In John chapter 5, Jesus heals a man who had been lame for nearly four decades. The man had no faith, no expectation, and no idea who Jesus was. He did not ask for healing. Jesus simply came to him. Rather than celebrating this miracle, the Pharisees were outraged because it happened on the Sabbath. They had built an elaborate system of rules around the day of rest, and in doing so, they had turned a gift from God into a measuring stick for their own righteousness. This is the heart of legalism: the belief that God's approval is tied to how well you follow the rules. But the gospel tells us that the standard before God is perfection, and none of us meet it. Our favor before God is not found in our obedience. It is found in Christ, and in Him alone.

The healing of the lame man also speaks directly to the prosperity gospel, the idea that God always wills healing and blessing, and that suffering is a sign of insufficient faith. Paul wrote the book of Philippians from a jail cell, facing death, and he did not see his suffering as a contradiction to his faith. He understood that suffering for Christ is part of the calling, not a punishment. God uses difficulty to accomplish something greater in us and through us. The eternal promises that await us in glory make every earthly hardship small by comparison, not because the pain is not real, but because it is not the final word.

Both legalism and the prosperity gospel make the same fundamental mistake: they put the focus on you. Your obedience. Your faith. Your performance. The gospel points somewhere else entirely. It points to Christ. He is the source of your favor with God. He works even when your faith is small. The comfort found in suffering does not come from finding the answer within yourself. It comes from trusting the One who is greater than your circumstances, bigger than your doubts, and not limited by anything you bring to the table.