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138. Better than an Angel

John 5:1-15
Key Verse: When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, He asked him, "Do you want to get well?"
John 5:6

Jesus makes no assumptions here and perhaps we should learn something from this. It's probably amazing to us that Jesus would even ask the question, "Do you want to get well?" "Of course," we would naturally assume, he wants to get well! Paralyzed for 38 years, who wouldn't want to be healed? 38 years is a long time. How long? This man was an invalid somewhere around 5 years before Jesus was born! Come on Jesus, this one is obvious! Why else would he be lying here?" Jesus must not have seen the situation that way. Could someone really not want to get well? 

Amazingly, we need to accept the fact that there are those who do not want to get well. Oh, they may want the benefits of being well, but what can hold them back is the fear of the responsibility of staying well or, in many cases, acknowledging the responsibility of the part that they may have played in becoming unwell in the first place. I am not talking here about the handicapped, or those afflicted with biological illnesses. There are some clues in this event, that this man's condition may not have been a result of natural causes.

We have a hint that this man may have played a part in his becoming unwell in John 5:14 when Jesus meets him in the temple and says: "See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you." Of course, only Jesus and the man know the truth of the history of that statement. Our imaginations cause us to ask, "Was he injured in a drunken brawl? Was he being reckless with his life?” We don't need to know. It is enough to know that getting well and staying well is not automatic.

We all know someone, or perhaps we ourselves, are addicted to something that is keeping us from being fully well. It could be an addiction to food, causing us to be obese. It could be smoking or drugs that damage us physically. It could be what we do with our free time or finances that keep us from being wholly devoted to God's best for us. Being well and staying well would mean a change on our part. Jesus' words, "Take up your mat and walk," would not be enough. It would also require an action on our part to walk away from our temptation. The man was being made aware of his choice in the matter. Jesus was warning him, if you go back to your old ways, it could be worse for you the next time.

Another thing to think about is that this is the only man at the pool whose story of healing is recorded in the Bible. Were no others healed? Or were theirs more conventional and, so, not mentioned because they didn't include the teaching element the way this story does? We don't know. The Bible only tells us of this healing and does not mention any others who were at the pool that day. 

The way I have written that opens the possibility that they were all healed, but not all talked about. However, it seems likely that the story would have at least mentioned that, sort of like, "Jesus healed all at the pool of Bethesda one day. And one in particular went like this..." The most solid clue we have that this is the only man healed is that the Pharisees singled him out. So it seems most likely that in fact, though many were present, only one was healed, what does that say about Jesus and/or humanity?

Romans 11:33 says, "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!" We are never told everything about everyone. God has his reasons. We cannot resolve the tension between wanting Jesus to be the kind of God who would heal everybody and the fact that he apparently isn't the kind of God we want him to be. We do however have ample reason to trust and believe that He is exactly the kind of God we need. 

One result of this story, with this tension in it, is that it dispels the "name it and claim it" theology as myth. All deserve our compassion and prayer. But even people of great faith are not always healed. We cannot conclude that they didn't have enough faith. Some are healed. Some are not. It is God's purpose that will be carried out. 

It's unclear whether the angel in the pool was a real occurrence or superstition. Often, people who aren't well do put their hopes in quick fixes or false beliefs that end up proving themselves to be frauds in the end. What we do know is that Jesus was offering truth and reality, just as He offers it to us. His question to you is, no matter what your struggle, "Do you really want to get well?" Are you willing to accept all that goes with becoming well?” Mindful that the emphasis is more on your spiritual well being than on whether you receive a desired physical healing, may God bless you as you wrestle with Him in this.

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