In Jerusalem, near the sheep gate, there was a pool called Bethesda with five porches. Crowds of sick, blind and lame people lay there, waiting for the water to move. One man had been sick for thirty-eight years. Jesus walked through that crowd and stopped beside him. He asked a question that sounds strange at first: Wilt thou be made whole? This story is about more than a healed body. It shows the compassion of Jesus, the power of His word and His desire to heal the whole person.
A Question That Searches Us
Jesus saw the man lying there and knew he had been in that condition a long time (John 5:5-6). So He asked, Wilt thou be made whole? Of course the man wanted to be well. But after thirty-eight years, hope can grow tired. Some people even get used to their brokenness. Jesus asked a similar question to blind Bartimaeus: What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? (Mark 10:51). He invites us to name our need and to want His answer. Jeremiah prayed, Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed (Jeremiah 17:14). Jesus is not asking because He lacks information. He is awakening faith and desire. It is possible to pray for change while quietly expecting nothing. Today, let Jesus ask you directly. Do you really want Him to make you whole, whatever that may require?
What long-standing struggle have you stopped praying about, and how will you bring it back to Jesus with fresh faith this week?
When You Have No One
The man did not answer yes. He explained his problem: he had no man to put him into the pool (John 5:7-9). Someone always got there first. He was focused on the water and on the people who failed to help him. But the answer was standing right in front of him. Jesus said, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. Immediately he was made whole and walked. Many of us feel alone in our struggle. Friends move away, family is far, and no one seems to notice. David wrote that even if father and mother forsake him, the LORD will take him up (Psalm 27:10). God has promised, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee (Hebrews 13:5). You may feel you have no one, but you are never without Jesus. His word can do what no one else can.
Who in our church family might feel alone right now, and how will you reach out to them by phone or visit this week?
Whole in Body and Soul
Because it was the Sabbath, some religious leaders complained that the man was carrying his bed. They cared more about their rules than about a miracle (John 5:10-13). Later Jesus found the man in the temple and said, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee (John 5:14-15). Jesus was not saying every sickness comes from personal sin. He was saying that true wholeness reaches the soul, not only the body. David praises the Lord who forgives all our sins and heals all our diseases (Psalm 103:2-3). Peter says Christ bore our sins in His own body on the tree, and by His stripes we are healed (1 Peter 2:24). Jesus wants to heal what is broken in us and also set us free from the sin that would destroy us.
Beyond physical healing, what sinful habit do you need Jesus to make you free from, and what step will you take toward it this week?
Conclusion
At Bethesda, Jesus found a man nobody helped and asked if he wanted to be made whole. The man looked to a pool and to people, but Jesus healed him with a word. Then Jesus sought him out again to call him to a whole life, free from sin. This is the heart of our Savior. He notices the forgotten. He heals by His power. And He wants us well in body and soul. Whatever you have carried for years, bring it to Jesus. He is the true source of wholeness.
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