Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
Have you ever waited for something for a very long time? When finally, your waiting was fulfilled, how did it change your life? Are you still waiting and if so, how is waiting affecting your life now?
Today, let’s join Jesus in Jerusalem as he encounters a crippled man who had waited many years hoping somehow things might get better for him. This story is found only in John 5:1-15. While Jesus had come to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals, John does not specify which festival, so we don’t know exactly what time of year, or when in the story of Jesus this event happened. But let’s join Jesus today as He encounters as cripple and his life changes forever.
The place of this event is identified as near the Jerusalem Sheep Gate and the pools of Bethesda which had five covered colonnades. If you visit Jerusalem today, this is one of the tourists stops where a significant archeological dig has taken place exposing these pools. John describes this as a place where sick and crippled people gathered in the shade of the coverings and the refreshing of the water. Some ancient manuscripts also describe a supernatural stirring of the waters occasionally, presumed to be an angelic action, which resulted in the healing of anyone who got into the water first. Pause.
Have you noticed misery likes the company of other people in misery? This place was filled with people in misery. Why does misery seek company? Has that ever been you?
Jesus came to this place without fanfare or appointment. There is no evidence a crowd or even the disciples accompanied Him that day. While Jesus may have talked with many people, John gives us the conversation with only one person, a cripple who’d been an invalid for 38 years! (John 5:4,5) While we do not know his age, it’s safe for us to presume the word ‘invalid’ probably described more than only his physical immobility.
Do you suppose “invalid” described his lack of self-esteem, his view of his future potential and perhaps his view of life in general? Did “invalid” describe his relationships including his relationship with God? Was this a man ‘stuck’ in life with no hope or expectation of change. Do you know anyone like that?
I don’t know if Jesus sat down next to the cripple and engaged in a nice long conversation getting to know him and his story, or did Jesus simply cut right to the point with His short question: “Do you want to get well”? (John 5:6) Does that question seem out of character for Jesus? Is it an insensitive, maybe even offensive question? Or was Jesus giving the man a chance to look deeply into his own soul and evaluate what the price of change would be for him? The invalid’s answer sounds so familiar for so many people of our world “I have no one to help me…”.
You and I both know there is a huge percentage of our world’s population who live in familiar pain. Many have little to no anticipation things will ever change for the better, right? For many of them hope died a long time ago. Perhaps you even know some people who find such comfort in pain and dysfunction that if by chance they find themselves on a positive trajectory, they’ll actually sabotage their progress only to fall back into their painful, needy, discouraged familiar. Might that be why Jesus asked this invalid this penetrating question?
Jesus had only two words for this ‘invalid’...“Get up!” I have no doubt the man was startled, shocked and maybe offended. Perhaps Jesus extended His hand to help the man up, maybe Jesus just looked the ‘invalid’ in the eye challenging him to try. Was it as the man struggled to do something he hadn’t done in 38 years, stand up on his own two feet, or was it even before he made his first move that Jesus gave the “invalid” a reason to get up: “Pick up your mat and walk.” (John 5:8) Do you remember another time Jesus healed a cripple on a mat and told the man to take his mat and walk? Yes, we saw that story several days ago in Mark 2. He was the man lowered through the roof by his friends, remember?
John tells us this invalid got up at once, picked up his mat and walked! Wonderful, we shout! But John adds one more very important note: “The day on which this took place was a Sabbath…” Oh my, Jesus was stirring the pot once again wasn’t He? John tells us this newly healed man, walking down the Jerusalem street probably singing with joy, with his mat rolled up under his arm, was confronted by some religious leaders, perhaps on their way to Temple for prayers! They scolded the healed man saying, “Today is the Sabbath, the law forbids you to carry your mat.” (John 5:10)
Oh my, has that ever happened to you? Has someone confronted you and their words pierced your soul, killing your joy, stealing your hope? Is it possible you’ve done that to someone else, even accidentally? Even religious leaders, dressed in royal robes, could not kill the enthusiasm of this man’s first walk, so he said: “The man who made me well told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk’!” (John 5:11) Can you imagine the look on their faces? Because John does NOT tell us the man made any attempt to explain his 38 years as an invalid, I conclude one or more of those religious leaders knew him, had seen him lying on his mat on the ground. The Bethesda pools are very near the Temple mount, yet these religious men deliberately overlooked the miracle to point out his religious mistake, of carrying his mat on Sabbath!
As the leaders pressed the man for more information, he had none to give. He had evidently briskly left the pools, with his mat under his arm, not even taking the time to ask Jesus His name, or how He did this miracle? 38 years of invalid was unleashed, and his future was now unlimited. Let’s pause and watch him, maybe running now, heading home to see family and friends who normally carried him everywhere. What a story he had to tell them!
What’s your story today my friends? When and how many times has God unleashed His mighty power into your life to awaken your hope; to break the invalid chains that held you? When’s the last time Jesus asked you, ‘Do you want to get well’ and how did you answer? Well, do you? What’s holding you back? Fear of failure? Worry you can’t find your way?
Oh, I urge you to invite that question from Jesus and then take Him at His word and get up, make the changes needed to break the chains and change your future by walking with Jesus!
Some very helpful ‘lessons learned’ are at the link below, and a wonderful worship song invites you to Jesus! And I’ll be here waiting for you tomorrow, but don’t come as an invalid, come healed by Jesus!
Today’s Scripture: John 5:1-13.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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