Riverside Church, Birmingham, Uk

Title: No-one To Help By: Sarah Auger Bible Reading: Book of John (Chapter 5, verses 1-15) Recorded: Sunday 10/05/2020 (Online Service) Longing For Hope: No-one To Help One of the most devastating experiences during this painful time has been the isolation. From the monotony of social distancing to the tragedy of being alone in sickness and death, this disease has separated us. It has highlighted our long-forgotten need for each other. As the old poet said ‘No man is an island.’ What is true now has been true throughout history, and during this encounter we see Jesus rescuing a man who is very alone. The words in v7 that there was ‘no-one to help me’ are full of sadness, aren’t they? You can’t help but wonder how long he’d experienced such isolation, given how long he’d been in this condition (v5). And yet Jesus treats him with such honour and respect by not presuming what he wants (v6) - a key foundation of our modern healthcare provision. It could be easy to only emphasise the compassion and care th