Daily Bread 2010 - John 5
Daily Bread 2010 – John 5
The Healing at the Pool
1Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews. 2Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. 5One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?"
7"Sir," the invalid replied, "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me."
8Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." 9At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.
The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, 10and so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat."
11But he replied, "The man who made me well said to me, 'Pick up your mat and walk.'
"12So they asked him, "Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?"
13The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.
The pool that this disabled man used to sit by for years was thought to have healing powers. Yesterday, Jesus was described as the “living water”, and this man was about to encounter the living water. He had been an invalid for 38 years, so you can only imagine how resigned he was to his condition. Maybe this is why Jesus asks him, “Do you want to get well?”
The man further explains that he has no one to put him in the pool when the healing waters were stirred. To which Jesus says to the man, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured.
Many today suffer from chronic diseases and some accept this is as their fate in life. Some may even lose a desire to get well. Unless we have struggled for 38 years with a disease, we probably shouldn’t be too quick to judge. But the fact is Jesus challenges him about his desire to get well and then tells him to get up and walk.
There are times in our lives when we need to challenge ourselves or others around us to not get stuck in a “pity party”. We all have challenges, physically and emotionally. But a question we might ask ourselves or someone around us is, “Do you want to get well?” Sometimes the Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.
God help us to step out in faith to meet our challenges, and pick up our mat and walk. As we trust in your power and presence Jesus we know you will meet us and grab our hand. Thanks for your healing power that is still as evident today as it was 2,000 years ago. Jesus thank you for challenging us today and may we face our challenges knowing that you are with us and will never leave or forsake us. Amen.
The Healing at the Pool
1Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews. 2Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. 5One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?"
7"Sir," the invalid replied, "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me."
8Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." 9At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.
The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, 10and so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat."
11But he replied, "The man who made me well said to me, 'Pick up your mat and walk.'
"12So they asked him, "Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?"
13The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.
The pool that this disabled man used to sit by for years was thought to have healing powers. Yesterday, Jesus was described as the “living water”, and this man was about to encounter the living water. He had been an invalid for 38 years, so you can only imagine how resigned he was to his condition. Maybe this is why Jesus asks him, “Do you want to get well?”
The man further explains that he has no one to put him in the pool when the healing waters were stirred. To which Jesus says to the man, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured.
Many today suffer from chronic diseases and some accept this is as their fate in life. Some may even lose a desire to get well. Unless we have struggled for 38 years with a disease, we probably shouldn’t be too quick to judge. But the fact is Jesus challenges him about his desire to get well and then tells him to get up and walk.
There are times in our lives when we need to challenge ourselves or others around us to not get stuck in a “pity party”. We all have challenges, physically and emotionally. But a question we might ask ourselves or someone around us is, “Do you want to get well?” Sometimes the Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.
God help us to step out in faith to meet our challenges, and pick up our mat and walk. As we trust in your power and presence Jesus we know you will meet us and grab our hand. Thanks for your healing power that is still as evident today as it was 2,000 years ago. Jesus thank you for challenging us today and may we face our challenges knowing that you are with us and will never leave or forsake us. Amen.
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