READ: John 5
Verses chosen for
meditation: John 5:6-9.
6 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?”
7 The sick
man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is
stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.”
8 Jesus said to him, “Get up,
take up your bed, and walk.” 9 And at once the
man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.
REFLECT
John 5:1-17
gives an account of Jesus healing an invalid man at Bethesda Pool on Sabbath Day.
The invalid was in his condition for 38 years. Notice that he was not called a “lame”
man but had a disease that disabled him to walk. Given his conditions, he would
need someone to help him be the first to get into the pool each time the water
stirred.
So, isn’t Jesus’
question a rhetorical one when He asked the disabled man (v.6), “Do you want to
be healed?” If not careful, one may hear it incorrectly with a hint of sarcasm.
It would be like such questions,” Does the sun rise in the east?” or “Isn’t
blood red in colour?”
At the same
time, one could imagine two possible thoughts in the mind of this invalid. Firstly,
the obvious one, “Are you kidding me? I have been waiting for help for 38 years
to get healed!” His second response could be, “Nobody was willing to help me
all these long years? So, what hope do I have this time?
RELATE
One may ask, was there sarcasm in Jesus’ question, “do you want to be
healed?” His questions are always posed for our good. Jesus knows our every
heart; He knew that the man wanted to get well. Jesus could also understand the
invalid’s frustrations because it had been a long while since anyone has offer
to care. But Jesus needed to hear from this invalid personally, for him to
utter his desire for healing. Before the divine miracle, Jesus’ intent was to be
available to restore in him a hope that had grown cold. He did this by asking a
rather obvious question, and then giving ways to respond in verse 8, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.”
Notice that the words, “get up” and “walk” are in
the present tense whereas the word, “pick up” is in aorist tense (a command to
do an action one point in time). Furthermore, all three tenses are in the
imperative mood. The different tenses used here may suggest that the man was
being told that from that time on, he should repeatedly “rise up and walk.” He
will no longer be an invalid. He would be healed from then on, just like what
verse 9 has recorded, “And at once the man was healed”.
So often, we are like the invalid; each of us with places in our lives
where hope has withered. Jesus sees us and compassionately invites us to
believe in hope again. The same Jesus today can restore all that seem far too difficult
or impossible to achieve, according to His purposes.
Do you have any desires and aspirations that you may have possibly given
up hope for some reasons? Ask our Way Maker, Jesus to restore your hope and
fulfil those “dreams”. It is a great privilege to depend on Jesus who wants to
meet our every need and make us well in every way. Only Jesus alone can heal
from our despair to hope, because He is far more than “a pool of water at Bethesda”. So, come to
Jesus in faith, for nothing is too difficult for Him!
REST
Dear Lord, align me with Your plan and destiny that You have prepared
for me.
“Way Maker” by Leeland:
https://youtu.be/iJCV_2H9xD0?si=u1Zht0zX6UOnsBKN
Vincent
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