John 6 Pt. 1

Feeding the Five Thousand
v1-15

At this point there is a large crowd that is following Jesus.  Jesus feeds this crowd of five thousand people using the five loaves and the two fish of a young boy.  This is no small task since we read that it would've costed two hundred denarii to buy enough bread for everyone to only eat a little.  Jesus wasn't rich, so he certainly didn't have the money to buy all that bread.  What he did was certainly a miracle that no ordinary person could perform.

Crowd Reaction
v14-25

When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”

Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

John 6:14-15

Initially, the crowd is amazed and say great things about him.  In fact, they are so amazed that they want to make Jesus king.  This is not what Jesus wants, so he manages to get away by himself.  What's more is that it seems like Jesus goes out of his way to further dodge the crowd.  The Disciples go across the sea in a boat without Jesus, but then Jesus walks on water and catches up with them.  So Jesus makes the crowd think that he's still on one side of the sea without a way to cross but ends up on the other side somehow.  As a result, the crowd was fooled.

The crowd can't seem to find Jesus whom they so desperately want to find.  So, they decide to cross the sea and they finally catch up with Jesus.  My question is this: if Jesus knew that they'd find him in the end, why did he bother trying to dodge the crowd?  What was the purpose of that whole ordeal?  Couldn't have Jesus just skipped that and jumped straight into what he was going to say next?  Perhaps this was to show their desire to seek Jesus even after he had been evading them.

The Wrong Reason
v26

The crowd obviously really wants to find Jesus and so they finally do find him.  This begs the question: "why?"  If you remember from the beginning of the chapter, we read why they are following Jesus.

And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.

John 6:2

They were following him because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.  However, it seems as though there has been a change in their reasons for seeking Jesus.  Jesus plainly gives an answer.

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.

John 6:26

They didn't care about the signs.  Instead, they cared about the food.  They only cared that Jesus could feed them.  Sure, feeding people is certainly a good thing.  They might even be commended if they wanted Jesus to solve world hunger.  However, they totally missed the point and were only thinking with their stomach.

The Work of God
v27-29

Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

John 6:27-29

Okay, if the crowd got it wrong, what should they be doing instead?  Well, they should "work for food that endures to eternal life" and not for "food that perishes".  They were only caring about filling their stomachs when they should've sought eternal things.  The satisfaction from eating the bread wouldn't last because eventually they would get hungry again.  Though they should care about eating because that's a basic necessity of life, they should care more about food that would endure to eternal life.

The crowd even asks Jesus, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”  Jesus simply tells them that they need to believe in him.  Jesus is the answer and Jesus is the key.  He is the one in whom they should put their hope in, not the physical food that fed five thousand.

Conclusion

Jesus is the answer.  Jesus in the one in whom you should believe.  Unfortunately, the crowd was interested in Jesus for the wrong reason and cared only for filling their stomachs. In the same way, we should beware of seeking Jesus for the wrong reasons and simply believe in him.

John 5:30-47

“I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.  If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true.  There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true.  You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth.  Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved.  He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.  But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.  And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen,  and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent.  You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me,  yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.  I do not receive glory from people.  But I know that you do not have the love of God within you.  I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him.  How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?  Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope.  For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.  But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

John 5;30-47

Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath, which upset the Jews.  What was more upsetting than that was the fact that Jesus called God his own Father, making himself equal with God.  Jesus provides three testimonies to back up his claims: John the Baptist, works and the Father himself.  However, the main thrust of this passage is the judgment that Jesus lays down on the Jews.

Judgment is the focus because Jesus begins the passage in verse 30 by telling them that he judges based on what he hears from God the Father.  More importantly, Jesus explains that this judgment is just because he is carrying out God's will and not his own.  We can also see the setup to this when we look back at verses 19 to 29 where Jesus tells them that he has authority to judge.  And so, Jesus begins his judgment.

Judgment 1: The Father
v37-38

Immediately following his description of the testimony of the Father, Jesus plainly tells the Jews that they do not know the Father.

And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent.

John 5:37-38

Jesus tells them that they don't know or have never experienced the Father.  They apparently have never heard him nor seen him nor have his word in them.  How is it that the Jews did not in fact know God?  The Jews prided themselves in their religiosity.  They devoted their lives to God, studying the Scriptures and keeping their religious practices.  They boasted in their spiritual heritage and in their nationality.  However, Jesus' words were harsh and offensive to these people.  Can you imagine devoting your life to someone or something only to have someone tell you that you were wrong all along?  What if after spending your entire life devoted to your spouse who you love, someone tells you that you really do not know them?  Or perhaps imagine if you worked as an electrician all your life and prided yourself in your work and someone told you that you don't know a single thing about being an electrician?  These people were met with a startling reality whether they chose to believe it or not.  Perhaps it was understandable the way they reacted, even if it was still wrong.

Whether it was hurtful or not, the question is: was it true?  Words don't mean anything unless there's something to back it up.  And so, Jesus gives them the reason why they actually didn't know the Father.  The reason is because they didn't believe the one he has sent.  The test is simple: if you really knew the Father, then you would believe his messenger.  Since they didn't believe Jesus, it was apparent that they actually didn't know the Father.

Judgment 2: The Scriptures
v39-40

The second judgment that Jesus gives is about The Scriptures.  Not only did the Jews not know the Father, but they actually didn't know The Scriptures.  These are the same writings that they spent so much time studying and memorizing.  How could someone spend their entire life studying something and still get it wrong?  Apparently, it can happen and did happen for these Jews.

Their first problem was that they thought that it was in The Scriptures that they could find/attain eternal life.  Unfortunately, this wasn't actually the case.  They thought that through their studying and obeying what it said that they could live forever.  This may seem ridiculous but this happens to all kinds of people.  Here's a simple test: ask someone whether or not they believe they are going to heaven.  Most people think that they are going to heaven.  When you ask them way, the most common response is that they are a "good person".  They may talk about their moral character or even their religious beliefs; however, they ultimately believe that their "goodness" is getting them to heaven.  Even people who are religious and even people who are confessing Christians may actually be acting like their good deeds merit their salvation.  However, all of this is completely wrong because no one is good (Romans 3:10-18, 23), and because salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (not by works) (Ephesians 2:8-9).  Many people live their lives in such a way that they think they're meriting salvation, but they actually have it all wrong.  The Jews were no different and they got The Scriptures wrong.

The second problem that the Jews had with The Scriptures was that they didn't understand that The Scriptures actually bear witness about Jesus.  The Jews spent so much of their time and energy to the study and obeying what they thought The Scriptures were saying.  However, studying The Scriptures and obeying what it says does not merit salvation and that wasn't it's purpose.  The Scriptures were meant to testify and point to Jesus, but the Jews missed that.  Since they missed the main point of The Scriptures, they obviously didn't know The Scriptures.  It's like someone who read all of the Harry Potter books and didn't know that Harry Potter was the main character (as ridiculous as that sounds).  Even with all of the energy that they had devoted to The Scriptures, the Jews totally missed it.

It may not be obvious, but there is a similar test that we can do to tell whether or not the Jews understood The Scriptures or not.  If they really understood the Scriptures, they would come to Jesus.  The Scriptures point to Jesus and so following The Scriptures should naturally lead someone to Jesus.  Can you imagine someone following a map to a desired location and totally missing it even when they're standing right in front of it?  The Scriptures point to Jesus and the Jews were staring right at Jesus and missed him entirely.

Judgment 3: Name
v41-44

Jesus came in his father's name but the Jews did not receive him.  However, the Jews would gladly receive  someone coming in their own name.  Why is it that one coming in the name of The Father is not received but one coming in his own name is received?  This is a serious contradiction coming from people who claim to be about the things of God.

This concerning behavior of the Jews is actually very telling, as Jesus puts it plainly in verse 44.

How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?

John 5:44

In fact, NLT puts it this way: "No wonder you can’t believe!"  Their actions actually show why they don't believe in Jesus.

Judgment 4: Moses
v45-47

Of the many characters in the Old Testament, there are a few that stand out above the rest.  Abraham was certainly an important character, regarded as the first patriarch of the Jewish people.  Adam was another, being the first man.  Moses is another one and he is highlighted here by Jesus.  Moses, who wrote the first five books of the Old Testament is the one who now does the accusing (or judging).

Moses is apparently one whom the Jews have set their hope on.  He was God's instrument for saving the Israelites out of slavery and God instructed him to write down the Ten Commandments.  Yet Jesus uses Moses to show them their error.  This same Moses on whom they have set their hope is the same one who actually wrote about Jesus.  Here is yet another reason why it is evident that the Jews do not believe in Jesus.  If they didn't believe what Moses wrote, how could they believe Jesus?  Actually, it goes the other way around.  The fact that they don't believe in Jesus shows that they actually don't believe what Moses wrote.  If you can imagine, what Jesus says is quite shocking to the Jews.  Whether they belive what Jesus said is a different story.

Conclusion

Though Jesus has laid down many reasons for the Jews to believe in him, they still did not.  As a result, Jesus laid down four judgments upon them because they did not believe in him.  The did not know The Father, they did not know the Scriptures, they did not accept one coming in the name of The Father and they did not believe Moses who wrote about Jesus.  Though it is true that these are four judgments, you could also see them as four barriers to belief in Jesus.  Do you believe in Jesus?  What is stopping you from believing in him?

Now before you boldly declare that do in fact believe in Jesus and are not like the Jews described here, you should stop and consider whether you truly are different from them.  Jesus tells them that they did not know The Father and did not know the Scriptures, but they would say otherwise.  They were deceived into thinking that they truly knew The Father and The Scriptures.  How do you know that you're not deceived?  How do you know that you didn't get Jesus wrong?  The Jews thought they knew what to look for when The Messiah was to come, but they totally missed it when Jesus came.  Examine yourself and make sure that you are not deceived.

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

2 Corinthians 13:5

John 5:30-37a

“I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me.

John 5:30-37a

If I came to you and told you something ridiculous, would you believe me?  Would you believe me if I told you that I went hang gliding off a skyscraper while I was lit on fire and I landed on a bouncy castle?  Maybe you would and maybe you wouldn't, but it does sound a bit far-fetched.  However, would you believe me if I also showed you a video of what I did and brought along a friend who saw it and testified to what I said?  Jesus has made a claim that sounds ridiculous to his hearers and perhaps it's understandable that they don't believe him.  However, Jesus provides his hearers with three testimonies.  These are three ways that prove that Jesus is who he said he is.

Testimony 1: John the Baptist
v32-35

John the Baptist is one who testifies.  He has clearly pointed to Jesus and supports what he says.  Just look back a few chapters and you'll see (ex: chapter 3 or even chapter 1).  He was apparently well received by the people enough that they would trust him (v35).

One may object to this testimony of John with regards to it's origin.  If Jesus makes claims with regards to God, how can his testimony come from a mere man?  Jesus also makes it clear that Jesus' testimony isn't from man.  First of all, John the Baptist's testimony comes from God.  He himself describes his instruction back in chapter 1: "he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’"  Secondly, Jesus' has a greater testimony.  Jesus certainly mentions John the Baptist and does not deny the importance of John the Baptist.  Jesus even goes so far as to describe John the Baptist as the greatest of anyone born of a woman: " Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist".  John the Baptist is important, but as far as testimonies go, John the Baptist's testimony is the least.

Testimony 2: Works
v36

More important than John's testimony is the testimony of works.  What Jesus is doing is on display for all to see.  These very things testify to his claims.  You can know and trust in what Jesus says because his works back up his words.

It is important to note that these works are described as given by the Father.  The Father has given the Son works to accomplish and Jesus is carrying them out.  And so, by carrying them out, they prove that the Father has sent him.

This makes me think of an occupation or talent.  If someone claimed to be a carpenter, then they could show you their skills to prove it.  Or perhaps one may prove that he or she is a magician by showing you some magic tricks.  It makes sense that a magician would be able to perform tricks or that a carpenter could do carpentry.  Similarly, the Son of God could prove it by miraculous works that could only be from God.

I am reminded of the story where Jesus heals the paralytic.  The paralytic is lowered through the ceiling to get him to Jesus and everyone is watching to see what Jesus does.  Though everyone may expect Jesus to heal the paralytic, Jesus says "Son, your sins are forgiven."  At this many questioned this statement, wondering "Who can forgive sins but God alone?"  However, what Jesus does next is what reminds me of this story:

And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Mark 2:8-12

In Mark 2, Jesus proved that he had authority to forgive sins by healing the paralytic.  Similarly, In John 5, Jesus proved that he was sent by the Father by healing the invalid.

Testimony 3: The Father / The Scriptures
v37

The third and last testimony is that of the Father himself.  The Father has already testified about Jesus.  This can be found in the Scriptures, which are the very words of God.  I don't know if you've ever heard this before, but the bible is about Jesus.  It points to him and his great work upon the cross.  You may not have heard from John the Baptist and you may not have seen the works that Jesus performed, but the Scriptures are available to be read to see what God has spoken about his Son.

Sometimes I hear people wishing that God would speak directly to them.  Perhaps some are wishing for some direction in their life and some are wishing for God to prove his own existence.  The thing is that God has already spoken and his words can be found in the scriptures.  It's all right there, just go and read it for yourself.

Conclusion

Though it's not a comprehensive list, Jesus lays out a few very good references that back up his claims.  His claims are certainly hard to believe; however, it becomes more believable as the testimonies stack up.  If you don't accept his claims, I wonder what is holding you back and recommend looking into it further.  If you do believe, I encourage you to still look into these testimonies.  I find that the more and more I see Jesus for who he is, the more and more I get excited and want to praise him.  I am reminded of the following passage, which is a short section from the beginning of this book:

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

John 1:9-13

John 5:19-29

So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.  For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.  For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.  For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son,  that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.  Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.  For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.  And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.  Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice  and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

John 5:19-29

Jesus has just made the controvertial statement that God is his father.  This stunned the Jews because it made Jesus equal with God.  Now, Jesus goes on to explain the relationship between the Father and the Son.

Same in their Doing

One thing we gather from what Jesus says here is that the Son and the Father are aligned in what they do.  The Son does what he sees the Father doing.  Well, are there things that the Father does that the Son does not do?  Well, Jesus simply states that "whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise".  Well, are there things that the Son does not see the Father doing?  If that's the case, are there then things that the Son cannot do that the Father does since the Son didn't see it?  Well, the Father "shows him all that he himself is doing".

There are two examples given with regards to this connection in what they do.  The first example is the giving of life.  The Father raises the dead and gives them life.  If the Son does what he sees the Father doing, it is only natural that Jesus does this as well.  The Father has the ability to raise the dead and give them life and so the Son has this ability as well.  The second example is judgment.  The Father "has given all judgment to the Son".  The Father has the ability to judge and has given that to the Son.

By now you can tell that this connection between the Father and the Son does not make the Son a literal copycat.  It's not like God commands something and Jesus does the exact same thing as well.  Instead, this is describing that the Son and the Father have the same capability.  The Father can give life and can judge.  Similarly, the Son can give life and can judge.  It is in this way that we can see how Jesus was making himself equal with God by calling him his own Father.

Same in their Honour

What is the purpose of all of this?  Why is the Son given all judgment?  We read the reason in verse 23, "that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father".  Perhaps it could've been done such that the Son did not have these abilities.  However, then honour would not be for the Son in the same way as for the Father.

This connection of honour is so important that Jesus goes on to say something else about it: "Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him".  Not only are they to be the same in honour, but they are the same in dishonour.  I guess it would make sense, but this statement simply makes it clear.  To not honour the Son is the same as not honouring the Father.  Therefore, if you want to honour the Father, you'd need to honour the Son.

Aside - Irony

If you step back and think about this for a second, it's actually quite ironic.  The Jews are judging Jesus for breaking the sabbath and calling God his own Father.  As a result, they are seeking to kill him.  In response, Jesus explains to them that he can give life to whom he will and has been given all judgment.  Though the Jews seek to take life and enact judgement, Jesus is actually the one who has the ability to give life and the authority to enact judgment.

The Resurrection of the Dead

This is all leading up to something big, which Jesus hints at it in verse 20: "And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel".  Jesus explains what this is in verse 25: "Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live".  This is Jesus giving life to whom he will as was mentioned earlier; however, it's much more than just life and judgment.  Jesus even says "Do not marvel at this".  What we are to marvel at is the resurrection of the dead.

Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
John 5:28-29

This is who the Son is, what he is capable of doing, and why he is deserving of honour.

John 5:18

This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

John 5:18

Here in verse 18 we find out that the Jews were seeking to kill Jesus.  The verse goes on to explain the reasons why the Jews were trying to kill him.  The first reason is because he was breaking the Sabbath.  The second reason is because Jesus was calling God his own Father.

Reason 1: "Breaking the Sabbath"

So, how was Jesus breaking the Sabbath in the eyes of the Jews?  Earlier in the chapter we read about an invalid who is healed by Jesus.  While this may have been a miraculous thing, what caught the attention of the Jews was the fact that this happened on the Sabbath.  For some reason, the Jews thought that this was a bad thing and it caused them to persecute Jesus (v16).  In response to their concerns that Jesus was breaking the Sabbath, he provides them with his reasoning in verse 17:

But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”

John 5:17

This issue of the Sabbath comes up multiple times in the gospels and Jesus has differing responses to his critics.  In Luke 13 Jesus responds by calling them hypocrites.  In John 7, referring to this same instance here in John 5, Jesus gives the example of circumcision on the Sabbath and told them to "judge with right judgment".  In Matthew 12, Jesus gives a few examples before telling them "the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath".  Here in John 5 Jesus provides yet another unique response.

Jesus points to God as the reason why he is doing work on the Sabbath.  Even though God rested on the 7th day of creation and made the Sabbath a day of rest, God couldn't actually take a day off.  In Jewish thought, God still had to keep certain things moving and for him to completely stop would cause many things to stop as well.  Jesus makes the case that since Jesus' father (God) is working even on the Sabbath, it would make sense that Jesus himself would be working as well.  However, the big shocker in this response is the connection that Jesus makes with God.

Reason 2: Calling God his own Father

By calling God his Father, Jesus was not simply calling God "The Father".  He was making a specific connection between him and God.  He was relating to God on a personal level.  By doing so, he made himself "equal with God".  This obviously angered the Jews and made them want to kill Jesus even more than before.

It was blasphemous to make yourself equal with God.  However, it's important to really understand what is meant here.  In this passage, is Jesus equating himself with God?  Though Jesus certainly is God, the context in this particular passage does not necessarily mean the same thing.  Instead, the Jews were outraged that Jesus even put himself on the same level as God by calling God his father.

John 5:14

Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.”

John 5:14

Jesus says something very interesting when he finds the man who he healed in the temple.  He says “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.”  Jesus is telling the man to stop sinning and that the purpose of this is so that nothing worse would happen to him.  This is a very clear example of the connection between sin and bad things happening to a person.  So, is it true that sin does in fact lead to bad things?

It is very clear that there are consequences of sin.  The first and most clear consequence of sin is death as stated in Romans 6:23: "For the wages of sin is death".  We know that everyone sins according to Romans 3:23: "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God".  If all have sinned and the wages of sin is death, everyone will face death.  This is also mentioned in Hebrews 9:27: "And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment".

In the bible we also see different examples of people experiencing the consequences of their own sins or people experiencing the consequences of the sins of others.  I can think of David when he sinned with Bathsheba or Achan when he sinned by taking some of the spoil for himself or Nebuchadnezzar when he didn't give God the glory.  Examples of people experiencing bad things as a result of sin is not limited to the Old Testament either.  In the book of Acts we read about Ananias and Sapphira who get killed for lying about money they were giving.  The bible is full of examples of people experiencing something bad as a result of sin.

However, things aren't always that simple.  Sometimes in our life we do see the wicked prosper and seemingly get away with wrongdoing.  It seems that justice is not always served and bad things do not always follow sins.  In Psalm 73, the psalmist wrestles with this problem as he sees the wicked prosper.  This is a serious question that many face when seeing injustice right before their eyes.  We may even call for justice when we see someone run a red light or cut in line.  Do these sins, no matter how great or small, result in something worse happening to them as Jesus seems to warn the man in John 5?

There do seem to be some exceptions to this matter.  Jesus himself tells his disciples the purpose for one man's blindness later on in the book of John.

As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.

John 9:1-3

The purpose or cause of this man's blindness was not due to sin.  Instead, it was for the purpose "that the works of God might be displayed in him".  Though Jesus warns against sin to avoid something worse happening to the man in John 5, we see in John 9 an infliction that was not because of sin but instead for a specific purpose.

Another example is Job.  With all that happened to Job, you may wonder what he did to deserve the hardships he went through.  However, we read about how he did not sin.

In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.

Job 1:22

Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

Job 2:9-10

The bible seems to speak of multiple cases.  There is a clear connection between sin and bad things happening as a result.  However, there are also bad deeds going unpunished.  In addition, there are even people who suffer hardship without a cause.  How can the bible speak to all these cases and not be contradicting itself?

Some have helped me with this question and have lead me to consider the end.  This is similar to Asaph in Psalm 73.

Truly God is good to Israel,
    to those who are pure in heart.
But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled,
    my steps had nearly slipped.
For I was envious of the arrogant
    when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
...
But when I thought how to understand this,
    it seemed to me a wearisome task,
until I went into the sanctuary of God;
    then I discerned their end.

Psalm 73: 1-3, 16-17

What is the end of the wicked?  What happens to all of us in the end?  In the end, God will be just and will serve justice as it is rightly due.

He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.

Romans 2:6-11

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

2 Corinthians 5:10

God will judge everyone in the end.  It doesn't matter if it seems like the wicked get away with sin or not, God will serve proper justice in the end.  In fact, if you back up in Romans 2, we see that the wicked are storing up wrath.  Though punishment is not exacted immediately, it is simply being saved up for later.

But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.

Romans 2:5

You may ask, why does he do this?  Why doesn't God just exact justice immediately.  Well, we see an answer in 2 Peter.

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

2 Peter 3:9

The context of this passage is "the day of the Lord".  So, with regards to the day of the Lord, he is being patient.  His patience is meant for people to come to repentance.  He is waiting for people to turn to him.  Think instead what would happen if he exacted punishment immediately?  Well, what happened to Uzzah when he put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it?  God struck him down and he died.  What happened when Ananias and Sapphira lied about the money?  God killed them.  Now before you think that you are different from these people, recall a verse which was quoted earlier.

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"

Romans 3:23

If that isn't enough, look a bit earlier in that same chapter.

What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one;
    no one understands;
    no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
    no one does good,
    not even one.”
“Their throat is an open grave;
    they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
    “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
    in their paths are ruin and misery,
and the way of peace they have not known.”
    “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Romans 3:9-18

We are all not righteous and we all fall short.  We deserve death, but God withheld for the time being.  He could have killed us instantly but he decided to be patient with us for the purpose of repentance.  When you think about it that way, it is actually a good thing that God doesn't exact punishment immediately.  Otherwise, we'd all be dead by now.

So what's the conclusion?  What the bible speaks about may be hard and confusing to understand, but this question in particular is helpful to be viewed with the end in mind.  Whether bad things follow as a result of sin or the wicked prosper, God is just.  God will take care of it in the end.

Among all of the examples provided, I saved one for the end.  Jesus is the prime example of one who suffered but not as a result of his own sin.  He certainly didn't sin as we can see from Hebrews 4.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Hebrews 4:15

So, why did he do it all?

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

Romans 3:21-26 (NLT)

John 5:1-17

After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.
Now that day was the Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’” They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”

John 5:1-17

Jesus goes to Jerusalem and there the scene is set by the Sheep Gate.  At the Sheep Gate there's a pool where many sick people are.  Why are they all gathered there?  Well, it seems as though it has some kind of healing effects.  If you're sick, I'm sure you'd hope to be healed in one way or another.  So, these sick people are all hoping to be healed by this pool.  There is a man lying there who has been an invalid for 38 years and Jesus knew this.  Jesus asks him "Do you want to be healed?"  To this the man replies with the situation he is in.  He wants to be healed but he cannot make his way down to the pool to get healed.  He has no one to help him and there is always someone who gets ahead of him.  Though he was hoping in the healing powers of the pool, he finds himself healed by Jesus.  Jesus merely says "get up, take your bed, and walk" and he is healed.

What's interesting is that Jesus doesn't make a big spectacle out of this.  There isn't some fancy hand waving or parting of the clouds.  There isn't any mention or use of water from the pool either.  Jesus simply says, "Get up, take your bed, and walk."  I am reminded of something I was reading from Prayer by Timothy Keller where he discusses God's words and how his words equate to his actions.  An example given is from Genesis: "And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light."  If you compare this to us humans, we can't quite do the same thing.  We can say "Let there be light" but then we have to physically flip a switch for the light to turn on.  God simply says it and it happens.

The next thing that happens is that this man catches the attention of the Jews.  Jesus told him to take up his bed and walk, but this is apparently an unlawful thing to do on the Sabbath.  They bring their complaint to the man who was healed and in his defense he tells them that the man who healed him told him to take up his bed and walk.  Now the Jews are interested in who this healer might be but the healed man did not know that it was Jesus who had healed him.  It is only until later that Jesus finds the man and reveals himself.

What I don't get is why Jesus didn't just reveal himself in the first place.  Why would he go through the trouble to keep himself hidden only to reveal it later.  As far as the story goes, this means that the Jews initially question the man who was healed with no answer as to who healed him.  However, it is only until later that the healed man finds out and tells the Jews who it was that healed him.  The only reason we have is that "Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place".  However, I don't believe that a mere crowd could have stopped Jesus from telling the man in the first place.  Perhaps this displays how busy it was there and Jesus making a point to come and find the man later.

In any case, this will lead to so much more in this wonderful chapter.  I particularly like what he says to the Jews at the end of the chapter.

John 4:43-54

After the two days he departed for Galilee. (For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.) So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too had gone to the feast.
So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, and all his household. This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.

John 4:43-54

To wrap it up, we see Jesus staying there for two more days and then leaving.  When he leaves, he goes to Galilee.  There is a mention by Jesus that "a prophet has no honor in his own hometown".  Isn't Jesus' hometown Galilee?  No, his hometown is Nazareth.  So, instead of going there he is going to Galilee where is he welcomed quite warmly.  These people have seen what Jesus did at the feast, so they know a bit of what he's capable of.

We now meet a man who has a son who is very sick.  This man comes to ask Jesus to heal his son.  Jesus does not immediately heal his son, but instead says "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe."  The man still urges Jesus and Jesus says "Go; your son will live."  At this the man believes what Jesus has said and went on his way.  Don't just write this off and think about this for a second.  If you were simply told that the boy is healed, would you believe it?  I'll bet that in his mind he had figured that Jesus would physically come to his son and heal him.  He had already an idea of how this would play out.  Instead, Jesus merely says the word and this man is to believe.  What do you think would've happened if the man continued to urge Jesus to come?  Would this not be a sign of his disbelief?  Belief is not just believing what you would expect to happen but also what you do not expect to happen.  You must believe Jesus himself.  You must believe what he says and what he does.  This man believed Jesus and I think that was quite amazing.

It is actually quite interesting that Jesus even speaks to signs and wonders.  Some may expect these signs and wonders and without them some may not believe.  However, this man believes simply at Jesus' words.  This man believes without signs and wonders.  I would argue that signs and wonders could even mean what this many was expecting.  This many was expecting Jesus to come down to his son in order to heal him.  If you step back and think about that, isn't that odd?  Do you think that Jesus would physically need to be there in order for the son to be healed?  Is physical distance a problem for Jesus?  No, we need to take him at his word.  We need to believe his word which is found by reading his word (the bible).

In any case, the man believes and goes on his way.  He finds out that his son was healed the same hour that Jesus said that his son would live.  At this, not only does the man beleive but also his household.  This little story ends by saying "This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee."

If you look closely, the story actually twice tells us that this man believed.  The first time is at Jesus' own words and the second time was when he realized that his son was healed the same hour that Jesus had said it would happen.  I wonder why this is mentioned twice.  Are both instances different?  Does that mean that he believed, then ceased to believe, then again believed?  Perhaps the difference is in how these two are described.

In the first instance of belief, the man is described as believing "the word that Jesus spoke to him".  However, in the second instance, it just says that "he himself believed, and all his household".  NLT describes the second instance of belief in this way: "And he and his entire household believed in Jesus".  AMP puts it this way: "and he and his entire household believed and confidently trusted [in Him as Savior]".  It seems as though the first instance was merely a belief in what Jesus had said.  However, when it is proven to be true, he actually believes in Jesus and who he truly is.  Perhaps this story proceeds the story of the Samaritan Woman because of this.  Just as the Samaritan Woman comes to believe in Jesus for who he is, this official comes to believe in Jesus for who he truly is.

John 4:27-38

Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?” So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” They went out of the town and were coming to him.
Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”

John 4:27-38

There are a number of different characters in this story.  The focus was primarily on the Samaritan Woman and Jesus.  We also get to see the Samaritans who enter near the end.  Jesus is speaking and teaching and the Samaritans along with the Samaritan Woman all get it.  In contrast, there is another group that enters the scene midway through this story and that is the disciples.  At the beginning we read that they had gone to the city to buy food.  They return just before the Samaritan Woman leaves and are quite surprised that Jesus is speaking with her.  However, none of them speaks up to ask Jesus why he is even speaking with her.  I guess you could argue their reaction is similar to the Samaritan Woman's initial reaction to Jesus speaking to her.

The Samaritan Woman leaves and the people of the town begin coming to Jesus.  While this is going on, the disciples are urging Jesus to eat.  However, he responds to them in an interesting way which confuses them.  If you think about it, he is answering and responding in interesting ways similar to his conversation with the Samaritan Woman.

Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”
John 4:31-38

They urge him to eat, but he tells them that he has food that they don't know about.  Confused, they ask each other if anyone has brought Jesus some food.  However, in response to their confusion, Jesus tells them about his food.  What is his food?  Jesus says, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work".  There is food and he is eating.  It's really interesting that he describes it as food.  Food is a necessity and without it one would die.  For Jesus, this is what it means to do the will of the Father and to accomplish his work.

Jesus goes on to describe a harvest.  Some may wait for the harvest because it has not yet come, but Jesus corrects this thinking saying that "the fields are white for harvest".  This has to do with his food which is the do the will of the Father.  The disciples are about to get a first hand view of this happening with the Samaritans.

Jesus also zooms in to this harvesting process to talk about the sower and the reaper.  The sower sows the seed and the reaper reaps the fruit.  With regards to the fact that the fields are ready for harvest, he tells the disciples that "Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life".  It is already happening and this is not the time to be waiting for the harvest.  What's also interesting is that the reaper is "gathering fruit for eternal life".  NLT translates it this way: "The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life."  The harvest has to do with people brought to eternal life.  The harvest doesn't have to do with food but with people's eternal life.  This is the food that Jesus is referring to and this is the will of the Father.

This is also a joy.  It is a joy that is shared by both the sower and the reaper.  Even if you are not the one to reap, the sower still takes joy in what is harvested.  Even if the reaper did not sow, it is still a joy.  Jesus continues on this idea.  There is one who plants and another one who harvests.  With regards to the disciples, they are sent to harvest what they didn't plant.  This is their job and they will still rejoice with the sower.  It is certainly a joy to see this take place.

John 4:27-30, 39-42

Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?” So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” They went out of the town and were coming to him.
Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”

John 4:27-30, 39-42

What has just taken place?  Jesus has just done something amazing and it may be hard to see.  This Samaritan Woman began by continually questioning Jesus.  She wondered why he was even talking to her and asked where he would get this "living water" from.  She eventually wanted the water, but it seemed as if she only wanted it so that she would not be thirsty anymore, not truly knowing who it was she was speaking to.  There is a definite change by what she says to the people of the town.

So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?”

John 4:28-29

We know that the end result was belief.  If we jump ahead a few verses, we see the result.

Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”

John 4:39-42

Not only was this woman changed, but many Samaritans from that town were changed as well.  Not only that, but you can see from verse 42 that their faith is not based upon the woman's testimony but on their own experience with Jesus.  I wonder how often we see the opposite of this in our day.  Sometimes you may hear about or see people who refer to their faith because they were raised a certain way in a certain family.  May our faith be our own like these Samaritans who believed because they heard for themselves.

John 4:16-26

Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”  The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’;  for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.”  The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.  Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”  Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.  You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.  But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.  God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”  The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.”  Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”

John 4:16-26

Now that she is interested enough to want what Jesus is offering, what does Jesus do?  Jesus yet again speaks in an unexpected way.  He says to her, "Go, call your husband and come here."  Why is he all of a sudden asking her to bring her husband?  It seems as if he is revealing more about himself to her.  She may only be interested in the water, but she should be interested in who he is as well.  He is someone who knows her even without even meeting her before.

The woman says, "I have no husband." Jesus then reveals the truth.

The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.”

John 4:17-18

Jesus knows her.  Jesus knows what she may not want other people to know about her.  Having had 5 husbands and being with a man who is not your husband was probably not well looked upon at that time.  Actually, it probably is still not well looked upon in our time, but probably moreso back then.  What will she do now that is it revealed that Jesus knows this about her?  Now it is the woman's turn to say something somewhat unexpected.

The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”

John 4:19-20

In some ways this response is not all that odd.  When backed into a corner, one may lash out in defense.  Instead of talking about the living water or about Jesus himself who knows this or about the fact that she has had 5 husbands and is currently with a man who is not her husband she brings up a debate between Jews and Samaritans.  She asks, "Where is the place that people ought to worship".  Is this an important question?  Is this even an important question for this woman?  Either way, Jesus has a lengthy answer.

Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
John 4:21-24

Jesus tells her that a time is coming where the place of worship will not matter.  I guess this debate isn't really all that important.  Next, Jesus lays down an important truth.  Samaritans worship what they do not know, but Jews worship what they do know.  The truth is that salvation is from the Jews and they know the Father, as opposed to the Samaritans.  I guess the Samaritan's views on God were inaccurate or incomplete.  Perhaps they went on their own way and did not come out with the right one.  In any case, the place of worship will not matter, but truth does matter.  Unfortunately, the Samaritans don't have the truth.

This seems quite heavy but I guess it's a truth that she needs to hear.  Jesus moves on to explain true worshipers.  "true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him."  Truth matters when it comes to worship.  In the Doxology Intro, Shai Linne puts it this way:

Theology is the study of God and it's very important;
Doxology is an expression of praise to God
So, the point here is that all theology should ultimately lead to doxology
If theology doesn't lead to doxology, then we've actually missed the point of theology
So if you have theology without doxology, you just have dead, cold orthodoxy;
Which is horrible, right?
On the other side, we have people who say: "Ugh! Forget theology; I just wanna praise!" Right?
But, if we have doxology without theology, we actually have idolatry!
Because it's just a random expression of praise; but it's not actually informed by the Truth of who God is
So, God is concerned with both!
He's concerned with an accurate understanding of Him;
And that accurate understanding of Him, leading to a response of praise, adoration and worship towards Him

Doxology Intro, Shai Linne

So, truth matters and that is important in worship.  However, what does Jesus mean when he says "spirit"?  Perhaps this is explained by what Shai Linne says about Doxology.  The AMP adds a note with regards to the word "spirit" in verse 23:

But a time is coming and is already here when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit [from the heart, the inner self] and in truth; for the Father seeks such people to be His worshipers.

John 4:23 (AMP)

So, worship needs to be from the heart and needs to be based on truth.  However, if that is the case then what does it mean in the next verse when Jesus says "God is spirit".  Is this "spirit" the same "spirit" mentioned in the previous verse?  What does that even mean and what is the purpose of saying that "God is spirit"?

Maybe we need to backup a bit.  Does worship in "spirit" refer to the Holy Spirit?  In some ways I guess that would make sense.  However, I get the feeling that Jesus is slightly more clear than that when speaking to this woman.  As in, he wouldn't hide the meaning of the Holy Spirit by saying "spirit" like that.  Also, the Holy Spirit mentioned later in the book of John is referred to as the Helper.  Okay, then the question remains focused on what is meant by "God is spirit"?  I don't know how wise it is to keep asking AMP, but let's take a quick look to see.

God is spirit [the Source of life, yet invisible to mankind], and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

John 4:24 (AMP)

That's all I got.  Maybe God will illuminate the truth as we meditate on his word and study it.

The last thing Jesus says here is that "those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth".  Even though this is in line with something that is coming, it is actually a requirement.  Worship of God needs to be in spirit and in truth.  This is very important and actually so important that it is a necessity.

The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.”

John 4:25

I wish that I could tell what her disposition was.  I feel like I can't quite tell how she's feeling or what she's going through.  Is she defensive?  Is she vulnerable?  We can tell that she ends up convinced since a few verses later she goes to tell the people in the town about him.  However, she says this just before Jesus truly reveals himself.  What is going through her mind right at this moment?  Is she trying to justify what she knows and that she doesn't really need to listen to Jesus anymore?

Regardless of what she is feeling, Jesus reveals to the woman that he is in fact the Messiah.  At this, we don't read any more of this dialogue between the Samaritan woman and Jesus.  However, in this short time on a pit stop on his way to Galilee, Jesus has made an impact on this woman and will make an impact on the town.  Jesus looks pretty cool, I must say.

John 4:7-15

A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”

John 4:7-15

This is such a fascinating interaction that we find here in John 4 between Jesus and this Samritan woman.  As the woman enters the scene to draw water, Jesus asks her for a drink.  We find out that Jesus is alone since his disciples had gone into the city to buy food.  Question: If Jews have no dealings with Samaritans, why would the disciples go into the city to buy food from the Samaritans?  I guess things like business and buying food do not count.  Instead, asking for a drink is a bit different.

Jesus asks her for a drink to which she questions his actions: “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?”  Why is he even talking to her?  Not only is she a Samaritan, but she's also a woman.  Not only is she a Samritan and a woman, but she is perhaps outcast from her society due to the fact that she comes to draw water at noon.  Perhaps she did this to avoid the rest of the people who would typically draw water when it wasn't quite so hot outside.  In any case, it is a surprise to her and probably to the reader that Jesus would even speak to this person.

Jesus raises the surprise by saying something else unexpected: “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”  How weird is that?  In response to her surprise that he is even talking to her, Jesus tells her that she should actually be asking him for a drink.  If she actually knew, she would ask him.  What is it that she is supposed to know?  Jesus's words are, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,'"  What she is to know in regards to asking Jesus is the gift of God and who he is.  AMP takes the liberty to interpret the gift of God as eternal life.  Who he is is revealed to her later when he tells her that he is the Messiah.  What Jesus would give her (as he refers to in what he says to her) is not just a drink, but living water.  If we jump ahead to what Jesus says next, we find that this living water is that which causes the drinker to never be thirsty again.  Instead, it will "become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life".

To what Jesus says she is still confused.  Where does this man even get this water from?  She shows her confusion in what she says next, seeing that he has nothing to draw water with and that the well is deep.  This seems to her as the only source of water, so if he were to give her a drink, it seems quite impossible for him to do so.  She obviously wonders, where does he get this water from?  She actually goes on to make another point about the well.  Jacob gave them this well and she wonders if he is greater than Jacob who gave them this well.  We know that the answer is "yes".  Jesus is most certainly greater than Jacob.  However, at this moment she still doesn't get it (and perhaps that's understandable).

Jesus still gives a somewhat odd response.  Wouldn't the typical response be to answer where he is getting this living water from?  Instead, Jesus simply tells her more about his living water in compared to regular water.  Drinking from regular water will only satisfy ones thirst for a period of time, but that person will eventually get thirsty again.  However, Jesus' living water will satisfy ones thirst forever.  The way he puts it is as follows: "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again."

Jesus doesn't stop there but adds to what he has just said: "The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."  I'm not entirely sure if this explains how someone would not thirst after drinking Jesus' living water or if this is something that happens in addition.  It would make sense that a spring of water would continue to satisfy ones thirst since it seems like a continuous supply of water.  AMP takes liberties to explain that this spring of water is "[satisfying his thirst for God]".  However, this may also be something in addition to satisfying ones own thirst.  This may be because Jesus tells us that this spring is "welling up to eternal life".  Perhaps it's both explaining and adding something.  Either way we get a picture of a spring of water within someone that is connected to eternal life for that person.

I guess at this point Jesus finally has her intrigued.  As impossible as it sounds, is it not intriguing to be offered water that will cause one to never be thirsty again?  I can imagine that some people would not be as keen to jump at this opportunity.  In fact, we know this to be true.  Since Jesus is actually speaking of more than just water, we know that many do not choose to accept Jesus' offer.  In any case, we see the woman who is now intrigued asking for this water.  She says that she doesn't want to have to keep coming to this well to draw water.

Now the question is: will Jesus simply give it to her now that she wants the living water that Jesus is offering?  If what Jesus says in this chapter is any indication of what is to come, then he most certainly will not.  In fact, if you think about it, she really only wants the water because she will never be thirsty again.  She still doesn't know who Jesus is.  To put it another way, she merely wants the benefits but cares nothing for the giver himself.  Is this not typical?  John Piper puts it this way:

“The critical question for our generation—and for every generation—is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ were not there? ”

-John Piper

There is more to be said and more to be done.  We are only  half-way through this conversation.

John 4:1-6

Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. And he had to pass through Samaria. So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.

John 4:1-6

I have found that I really like the book of John.  It is so simple and it's simplicity makes it so approachable.  Yet, at the same time it is so wonderfully deep and complex.  I guess this could be said of just about all of scripture.

Taking a quick peek in the previous chapter, we have seen Jesus meeting up with Nicodemus by night and talking about being born again.  It is in this conversation that we get the famous John 3:16.  The second part of that chapter took a look at John the Baptist.  Once again, John the Baptist points away from himself and towards Christ.

So, picking up in Chapter 4, we read that "The Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John".  It is when Jesus learns this that he departs for Galilee.  Now, Jesus knows this already, does he not?  I guess the significance is that even if Jesus already knew this or that, from our point of view or for the purposes of those around him, we see an action and a reaction.  As those reading the story, we get an insight into Jesus' actions and what is causing him to do this or that.  In this case, we see that he departs for Galilee because the Pharisees hear that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John the Baptist.  This shows that though the Pharisees may have been interested in John the Baptist at the beginning of the book of John, there is a shift in popularity.  As a result, the Pharisees will probably begin to become more and more interested in Jesus.

What's interesting is that this reaction isn't necessarily what one would expect.  Isn't the typical reaction to a raise in popularity to embrace it?  Yes, because we know the end from the beginning, this may not be surprising.  However, just looking at life and celebrities and people by nature.  Jesus does the opposite of that by going away.

In his travels, Jesus passes through Samaria.  I'm not entirely sure, but I suspect that a typical Jew in that day would not have passed through Samaria.  Instead, a typical Jew would have traveled around Samaria instead of through it.  I suspect that this is true from the fact that later on int his chapter, the text explains the relationship between Samritans and Jews:

The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

John 4:9

In any case, we also learn that the setting of this chapter is not just some random well in some random field in Samaria.  Instead, we read that it just so happens to be Jacob's well, which is "near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph".  What is the significance of this?  I am not sure...

Anyway, Jesus is tired and is sitting beside the well.  The time is also significant, being the 6th hour (noon).  An important question to ask is: why is someone coming to draw water at noon?  It would make more sense to come early in the morning to draw water.  At noon the sun is high and it is probably the hottest time of the day.  However, this may be because this woman is an outcast.  Regardless, Jesus is there and this meeting takes place.  One could even say that Jesus is there for this meeting.  I do not presume that our God does anything by accident or half-heartedly.  Instead, he means to do what he does and there is a reason.  If he decides and plans on something, he does it and is not late nor is he early.  Jesus is there to meet this woman.

James 3:13-18

Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

James 3:13-18

The wise should "show his works in the meekness of wisdom".  I am a bit perplexed by what this means.  I guess it seems that the wise should somehow show his or her good works.  This means that his good deeds are on display for others to see.  However, how are these good deeds shown "in the meekness of wisdom"?  If we look ahead, we see James bringing up "jealousy and selfish ambition", things that one should not have or do.  In addition, boasting and "being false to the truth" are also things that are not recommended.  It would seem that "the meekness of wisdom" does not bode well with jealousy, selfish ambition, boasting and "being false to the truth".  Even if we're not quite sure what "the meekness of wisdom" is, we know that it is not (or does not have) jealousy, selfish ambition, boasting and/or "being false to the truth".

So, wise people or wisdom does not have those things.  Does this mean that to be wise means to avoid or not engage in that sort of behavior?  As I reflect on these things, I have found that I am privy to these sorts of things.  It is a bit concerning since I want to be wise and I don't want to be foolish.  Perhaps you should examine yourself and make sure that you are not engaging in that sort of behavior?

In any case, James goes on to explain that those sorts of things does not equate with wisdom.  In particular, he notes that it is different from "the wisdom that comes down from above".  True wisdom is from above.  True wisdom is not of this earth.  Wisdom is from God.  I am reminded of Proverbs 3:7.

Be not wise in your own eyes;
    fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.

Proverbs 3:7

There are other things that James mentions in relation to wisdom.  He lists the things that Wisdom are.

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

v17

As we mediate on these verses from James, may God penetrate our hearts and teach us his truth.

1 Peter 1:13-21

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

1 Peter 1:13-21

Well, since this salvation is such a big deal, Peter calls his readers to gear up and get focused.  He says, "set your hopefully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ".  They are also called to "not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance".  So, they are called to go "all in" and not be bothered or concerned with things of their past life.

With regards to setting hope fully on this grace, Peter actually began by saying "preparing your minds for action, and being sober minded".  This is something to be ready, prepared and alert for.  This is not something to do half-heartedly or just as an afterthought.

With regards to not being conformed to former passions, Peter actually begins by saying "as obedient children".  Obedience is what calls believers to stay away from these former passions.  This is because believers are called to holiness.  Peter directs his reader's attention to God who says "you shall be holy, for I am holy".

Committing to going all in on this amazing grace and steering clear of passions of the past are two very important things.  This is what Christians do.  It's not just about believing but also being holy because God is holy.

Peter moves on to encourage his readers to "conduct yourselves with fear".  He is calling them to the gravity of their actions and the seriousness of their salvation.  God is judge and he is a fair judge.  This means that your wrongdoing will not go unnoticed.  Just because you were ransomed doesn't mean your sin doesn't matter.  God's saving of you wasn't a simple thing that makes little difference either way.  It was so serious because of what we were ransomed from, which is why Peter brings this up.  Also, it is a big deal because of what was used to ransom us.  We were ransomed with the precious blood of Christ.  He was "like that of a lamb without blemish or spot".  This too was a big deal and a prime sacrifice.

Just in case you thought Jesus was some last minute plan to fix what was broken, Peter explains that "he was foreknown before the foundation of the world".  This was planned a long time ago.  So, why now of all times?  Why not long time ago?  Well, Peter simply says that he was "made manifest in the last times for the sake of you".  "You" are his readers and those he describes as "elect exiles of the Dispersion".  It is for the believers.

It is through Jesus that makes believers "believers in God".  How does that work?  Well, this is probably in relation to what Peter says next.  God is the one "who raised him (Jesus) from the dead and gave him (Jesus) glory.  The result is that faith and hope are in God.  God raises and glorifies Jesus.  Yet, this works both ways, doesn't it?  Just look at the way Jesus talks about it in John 5.  I know some who deny that Jesus is God will point to that as a reason why Jesus is not God, but we also see a way in which honoring the Son means to honor the Father who sent him.  Even going back to what Peter says here, we see that God giving Jesus glory is related to hope and faith in God.  Once again, one might argue that this doesn't necessarily point to Jesus being God because God is described as the actor in raising Jesus and giving Jesus glory.  I guess maybe what I'm wrestling with is this: how does giving Jesus glory result in faith and hope in God?  This mainly makes sense to me if Jesus is God.  How does God get faith and hope if he glorifies something or someone other than himself?  In any case, Jesus is God and his raising and glorifying is for believer's faith and hope being in God.

1 Peter 1:10-12

Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

1 Peter 1:10-12

This salvation is a really big deal.  A long time ago, the prophets prophesied about  this salvation.  They were the ones who "searched and inquired carefully" regarding who and when this was to happen.  In fact, all of that wasn't even for their own sake but for believers like Peter's readers.  It is even something that "angels long to look (into)".  This very thing that the prophets prophesied for the sake of believers many years later and something that even angels long to look into is what believers have.  This is important and a big deal.

1 Peter 1:8-9

Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

1 Peter 1:8-9

Addressing his readers, Peter talks about their faith.  Even though they have not seen Jesus, they love him and believe in him.  This reminds me of a verse in Hebrews.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1

If I recall, I remember spouting that in answer to the question "what is faith?" and being brushed off as if it was a dumb answer.  It may be a canned answer, but truth is found in God's word.  It may sounds too simple and it may not be what he was looking for, but it is the truth.

There is something else that is described at the believer and their faith.  Not only do they believe in and love Jesus whom they have never seen, but they also rejoice.  This rejoicing is described in this way: "rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory".  What is the result of this?  The result is "obtaining the outcome of your faith".  This must be faith that Peter is describing.  The result of which is as Peter says "the salvation of your souls".  The outcome of faith is salvation.  This is why being saved is "through faith" as described in Ephesians 2.

However, lest we rush ahead too quickly, let us not forget to read the rest of Ephesians 2.  We are told that is not by works that we are saved.  It is not us and it is not a work done by us.  It is by grace.  Yes, this is the outcome of our faith.  And I love how not only does Peter talk about love and belief, but he goes on to talk about rejoicing with joy.  This is part of faith as well.  How does it go in the Westminster Catechism?

Q. What is the cheif end of man?
A. Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

1 Peter 1:5-7

who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:5-7

Coming to verse 5, Peter is talking about those who have been born again.  They are being guarded by God's power.  Maybe it would be better to say they they are being kept safe.  What's interesting is that it is "through faith" that this is happening.  God's power is doing the guarding but this is happening through faith.  This makes me think of Ephesians 2:8.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

Ephesians 2:8

Believers are saved by grace but this happens through faith.  It seems like a very similar thing is being described here in 1 Peter.

What those who have been born again are being guarded for is described as "a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time".  Are those born again not already saved?  Perhaps it is more of a focus on the revealing of this salvation.  Maybe it is described this way because of the trials that Peter's readers were facing.  It only makes sense that he move on to address what he does in verse 6.

Pointing to that salvation to be revealed and God's power that is guarding those born again, Peter says "In this you rejoice".  It is certainly something to rejoice in.  This is particularly important for his readers who "have been grieved by various trials".  Though times may be tough, those born again can certainly rejoice in the power of God is that is guarding them for a salvation that has not yet been revealed but will be revealed.

Peter tells his readers of a purpose for them being "grieved by various trials".  The purpose is "so that the tested genuineness of your faith... may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ".  As NLT puts it, "These trials will show that your faith is genuine".  The result is that your faith will produce an outpouring of praise when Christ is revealed.  It may be tough, but it's worth it in the end.

James 3:1-12

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.  For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.  If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well.  Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs.  So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.
How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!  And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.  For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind,  but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.  With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.  From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.  Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?  Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

James 3:1-12

This chapter begins with something very interesting.  There is a warning that most should not be teachers.  I feel like this isn't a popular thing to say.  I would argue that many people want to be teachers.  I want to be a teacher.  But, for most of us, we actually shouldn't become teachers.  Perhaps we should stop and ask what he means by teacher.  I don't think this is limited to a pastor.  This probably isn't limited to a school teacher or a motivational speaker.  Perhaps things like these are the main target, but I think it's much larger than this.  When I see someone walking into traffic, am I not teaching them when I warn them about the danger of not looking both ways before crossing the road?  What about when my mom tells me that I should eat butter instead of margarine?  I guess we are all teachers every now and then.  But when it comes to this passage, perhaps the idea is somewhere in the middle.  Sure, pastors are definitely included.  However, when people take strongly to imparting some "wisdom" to others are become proponents of a given message, then maybe this would also be included in what James is talking about.  In any case, becoming a teacher is a serious thing that not many people should become.  The reason for this is because they will be judged with greater strictness.

Though teachers are judged with greater strictness and not many should become them, it is still a good thing to be a teacher.  James is just warning about the seriousness.  Looking to 1 Timothy, we see some good things about being a teacher: "Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching".  So, before you get scared away from being a teacher, remember that there are still some that should be teachers and it is something that is even to be worthy of double honor.

To add more seriousness to this, James reminds his readers that "we all stumble in many ways".  There is a gravity to what you teach, especially considering the fact that everyone makes mistakes.  There are many ways in which people can screw up.  People who don't make mistakes are those who are perfect.  Question: is anyone perfect?  Answer: God is perfect.  For everyone else, we're not perfect.  Therefore, we will all make mistakes.  Does this mean that no one should be teachers?  No, James only said that not many should become teachers.  Instead, he is pointing to the seriousness of this.  Take seriously the responsibility of a teacher.  Sure, we all make mistakes, but teachers need to teach with the weight and seriousness of teaching in mind.  Carefully consider the words that come out of your mouth.

There are a few illustrations that James provides.  The first is of a horse.  A horse is a relatively large animal.  Yet, this large animal is guided by a small bit that is placed in its mouth.  Similarly, large ships can be guided by a small rudder.  These illustrations are used to point to the tongue.  A person's tongue is small, yet it can guide and direct the whole course of a person.  Just because it is small doesn't mean that it can't make a big difference.

Moving on, James talks about the destructive capability and power of a tongue.  A forest can be set ablaze by a tiny fire.  The tongue is like that fire.  As James puts it: "The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell".  The tongue is like that fire, staining the whole body and even affecting the entire course of life.

There is one thing that is interesting that James mentions.  He adds at the end of verse 6: "and set on fire by hell".  The source of this fire or what begins this fire is hell.  This shows that the horrible things that come out of ones mouth and the destructive results come from hell itself.  Now, this doesn't excuse a person from the responsibility of their actions, but it does warn us to remain on guard.

Can anyone tame the tongue?  According to James, no one can.  Does that mean we should give up?  No, we need to work at it and fight sin, as we read about in Romans 8:13.  Now, one person made an interesting point about those who are more quiet by nature.  Some people seem to have a good handle and a tight reign on their tongues.  When we think about these people, it seems as if there are exceptions to what James says here.  What about people who are mute and cannot talk?  These people obviously can tame their tongue because they can't say anything.  Perhaps taming your tongue is more than just what you say.  Perhaps it is about your outward expression to others.  A mute person may use sign language or write.  Someone who doesn't talk much still has body language.  Even when you don't say something, you are expressing yourself, are you not?  To not speak up in the fact of injustice is wrong, is it not?  Then again, this goes a bit beyond what James is talking about here, isn't it?  Still, you can shut your mouth and still have a problem with "taming your tongue".  Your expressions of hate or disgust may not come out from your mouth, but can come out in different ways.  Perhaps this is why Jesus explained that out of the mouth proceeds from the heart.

But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.
Matthew 15:18-19

Perhaps the issue is really about ones own heart, though James is addressing people's tongues.  I remember hearing an illustration from a pastor.  This guy described an illustration about a person carrying a cup of bitter water.  Unfortunately, someone came by and bumped them and caused them to spill the bitter water out of the cup.  So, the holder of the cup complained in anger, saying: "You caused me to spill all this bitter water out of my cup".  However, the real issue was the fact that they were carrying the bitter water in the first place.

In any case, the issue at hand is taming the tongue and it is something I need to work on.  Even if I'm quiet, this issue arguably goes beyond the tongue to my heart.  Looking ahead at the last examples, we see James use the illustration of a spring, a tree and a pond.  He asks, "Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water".  The answer is no.  A spring can't produce both salt water and fresh water.  It is either one or the other.  Similarly, he asks, "Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs".  The answer is no.  A fig tree produces figs, not olives.  A grapevine produces grapes, not figs.  Lastly, the illustration of a pond is similar to the illustration of a spring.  A salt pond can't produce fresh water.

These illustrations are all to support his point.  He is arguing that it doesn't make sense for one to use their mouth for both blessing and cursing.  People may bless God but turn and curse people.  James even makes notes that these people that are being cursed are "made in the likeness of God".  How can you bless God but curse things made in the likeness of God?  Just like a spring or a tree, it doesn't make sense for both blessing and cursing to come out of our mouths.  We need to work at taming our tongue.

Maybe one of the reasons why James is so hard is because he is so "cut and dry".  He is to the point and doesn't really explain "how".  How are we to tame our tongue?  He doesn't help us in that regard.  It is still important that he addresses this and points his readers to this problem.  We need to tame our tongues.