1 text, 2 sermons!

Here are two sermon outlines on the same text. I'll put my comments at the end!

The Pool of Bethesda

"1After these things there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes. 3In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, waiting for the moving of the waters; 4for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted. 5A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, "Do you wish to get well?" 7The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me." 8Jesus said to him, "Get up, pick up your pallet and walk." 9Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk." John 5:1-9.

Summary of sermon 1
(If only real sermons were this short!)

This man had been ill for 48 years. When Jesus asked whether he wanted to be well, you'd think he'd have just said, "yes!" But no, he uses the chance to have a good whinge about how miserable his life is. No wonder all of his family and friends left him! He came out with all of the excuses as to why he couldn't get healed. You could almost imagine that he had become so comfortable with his position that he wasn't even putting much effort in any more! But Jesus, for whatever reason, showed mercy on him and out of all of the other people there he was the one that Jesus healed.

Summary of sermon 2

Why did Jesus go to this man? Other people who Jesus gave special attention to seemed to have good cause. The woman with the issue had forced her way to him, Zaccheas had climbed the tree, the man with the friends had dug through a roof. Blind Bartimaeus had called out from the road side. But, when Jesus went to this man he didn't even seem to care. This man had choices. He could have stayed at home with his family (if he had any). He certainly could have stayed in the road begging. But this man had decided he wanted God to heal him. He didn't want to be a beggar, a burden and dependant on men. He wanted God's touch. That is the same as all the others. They had all pushed to get to Jesus, and this man had pushed and pushed to get to the water. It was a bit of a lottery but most either were able to get there or had others to get them there. This man had neither. Jesus "noticed that he had already been a long time in that condition." This was not how God's blessing was meant to be distributed, survival of the fittest. This man had always managed to be the slowest. It is quite possible that there is no one left of those who were there when he first came to the pool and those who came after have been healed. The "Take a number" system hadn't been invented then! Jesus was making sure that no one was missed. The others around the pool would get their turn in the water, but this man was likely to never get to the water.

My thoughts

One preacher has a negative view and the other has a positive view. With one the glass is half empty, the other half full. They are both looking at the same man in the same situation, one decides the man is miserable the other sees him as full of faith and determination. All I can say is, "I'd rather be a friend of the second preacher!"

(I've been having real trouble with the text editor!)