vision. He brings healing that goes beyond the physical to the spiritual, offering eternal life. In our lives, we are called to trust in God's healing power and to seek Him above all else. Let us open ourselves to His grace, allowing Him to transform our lives, just as the river in Ezekiel's vision transforms the land. True healing is found in Jesus, who renews and restores us, often in ways that challenge our expectations and traditions.