There is a powerful story in the gospel of
Mark, recorded in chapter 2. A man was paralyzed, and his friends were
desperate to get him to Jesus. So much so, that when the friends see the crowd
blocking the door to the house where Jesus was, they take their bedridden
friend to the roof. Once up there, the friends tear a hole in the roof, then
lower their friend down directly in front of Jesus. Jesus was amazed at their
faith, and the paralyzed man was given the ability to stand.
That is an incredible story. Our passage
today is similar but in the gospel of John. But the circumstances around the
event recorded in John are very different. It shows us that while every person
is created equal, they do not share in equal situations.
John 5:1-9 (CEB):
After this
there was a Jewish festival, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In Jerusalem near
the Sheep Gate in the north city wall is a pool with the Aramaic name
Bethsaida. It had five covered porches; and a crowd of people who were sick,
blind, lame, and paralyzed sat there waiting for the water to move. Sometimes
an angel would come down to the pool and stir up the water. Then the first one
going into the water after it had been stirred up was cured of any sickness. A
certain man was there who had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw
him lying there, knowing that he had already been there a long time, he asked
him, “Do you want to get well?”
The sick
man answered, “Sir, I don’t have anyone who can put me in the water when it is
stirred up. When I’m trying to get to it, someone else has gotten in ahead of
me.”
Jesus said
to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” Immediately the man was well, and
he picked up his mat and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath.
This is the Word of God.
For the people of God.
Thanks be to God.
Before I dive into this passage, I think it
is important to address an elephant in the room. Some of your Bibles may have
not had part of verse 3 and all verse 4 in with the rest of the text. Do not
worry, your Bible is not faulty. Those verses might be down in the footnotes.
This is because these verses cannot be verified in all the Greek New Testament
manuscripts that they have found. In no way does this undermine the accuracy of
the Bible, it is 98 percent accurate. Considerably more reliable in accuracy
than such classics as Beowulf and the works of Homer.
I’ve included these verses for two reasons.
One, as teaching moment. As scholars and experts grow in their knowledge of the
Bible through the finding of ancient manuscripts, the accuracy of translations
improves. Two, to me these verses give us an idea to why the man in the passage
is at this pool. The belief that this pool had healing properties is essential
to understanding why the man is there.
Verses 1 through 3 highlights for us the
location of the scene and the type of individuals who would gather by the pool.
The term translated “paralyzed” means “withered” or dried up”. Those gathered
by this pool were those who had little to no prospect of future life. They had
no power or strength and were desperate for a miracle. In verse 2, John records
“It had five covered porches,” perhaps built out of hospitality for these
desperate people as they waited on their miracle.
John introduces us a man in verse 5 who had
been sick for thirty-eight years. No mention is made of what the man’s illness
is, only that he had been suffering for a long time. The man had probably
become a fixture beside this pool, with the hopelessness of his cause being
known to all. And the text would indicate, the man was there on this day with
little hope today would be any different.
Jesus notices the man in verse 6. “When
Jesus saw him lying there, knowing that he had already been there a long time.”
A long time that day or for thirty-eight years? Either way, Jesus knew. And
Jesus asked him what may seem to be a silly question, “Do you want to get
well?” I do not think Jesus is being crazy, there is a reason He asks the man,
but all we can do is speculate. But Jesus asks the man, picking the man out of
the rest of the crowd waiting for healing too.
“Sir, I don’t have anyone who can put me in
the water. When I’m trying to get to it, someone else has gotten in ahead of
me.” This is how the man responds, instead of with an enthusiastic, “Yes!” It
was not like the man had lost the will to be healed, he focused on the reality
that he had no one to help him into the healing waters. When the waters stirred
with their healing properties, all the others were too focused on their own
healing to stop and help him. Over thirty-eight years, I am sure the man lost count
of how many times this happened.
Today, the water was not needed. Jesus was
there, and He had the means. Jesus said to the man, “Get up! Pick up your mat
and walk.” As crazy as sounds to tell a man unable to stand for thirty-eight
years to stand up, verse 9 tells us the man was immediately cured. The man may
have had no one there to help into the water, but Jesus was there and helped
the man to stand up!
What does all this have to do with us? In
the beginning I mentioned every person is created equal, but not everyone
shares in equal situations. The man in our passage was at the pool with all
those other folks just as desperate for a miracle. Many of those folks had the
ability to get up on their own and get into the water, at least giving them a
chance to benefit from the healing water. But the man in our story could not
get up, he said, “I have no one to help me.”
If we were to go across the street to talk
with families, stop to chat with those who rely on our blessings box, or visit
the struggling children at our schools, but many of them would say, “I have no
one to help me.” Like the man in our story, they feel the helplessness of their
situation and see no way out. They would pull themselves up by their
bootstraps, but they have no boots. There is a desire for a better life, but
the opportunities are outside their grasp. They have no one to help them.
Jesus asks them, “Do you want to be made
well?” “Do you want to experience a different life?” The question sounds crazy
because who would not want that. But like what Uncle Ben says to Peter Parker
(Spiderman), “With great power comes great responsibility.” Being given the
power to be made well means there is a responsibility to living in that
wellness. Being given a different life comes with a responsibility to live
differently. Not everyone is interested in the responsibility, but there are
many who are if there was someone to help them.
Jesus wants to help them! Jesus can help
them! Just like He told the man to “Get up!”, Jesus wants to say the same to
those who are in hopeless situations. God created them equal along with all of
us, but they are waiting for that someone to help them. And Jesus wants to help
them.
How? Certainly, Jesus can work a miracle
all on His own, He has the same power today that He had by that pool there in
Bethsaida. But perhaps the miracle Jesus wants to work involves you and me
being His hands, feet, and voice saying, “Get up!” and offering them a hand. We
are not trying to help them into the water, but offering them the gift of Living
Water. It can be as simple as putting items in the blessing box, or offering a
ride. Money is a good thing, but that is not always the answer. Just as
valuable, if not more so, is us being someone who offers love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness. And if we are
living through our faith in Jesus, we can have the faith of what Jesus can do
their lives by believing in them.
We are created equal, but not all of us are
in equal situations. However, the infinite and unquantifiable grace of God is
equally available to all of us. If you are here today, desperate for someone
because you have no one, “Silver or gold I do not have, but I will give you
what I do have. In the name of Jesus, get up and walk!” If you are here today
and lack nothing that you need, “Jesus you have, but who does He want you to
tell ‘get up and walk’?” There is someone in our community that is desperate
for an opportunity, and that opportunity is you with Jesus in you.
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