Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 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 5:2-6 (ESV)
The man that Jesus encountered at the pool in Bethesda had been paralyzed for nearly 40 years. In fact, he had suffered from paralysis going back well before Jesus had even been born. Although the Bible doesn’t specify how many of those 38-years he spent lying there by the pool hoping to be healed, it does tell us that he’d been there a long time. I think it’s reasonable to assume that this fella was pretty much a “regular” there.
When we read about the miraculous healings that Jesus performed, an overwhelming majority of them came after being asked. But this one is unique. This man didn’t know who Jesus was; it was Jesus who did the asking. And Jesus got right to the point with him. “Do you want to be healed?”
This is such an odd question, especially considering that Jesus knew the story of this man’s life, how long he’d been suffering. For that matter, Jesus didn’t need to do anything to heal him. He could’ve simply told him, “Get up and walk.” But there’s something significant in this question Jesus asks.
I believe there are a few reasons why.
The first reason, sadly, is that not everyone truly wants to be healed. I’m reminded of this reality quite often as I think about the number of people I meet in recovery who run right back to their drinking or drugging lifestyle as soon as the heat from the legal system or their spouse starts to fade. Sure – they want their circumstances to change, but they don’t want to change. They just want to be free of the consequences. So they choose to stay sick.
And then some people, unfortunately, grow quite fond of the pity and attention that their sickness tends to afford them. There are no expectations to be met, no blame to be assumed. Perhaps you know someone like that, someone who’s quick to point out that they’ve been dealt a bad hand in life and that’s the reason they are the way they are. Their sickness becomes their emotional crutch in life.
But perhaps the biggest reason Jesus asked the man if he wanted to be healed was because Jesus wanted him to seriously consider the hopelessness of his situation.
And ultimately this is where all of us land. Without Jesus, our situation is beyond desperate… we’re hopeless. Some of us think that a different career will heal us, that a relationship will heal us, that more money and a nicer car or house will make us good as new again. But the reality is this: Without Jesus, we’re all nothing more than sick people lying beside a pool and waiting for the water to stir.
When that man woke up that morning, he probably thought it would be just another day of waiting and suffering. But Jesus came looking for him, and everything about his life changed following that encounter.
Today, He’s looking for you, too. Invite Him into your mess. Tell Him, “Jesus, I’ve laid on this mat long enough and I desperately need Your help. Will You heal me? Will You help me change what needs to change in my life so that I can live a life that pleases You?
Invite Him in, and watch what He does. He will change your life, too.
Former Blackout Artist 