Are we blinded from the truth because we allow our full attention to focus on the first “wrong” in an event? When Jesus saw a crippled man in a crowd, unable to get into the healing water, after asking him if he wanted to be healed, he simply directed him, “Get up, pick up your mat and walk.” (John 5:8) Then Jesus slipped into the crowd.

“Now the day was Shabbat [Sabbath], so the Judeans said to the man who had been healed, “It’s Shabbat! It’s against Torah [the Law] for you to carry your mat!” They demanded to know who had healed him. When he became aware he “ told the Judeans it was Yeshua [Jesus] who had healed him; and on account of this, the Judeans began harassing Yeshua because he did these things on Shabbat.” (John 5:9-10) They totally missed the point right before their eyes, the glory of God displayed through the healing. 

Are we the same way today? When we don’t look at the whole story, we cheat ourselves. A popular young man died recently in what most considered an unnecessary way. Many people never looked any further into the story. They got stuck there–shaking their heads at what he had done. They missed the glory of God that brought thirty people to Jesus at his funeral.

I can picture God, with his arm around the young man, watching the funeral from Heaven. I can almost hear God say, as he watches thirty people come forward to give their hearts, “Well done.” Don’t get stuck on the tragedy and miss the way God redeems it. May your life story draw thirty more to Christ!