“When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, ‘Do you want to be healed?’” – John 5:6
My family has been to the location of the miracle of the crippled man healed by the pool of Bethesda, and it is an enclosed area that would not have been easy for people with physical disabilities to enter. This was a Thin Place, or a place where the gap between the seen and the unseen realms were a little smaller, as the first person into the pool when the waters stirred would be healed by God. Day after day, the scene had to be awful. People with disabilities were fighting and crawling over one another to get near the water. The sound of people begging God for healing all day and groaning in pain had to be overwhelming. Furthermore, the smell of feces, urine, and sweat in a small area had to be strong.
One day, Jesus walked by and was informed about the man who had been crippled for 38 years, longer than many men even lived in that day. It’s important to note that Jesus did not speak to or heal everyone, but he did speak to the one guy and ask him a question.
“Do you want to get well?”
Rather than simply answering yes or no, the man responded by whining. Jesus told him to get up, pick up his mat, and walk away from his old life into his new life. Cured, the man did as he was told and walked away from everyone who remained in need. He alone got grace and healing for no reason that is made known to us.
John then tells us that all of this happened on the Sabbath. The religious leaders were upset with the man for carrying his mat on the Sabbath. When they questioned the man about carrying his mat, he blamed Jesus for telling him to carry the mat.
Later, Jesus encountered the man at the Temple and told him to stop sinning or he would suffer greatly. While not everyone who is crippled suffers because of their sin, it’s apparent that some people’s sin does bring them great physical suffering. This man suffered because of his sin. And this man was loved and healed by Jesus, though he did not ask for it or deserve it. While the man was likely most interested in being healed physically, Jesus was concerned about him leaving his life of sin and being healed spiritually.
And how did the man respond? We are not told that he thanked Jesus or repented of his sin. This goes to show that Jesus is good to people who are not good to Him.
In tomorrow’s devotional, we will talk about how to minister to those around us who are sick.
Take some time to reflect on a time that Jesus was good to you when you weren’t good to Him.
Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out or HELP for help. Visit https://realfaith.com/faq/ for privacy and terms info.