The Question

A Series on New Testament Stories
Healing of a Disabled Man
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
John 5:1-15 

[The Bible is mostly made up of stories. Stories about people’s lives, the struggles they faced and their faith, or lack of it. In this series we will be looking at some of those people in the Gospel of John. We’ll try to learn from their stories about who God is, how he worked in their life and how that applies to us today.]

  

The song, “Lookin’ for Love” was released in 1980 as a part of the soundtrack from the movie “Urban Cowboy”. It has all the earmarks of a classic country song.

 

I was lookin' for love in all the wrong places
Lookin' for love in too many faces
Searchin' their eyes
Lookin' for traces of what I'm dreaming of

 

The story about the healing of a disabled man takes place at the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem. It was said that at “certain times”, an angel would stir the waters, and whoever first stepped into the pool would be healed of whatever disease they had.

 

Jesus had returned to Jerusalem from Galilee for one of the Jewish festivals. The city would have been packed. As he approached the pool, the scene is described as, “Hundreds of sick people—blind, crippled, paralyzed—were in these alcoves”. 

 

Amongst them was a man who had been disabled for thirty-eight years! That’s a lifetime. As he laid there, he was helpless because he had no one to help him into the water when it was stirred.

 

There are two things that stick out to me in this story. First, is that the disabled man was hoping for a miracle. After thirty-eight years, he saw no other solution. He must have been so desperate to walk that he was willing to do anything.

 

Second, Jesus asked him a really dumb question. “Do you want to get well?”  Duh! Why else would he be there? But Jesus must have realized this. So why did he ask the question?

 

The man didn’t know who Jesus was. He hadn’t heard about the itinerant preacher who healed the son of a royal official in Capernaum or changed water into wine in Cana. He was too busy trying to get into the healing water of Bethesda.

 

It wasn’t until Jesus learned that the man had been disabled for a long time, that he asked the question. However, the question was rhetorical. Jesus was trying to redirect the man’s attention to a healing that was not only physical, but spiritual.

 

Like the disabled man, we all have disabilities. They may be emotional or spiritual, but they’re still a lifetime of disabilities.

 

And like the country singer, we tend to try to meet our needs, our disabilities, in all the wrong places. 

But Jesus will meet us at the point of our need. It may not be dramatic or immediate, but with small steps he will do it.

 

Have you heard him ask you the question?

“Do you want to get well?”

 

Copyright 2023 Joseph B Williams

 

 

 

 

Who is this Man?

 A Series on Lent
 (Use the link below to read the verses.)
Luke 7:36-50

[Lent gives us an opportunity to step back and pause to recognize our humanity and sinful nature. The Lenten season reminds us of our need for a Savior as a time to reflect and repent for our shortcomings. It is an opportunity to recognize the human condition we may spend the rest of the year running from and bring our need for a Savior to the forefront. Lent prepares us as we approach Good Friday and Easter with thanksgiving for the grace and mercy shown to us.]

Jesus turned to the woman and said to Simon... 

⁴⁷ “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” ⁴⁸ Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” ⁴⁹ The men at the table said among themselves, “Who is this man that he goes around forgiving sins?” ⁵⁰ And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”         NLT

 

Just for a minute, put yourself in the setting of this story and imagine the scene. Simon, a respected Pharisee, invited Jesus to share a meal, maybe after speaking at synagogue. Of course his entourage is with him including his twelve closest followers, the disciples, as well as the women who support him in his ministry.

 

But there are many others. After all, Jesus is a rising star, and crowds follow him everywhere. There’s a buzz of activity and conversation in the room, including speculation about who Jesus is; a teacher, a rabbi, a prophet, or, dare I say it, the Messiah. There are those who want to see if he will perform a miracle; and those who need one.

 

Unnoticed, a woman quietly walks into the room, kneels behind Jesus at the table, and begins to cry; washing his dirty feet with her tears and drying them with her hair. She stands out in the crowd, not only because of her behavior, but because she is a known sinner, and Jesus is a respected teacher.

 

However, she seems totally unaware of the people gawking at her; talking about her; pointing fingers and whispering. She seems unaware that her clothing, her appearance, her life itself, doesn’t belong. In reality, she’s a social and religious outcast that doesn’t belong anywhere.

 

But the words that she heard from Jesus’ mouth have touched her heart; they’ve moved her to action; they’ve lifted her soul. Instead of feeling self-conscious, she feels free. Instead of feeling shame, she feels love. Instead of feeling alone in a crowd, she feels alone with Jesus.

 

And for her faith; for her love; for her undivided devotion; Jesus forgives her sins.

 

If only when we are in the presence of Jesus, we could feel the same way; if only we could experience his love and forgiveness like this sinful woman; if only we could be so devoted to Jesus… if only.

 

“Who is this man that forgives sins?” Think about this question; about the sinful woman and her story. Then ask yourself, “What can I learn from her? This woman who anointed Jesus with an extravagant bottle of perfume?”

 

 

It Only Takes a Moment to Change Your Life

 A Series on Lent
 (Use the link below to read the verses.)
Luke 5:1-11

[Lent gives us an opportunity to step back and pause to recognize our humanity and sinful nature. The Lenten season reminds us of our need for a Savior as a time to reflect and repent for our shortcomings. It is an opportunity to recognize the human condition we may spend the rest of the year running from and bring our need for a Savior to the forefront. Lent prepares us as we approach Good Friday and Easter with thanksgiving for the grace and mercy shown to us.]

  

It only takes a moment to change your life. For me, one of those life-changing moments occurred in high school when I was in the process of deciding what college to attend. When I told the guidance counselor that I wanted to be a geologist, he said, in no uncertain terms, “Well then, you need to go to Michigan Tech”. So I did.

 

Peter had one of those moments too. His occurred while he was at his job. After fishing all night, he was cleaning the nets. Nearby, Jesus was speaking to a crowd so large that he asked Peter to take his boat out in the water again so that he could speak from his boat in order to be heard by all the people.

 

When he was finished, Jesus asked Peter to go out to the deep water to fish again, even though they hadn’t caught anything the night before. But, because it was Jesus who asked, Peter did it. Here’s what happened after Peter caught so many fish that two boats could barely bring them to shore.

 

⁸ When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” ⁹ For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, ¹⁰ and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.                        NIV

 

You would be hard pressed to convince me that Peter was a touchy-feely kind of guy; somebody who was introspective or easily impressed. No, not at all. He was a take charge kind of guy who acted first, and then thought about it later… maybe.

 

But, what was the impact of that brief moment between Jesus and Peter? How did it change Peter’s life?

 

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” ¹¹ So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.      NIV

 

Lent is a time for drawing close to our Lord. Sometimes that can happen by fasting and prayer. But sometimes it happens in a less conventional manner… like at work fishing. The Lord is not limited by how or where He speaks to us. It could be through a life experience; a book; a movie; a friend. All we need to do is listen.

 

After all, it only takes a moment to change your life.