John 5:1-9
Only the Apostle John shares with us the story of the man who was waiting for the moving of the water. Near the sheep market, where people would purchase a lamb for sacrifice before going into the temple, was an open-air infirmary. Many of the sick and paralyzed from Jerusalem had taken up permanent residence there, for there was a legend in Israel that an angel would come and stir the waters, healing whoever jumped in first. This is a picture of the law, which rewards the strong over the weak, and guarantees healing to those who can help themselves.
The place is called Bethesda, which means “house of mercy” in Hebrew (John 5:2), and when Jesus walks in, it truly lives up to its name. He goes directly to a “certain man” which indicates that Jesus came looking for him (5:5). This man has had an infirmity for 38 years, and is unable to get himself to the pool when the angel stirs the water. He has trusted in his strength for healing for 38 long years and has never been able to get to the angel, but on this particular day, the Angel has come to him! Law demands that you get on your feet and do your best, while grace and truth come walking towards you.
Jesus poses a crucial question to the man, “Wilt thou be made whole?” (John 5:6) This is an interesting thing to ask someone who has been sick for 38 years, but it shows us an important thing about the human condition. Some people have grown accustomed to what they are and who they are. They think that the bad things that are happening to them are just their “lot in life”, and they are no longer truly looking for victory or for good things to happen. The question is not just for the lame man, but for all of us. Do we really want to be made whole? Are we defined by our down-days and our discouragements? Are we using our failures and our problems as a crutch?
The shocking thing about the story is that the man does not scream, “YES!” when he is asked if he wishes to be healed. His answer is, “Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steps down before me” (John 5:7). Our heart is so tuned to works and performance that when asked if he wants to be healed he begins to give reasons as to why he hasn’t already earned it. Jesus is there to do a great work of grace and mercy and he is leaning on his inability to get into the pool.
Jesus tells him to do the impossible when He says, “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk” (John 5:8). If the man says, “Sir, I cannot rise because I cannot walk” then healing would have passed him by. Instead, he must believe that what Jesus is saying is true because, “immediately the man was made whole” (John 5:9).
Do you wish to be whole of everything that ails you? Rise, take up your bed and walk. This act of faith is still relevant for us today as we trust that the healer is in the house. He loves you and He has paid a great price for your healing in both body and soul.
Only the Apostle John shares with us the story of the man who was waiting for the moving of the water. Near the sheep market, where people would purchase a lamb for sacrifice before going into the temple, was an open-air infirmary. Many of the sick and paralyzed from Jerusalem had taken up permanent residence there, for there was a legend in Israel that an angel would come and stir the waters, healing whoever jumped in first. This is a picture of the law, which rewards the strong over the weak, and guarantees healing to those who can help themselves.
The place is called Bethesda, which means “house of mercy” in Hebrew (John 5:2), and when Jesus walks in, it truly lives up to its name. He goes directly to a “certain man” which indicates that Jesus came looking for him (5:5). This man has had an infirmity for 38 years, and is unable to get himself to the pool when the angel stirs the water. He has trusted in his strength for healing for 38 long years and has never been able to get to the angel, but on this particular day, the Angel has come to him! Law demands that you get on your feet and do your best, while grace and truth come walking towards you.
Jesus poses a crucial question to the man, “Wilt thou be made whole?” (John 5:6) This is an interesting thing to ask someone who has been sick for 38 years, but it shows us an important thing about the human condition. Some people have grown accustomed to what they are and who they are. They think that the bad things that are happening to them are just their “lot in life”, and they are no longer truly looking for victory or for good things to happen. The question is not just for the lame man, but for all of us. Do we really want to be made whole? Are we defined by our down-days and our discouragements? Are we using our failures and our problems as a crutch?
The shocking thing about the story is that the man does not scream, “YES!” when he is asked if he wishes to be healed. His answer is, “Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steps down before me” (John 5:7). Our heart is so tuned to works and performance that when asked if he wants to be healed he begins to give reasons as to why he hasn’t already earned it. Jesus is there to do a great work of grace and mercy and he is leaning on his inability to get into the pool.
Jesus tells him to do the impossible when He says, “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk” (John 5:8). If the man says, “Sir, I cannot rise because I cannot walk” then healing would have passed him by. Instead, he must believe that what Jesus is saying is true because, “immediately the man was made whole” (John 5:9).
Do you wish to be whole of everything that ails you? Rise, take up your bed and walk. This act of faith is still relevant for us today as we trust that the healer is in the house. He loves you and He has paid a great price for your healing in both body and soul.
