Our message for today from the gospel of St. John chapter five is one that will give hope to many persons who find that they have been waiting a long time for a breakthrough in their situation, whatever it might be, without any meaningful change. Hopefully, it will remind all of us that it is never too late for God to transform, to heal or to make a way for you no matter how things may look bleak. Let’s look at this account in St. John about an invalid man at the pool of Bethesda who was crippled for thirty-eight years. This alone seems like a lifetime for anyone to be in that condition. As usual there are some things that we don’t know because they are not considered relevant to the story. We do not know for instance how old this man was. Was he an elderly man? Was he crippled all his life? How long was he at the pool waiting? We do not know these answers. We can assume that someone brought him there but crucially no one seemed to have been with him continuously so that he could be helped into the pool. The man’s explanation to Jesus in verse seven suggests that he had no caregiver or family member or friend willing or able to be there with him constantly. He was alone. Note he said I have no one to help me get into the pool. Having a lengthy debilitating illness can very often be a lonely journey as very few people have the time or patience or resources to stick with you no matter what the cost. This man’s situation is one example of this. The circumstances around the healing properties of this pool are unclear. We do not know how the waters in this pool came to be known as having curative qualities. What we do know is that on this day when Jesus was in Jerusalem, he came up to this man who was disabled. It is highly possible that Jesus may have seen this man before but had not interacted with him. In any case, Jesus somehow learnt about the man’s condition and felt deep concern for the man’s plight. What happens in this encounter between Jesus and the invalid man is important for all Christians to reflect on as it certainly tells us a lot about how we can deal with adversity.
- Jesus’ concern for human suffering is unwavering.
We read that Jesus learned about the man’s condition and evidently his great concern and care for this man led him to engage him in conversation. He wanted to know how he could help this man. If nothing else this shows us the concern that God has for the human condition and even more so when we are suffering. The writer of the gospel makes two separate points when he emphasizes the length of time the man has been disabled. The first point is that Jesus, having learned of this situation, took a special interest in the man’s condition and wanted to help him. Clearly there were many other people at the pool all the time, but this man caught Jesus’ interest and concern because he was disabled for such a long time. This is the nature of the God that we serve. The human condition, especially when it is desperate, is always his concern. It must be noted here that this disabled person has not been identified. We do not know who he is, and we do not know where he is from? The thing to note here is that Jesus’ love and care is for all human beings irrespective of who they are. In this account Jesus did not know the man and the man did not know Jesus either, but a miracle of healing took place. It tells me that no matter how far away from God a person may be, God loves them any way and God will act to save that person who is in trouble because God’s love is unwavering and it is a love that reaches all of humanity, whether we acknowledge God in our lives or not. You may feel just like this invalid man. Your situation may be desperate and unending and no one seems to care much about what you are going through. Many people are suffering in plain sight and they are not noticed by anyone else whether in the church or in the world at large. They bear their sufferings sometimes for years and they are virtually invisible to the rest of the world. Nobody cares and nobody bothers to ask, how are you doing? They like the invalid man have no one who sees them let alone offer to help. This story reminds us of the one man who sees your suffering and knows the deep groans of the heart and understands the deep desire for a life-changing healing and he alone can do it for you.
- It is never too late for God to heal you or transform your situation.
I mentioned earlier that there were two key reasons for the writer emphasizing how long this man was disabled. The first mentioned above was to show the extent of Jesus’ concern for the man. The second reason for this is that it highlighted how man’s situation was virtually hopeless, at least as far as humans could see it. We do not know as I said in the introduction if the man was born crippled but having spent 38 years as a disabled person it was fair to assume that he would spend the rest of his life as a disabled person. There was surely no hope of recovery or change in his circumstances. This was highlighted further by the fact that he could not get help getting into the pool before other people. This man had all the markings of a hopeless situation. He was alone. He had no help. He had been a disabled person for 38 years and everybody else seemed to be always getting into the pool before him. Yet this is the ideal time for Jesus to work. Our God is the solution to hopelessness. Only our God can bring triumph out of a hopeless situation. Only God can resurrect what is dead figuratively and literally. As you read this or hear this message, I am asking you to think of all those situations or circumstances in your life that seem so persistently hardened and unchangeable that you have become convinced that nothing will ever change or get better. The message for you today is that whatever that situation or issue is, do not give up because God is always available. You may have been waiting to be healed or for the burden to be lifted for such a long time but never ever give up on God. He always comes through at the right time.
- Tell Jesus exactly what you need.
The third thing to notice in this account is that Jesus asked the man a direct question, “Do you want to get well?” In response the man started to give the entire story of his life. First of all, Jesus’ question here might seem a bit odd since it must be obvious that the man wants to be healed. That’s why he is at the pool in the first case. But there are two important things to note here. First of all, Jesus never assumes that he knows what you want until you actually vocalize it. Secondly, you must always tell Jesus what you need. Some of us may think that telling Jesus the whole chronology of our circumstances might make him more concerned or filled with pity but the only thing Jesus wants is to hear you articulate exactly what you need to have done for you. Even if we assume rightly that Jesus already knows, it is most important in the process to say exactly what you need to have him do for you. There is nothing that touches the heart of God more than the earnest plea of his dear child for help. He wants you to say to him in the clearest possible way with all the vulnerability of a suffering son or daughter, “I am broken. I need you to save me. God I am in pain and I need your healing touch.” All of us have many things that we would like to have done for us or changes or breakthroughs that we would like the Lord to give us but when it comes down to it we must know what is that one thing that we need addressed in our situation. Is it a chronic ailment? Is it an abusive relationship? Is it a child who is on drugs? Is it a broken marriage? Is it financial trouble? You must tell Jesus directly what is that one thing for which you need his healing touch. What is that one thing that will make your life whole and healthy again? What is that one thing that will bring you into a closer relationship with God. When you do that then be assured that God has heard you and it will never be late for God’s transforming and life-giving power to be yours and to bring you the healing that God knows that you need in order to truly serve him. There is a song that I remember that we used to sing years ago at evangelistic meetings in Jamaica that reminds us of God’s capacity to do for us more than we can imagine or ask. *1 Its words are, “It is no secret, what God can do; what He’s done for others, He’ll do for you.” *2
