Grateful Healing & Worthy Living

John 5:1-17, Ephesians 4:1

We often find ourselves in difficult situations where we don’t know the solution. Yet even when we are not looking for it, God graciously brings Himself to show us exactly what needs to be done.

Like the man at Bethesda, we often search far and wide for the solutions to our problems. In his time, taking a dip in the pool of Bethesda was believed to provide healing for whoever could enter when it was “stirred.” Perhaps we would know the “stirring” to be something like a spring of water gushing periodically. However, like the man in this passage, many attributed pagan spirits and healing properties to the stirring of the water.

The pool was a place where the hurt and broken gathered. The thing that they all had in common was their disparaged state of being. This pool was their source of hope. Yet, here, they would find none.

But Jesus knew they were there. He was aware they were searching for the remedy to their afflictions. Specifically, He knew one man who had been there for thirty-eight years who desired healing. What a beautiful picture of how God thinks of us. Have you ever felt like your problems were insignificant to God? At the pool, many gathered, yet Jesus knew exactly what this man needed. Our compassionate, mighty, gentle Jesus does not overlook your heart's greatest aches.

After what must have felt like a lifetime of living in his broken state, Jesus brought the cure this man needed the whole time. “Do you want to get well? (v. 6)” Begrudgingly, he responded with a discouraged reason as to why he would like to but felt he could not.

Jesus boldly directed him to get up, pick up his mat, and walk without hesitation. Before the man could investigate further, Jesus slipped away into the crowd.

But the story doesn’t end there–Jesus later found this man and celebrated his recovery with him. But this time, Jesus brought an even better healing. As great as the healing of his physical sickness was, the man at Bethesda truly needed spiritual healing. Healing of this kind couldn’t come from the best medicine or greatest doctor. This healing could only come from Jesus Himself. “Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you (v. 14),” Jesus calls this man to live a life of righteousness. Though our righteous deeds do not save us, Christ does call us to live out of gratitude for what He has done for us. In response to His glorious sacrifice for us, Jesus calls us to live “worthy of the calling we have received” (Ephesians 4:1).

Jesus did not disqualify this man’s personal temporal difficulties. In fact, He makes it very clear that He cares about them. But Jesus cares even more about the state of our souls. He cares enough about this that He would offer himself on our behalf. This story gives us a glimpse into the greater narrative woven through scripture. In His perfection, God entered our sinful world to heal and rectify our sins. What good news this is.

Rather than looking to worldly solutions to our problems, let us always fix our eyes upon the Lord. He sees us. He hears us. He is not far off.

Is there anything you have grown weary of asking God about in your life? Do you trust that he hears you? Spend some time speaking to Him about those things now; you can start by praying this:

Lord, help me believe that you see, hear, and care about the things that fill my heart. Help my eyes permanently be fixed upon you rather than the roaring waves of life surrounding me. Have your will, Lord, over my life and in my heart–today and every day.