I find stories from the Bible humbling. Especially if I've been complaining about "stuff"--scripture is like, "oh, really? Hold my...grape juice."
So there's this guy's story in John 5. Here's what we know about him:
A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years...
Wait, what? There's a lesson right there. So often we are so impatient with our circumstances (I know I can be). Suffering can seem never-ending.This guy had been so close to being healed for decades, and yet remained incapacitated. BUT, God used these lengthy years to grow this man, show us a miracle, and teach people life-changing lessons.
Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition.
God sees us, He understands our situation, He's aware of our hurts, struggles, and fear. To me, I find this comforting. The fact that I serve a God who knows what burdens my heart helps me to not feel alone.
He said to him, "Do you wish to get well?"
This seems like a dumb question. He's been ill for a LONG time, he's sitting by a pool for healing, of course, Jesus, he wants to get better...right? Except that we forget, Jesus KNOWS what this man is dealing with and knows the attitude of his heart. This is exactly the question this man needs; we will see this with his response. If he is healed, it will change EVERYTHING about how he has been living his life. When we experience Jesus, we should be ready for him to upset everything about our life. He shows up and won't leave you the same. But he doesn't force His way into our lives, just like this question, he asks and waits for us to accept his invitation.
The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me."
Before we talk about what this man says, let's talk about what he doesn't say. He doesn't say, "Why, yes, Jesus." That would be the right answer to Jesus' question. But instead, he gives excuses as to why he hasn't been healed, and blames two other groups of people for why he's still in this place. It's easy to blame others, blame our circumstances, our past, etc., for what's going on in our life, but that's not what Jesus cared about at that moment. Jesus asked what the man wanted, if he wanted things to change, if he wanted to live his best life.
Jesus said to him, Get up, pick up your pallet and walk." Immediately the man became well...
This is awesome! A miracle! But let's unpack it a bit. Jesus tells him first to "get up." Before the miracle happened, Jesus asks this man to move, to go, to step. And this isn't the only time this happens with Jesus' miracles. Jesus wants us to take a step of faith, and watch the miracle happen as we move closer to him, closer to our best life.