In today’s readings there’s water water everywhere. The first reading from Ezekiel is sort of the opposite of the flood story. Water from the temple creates a river that supports all life, fish and fruit trees for food and medicine and is pure fresh water for everything beneficial. This is water that heals instead of water that destroys.

In the Gospel we again see healing waters, and come across a man who needs healing but is unable to access the waters. He is right there, but because he doesn’t have any one to help him into the waters, others always get ahead of him and he does not get the healing benefits. He’s been ill for 38 years and unable to access the waters because of his infirmity. Like the waters in Ezekiel that heal everything they touch, he needs to touch the waters for the healing properties. He must be very frustrated, so close, and unable to touch the waters. But Jesus sees him, and recognizes his plight. He knows the man has been trying for a long time to get to the waters. He says to him, “Do you want to be well?” and the man tells him how he can’t get to the waters because he has no one to help him. But Jesus says, “Take up your mat and walk.” And that’s all it took. Not the healing waters but the words from Jesus.

However, it’s the Sabbath, and there are rules against labor on the Sabbath. Perhaps Jesus should not be healing on the Sabbath, and certainly no one should be carrying anything on the Sabbath. When the Jews saw the man carrying his mat, he was told that it was unlawful for him to carry his mat. They actually seemed more concerned about the mat-carrying than the healing. The previously ill man said that a man healed him and told him to pick up his mat and walk. The Jews were concerned about this – who is this man who encouraged such law-breaking. The now well man didn’t know, and there was a big crowd. But then Jesus came to him and said, “Look, you are well; do not sin any more.” Then the man told the Jews who had healed him and encouraged him to carry his mat, so they persecuted Jesus for doing this on the Sabbath.