THE HEALING AT THE POOL OF BETHESDA
“After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethseda, which has five roofed colonades. In these lay a multitude of individuals — blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.” John 5: 1-8
Imagine, being carried every day by friends to the pool of Bethseda, because at certain times an angel would stir the waters in the pool and the first one to step into the pool was healed of their infirmity.
The invalid had been taken every day to the pool hoping against hope to be the first one to be able to get into the pool when the angel stirred the waters, but there must have been hundreds, maybe thousands of blind, lame or paralyzed that were brought to the pool every day hoping against hope that they could be the first one into the pool when the angel stirred the waters so they could be healed.
That very day Jesus was walking by the pool he saw and knew of this man’s condition and how for all these years he had come with such a great hope of being first into the pool when the angel stirred the waters. Jesus knew of the man’s hurt and sadness when others made a dash for the pool when the angel stirred the waters, maybe they even stepped on him in their mad dash to be the first into the pool to get their healing.
I am sure that many times the invalid man thought of just giving up; but hope is a strong motivator, when the need is so great. The invalid man did not know that today was his last day of being an invalid.
Jesus asked him, “Do you want to be healed?” The man replied, “Sir I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred, someone always gets there before I can.”
Jesus said to him, “GET UP, TAKE UP YOUR BED, AND WALK.” Notice that Jesus did not say to the invalid, I will pick you up and carry you to the pool. Jesus just gave him a command that called for obedience from the invalid. “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.”
When Jesus speaks to us, no matter what our condition or circumstance, there is Authority, Peace in the trial, and an inner knowing of all is well.
The Bible says in verse eight “and at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.”
Dear reader always obey the voice of Jesus and there will always be a miracle.
Blessings Gloria
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Thank you for the reminder to stay close to Jesus, especially in troubled times.
awesome words, love you