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 that Jesus shows by healing this man, and make this a story about needing to care for all. However, the rest of the passage reveals a deeper poignancy to this encounter. Yes, Jesus cares for a lonely man cast aside by the oppressive systems of the day. But, this episode is really about who Jesus is. He is not just an ancient Florence Nightingale. He rewrites the very basis for hope. Rather than depending on a system that emphasises what we do to bring hope (Sabbath and religious obedience), Jesus reveals hope that is nothing to do with what we can achieve at all. In fact, the very things we try to focus on are not as important as we think anyway (v14). And as we discover this hope, it becomes more life-changing than we ever realised. For full videos of our livestream services please visit our YouTube Channel - http://bit.ly/RiversideChurchOnline What's true of Riverside Church when we meet together physically on a Sunday morning is still true of us online. We exist to help people get to know Jesus and grow as his followers. Whoever you are, whatever you believe, you're so welcome in this community. To find out more about Riverside Church and to find our social media account information please visit: https://riverside-church.org.uk/ Note: While this talk is based on the above listed sections of the Bible, the actual bible readings used during our services may sometimes change.