John 5:5

A certain man is laying there among the sick that has been bedridden for thirty-eight years.   John 5:5 EFP

Thirty-eight years!  Imagine that for a moment.  If you are old enough, can you think back to where you were thirty-eight years ago?  I don’t want to think about it.  It was a different age; it’s a lifetime for many.  Now try to imagine what it must be to wake up every morning not feeling well for thirty-eight years.  You feel so ill, you cannot move.  You are bedridden.  Since I do not know how old this man was when he became non-ambulatory I can only assume that it was most of his life, since the average life expectancy in those days was barely into the low fifties.  Regardless, it’s a long time to be on your back.

How did he become a cripple, as some versions describe him?  Did he get sick before becoming an invalid (as other translations refer to him)?  Was he in an accident?  Did he suffer some grave illness that left him incapable of activity in its wake?  You know, it doesn’t even matter, since in the eyes of his community of faith either he or his parents had done something evil enough to merit having God punish him with his pathetic condition.  Do you think this man prayed to God to be healed?  I am most certain he did.  The fact that he comes to a place of miracles is testament to the fact that he believes in the power of God to heal.  But he prays for thirty-eight years and no answer from God.  So now he is relegated to laying on his back surrounded by other sick people determined to be healed at his expense.  Has he given up hope?  If he has not, he is getting close to it.

How long should I pray and plead to God for healing?  Healing can be physical, but it can also be emotional, mental, or spiritual.  I believe God answers prayers.  But I am also very cognizant that God often does not respond affirmatively to my requests for healing.  Is he turning a deaf ear to my requests? Read Psalm 22:2 and you will know that I am not alone in feeling this way.  I can relate to praying for something for thirty-eight years and not sensing an answer.  But what do you do?  This man keeps coming back.  He keeps praying.  He keeps on believing God will answer his plea.  Thirty-eight years of hearing of God working miracles in others but still laying helpless unable to grasp the miracle he so much wants.  But today…Jesus is coming his way.  The Lamb of God has entered through the Sheep Gate and His eyes see and his ears hear his cry.  Jesus hears his cry, just like he hears mine.

John 5:4

People say an angel comes down to the pool from heaven at a particular time of the day and stirs the water.  They believe the first person to step into the pool after the water has been stirred by the angel will be cured of whatever disease he or she suffers.  John 5:4 EFP

First some clarification.  Verse 4 does not appear in many of the versions of the Bible. Most of the newer translations have chosen not to include this verse since it apparently does not appear in the older manuscripts that were not available when the older versions were translated.  I chose to include it for a couple of reasons.  First, it’s a cool verse and I have become accustomed to having it be part of the story, even if it sounds more like a legend than an actual happening.

The second reason is a bit more viable.  I’ve included it for the reason I believe the scribes added it later.  The people believed an angel actually came down at a certain time of the day, and they must have had evidence of healings that took place.  That is why people came—because there was evidence of miraculous healings.  Had the story not been true, the narrative of John would have been quickly discredited by those who lived during that time.  Finally, I believe it was added to the text simply because verse seven makes more sense if this text antecedes it.

People who are in dire physical conditions will cling to anything for hope.  Once hope is gone, life ceases soon after.  The fact that evidence existed of healings by those who were able to get in the water first is amazing and sad at the same time.  Those closest to the water have a great advantage over the rest.  Those who could move have an advantage over those who could not.  Those who have help have an immense advantage over those who just lay there unable to move.  Their chances are almost nonexistent.  But they come anyway.  They don’t care about their chances.  They come just in case—sort of like buying a lottery ticket.  You can’t be healed if you don’t show up.  It is a sad sight to behold!  You don’t know unless you’ve been in a similar condition.  You cling to any ray of hope. But Jesus is on his way….

John 5:3

It Is in the midst of these colonnades that a large number of physically disadvantaged people are brought to lie down by the water—among them are the blind, the disabled, and those with all sorts of paralysis. John 5:3 EFP

Having worked with developmentally disadvantaged people for the better part of a quarter century, I can somewhat visualize what Jesus may have seen when he entered through the Sheep Gate.  Surrounding the pool in various places and poses, depending on their physical limitations, I would imagine are dozens of men and women.  Unless you can relate to their condition nothing can prepare you for the sights that assault your senses.

The people are laying, leaning, limp, listless, and at times lost in their own world.  Even in these days of social services for the developmentally delayed, it is still a sort of culture shock to enter a room filled with the blind, the lame, the disabled by ailments over which they have little, if any, fault.  Your eyes see the onslaught of physical ailments and it tugs on your heart strings.  Your smell is assaulted by those in the group who are unable to take care of their bodily needs, with no bedside attendant to assist them.  Your ears are assaulted by the grunts and the often intelligible groans for attention or help that fall on deaf ears in the cacophony of noise.  The men and women cannot help themselves.  They cannot walk.  They cannot move.  They cannot see or hear.  They have no control of their body’s movements.  They are brought to this place out of a sense of mercy or pity by those who know them and care enough to carry them here in the hopes that they will not feel so alone or simply to feed some distant glimmer of hope.

This is the world the Lamb of God encounters when he steps through the Lamb’s gate and enters this sickly, depraved, crippled, blind, and purposefully deaf world in rebellion.  He knows what he was getting into.  I have eyes but cannot or will not see.  I have legs and other limbs but refuse to do the things God designed them to do.  I suffer from sclerosis of the heart.  I am hopeless, sightless, and lonely; living a life of quiet and dark desperation.  I am among the men and women laying prone on the ground among other equally disabled individuals.  Disabled by life, by circumstance, by bad choices.  But Jesus has just entered my pathetic sphere of existence—uninvited, unnoticed, perhaps even unwelcomed; but he enters with Good News on his lips and Goodness to spare in his hands.  Maybe today….

John 5:2

In Jerusalem there is a pool of water near the Sheep’s Gate on the eastern wall of the city.  The pool is called Bethesda, which is Aramaic for “house of mercy.”  The pool is surrounded by five covered rows of columns.  John 5:2 EFP

It’s interesting to note this gate, called Sheep’s Gate in this verse, went by other names at different times.  It is mentioned in the Book of Nehemiah as being the first gate restored by the workers during the reconstruction (Nehemiah 3).  It is believed, that with the exception of his triumphal entry at the end of his ministry, Jesus always entered the city through the Sheep’s Gate.  This seems more that appropriate since Jesus is called “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.” (John 1:29).

The Sheep’s Gate was the entrance used by people bringing in their sheep from the markets to offer in the temple.  Before they were offered, they were washed in the Sheep Pool, which ironically was now known as the Pool of Bethesda.  As we now know, the sheep market had moved in the Temple court where merchants could demand a higher price for their lambs, who I expect had been properly bathed and prepared in order to exact an even higher process for the convenience.

During Jesus’ time it was known as the pool of the house of mercy.  After the beginning of the Christian Church, the gate became known as Stephen’s gate, since it is believed that this is the gate by which Steven, the first Christian martyred was stoned to death (Acts 7).  It was even known as the Lion’s gate during the Muslim occupation of Jerusalem.  I do not doubt Jesus knew the history of the gate and entered that way purposefully.  His role as the Lamb of God would soon come to fruition as he became the sacrificial lamb.  The Pool of the House of Mercy certainly would not offer him any.  But today, mercy had brought him through this gate and into this place of despair.  This is why he went to Jerusalem.  This is why he came to earth.  This is the reason he entered my world.

John 5:1

A Jewish feast is taking place in Jerusalem soon after the events mentioned previously take place, so Jesus decides he must go.  John 5:1 EFP

Time is passing by pretty quickly.  If this is the Passover Feast in Jerusalem as most scholars believe, it is already the second visit to Jerusalem of Jesus’ ministry.  Why is this significant?  Well, for one it helps us keep track of the years that make up Jesus’ earthly ministry as they go by.

I realize that as a Jewish male, going to Jerusalem for Passover is expected, but I can’t help but think Jesus goes to Jerusalem for the same reason people like me go to conferences and conventions.  Yes, there is a lot to do, and it is a Jewish high day.  Yes, there are significant events, traditions, and rituals that take place during these festivals that are enriching and memorable.  But ultimately it’s about the people.  More than anything else I believe Jesus goes because of the people he would see there.  Just as in the case of the trip through Samaria when he meets the woman at Jacob’s well, the narrative states Jesus “had to go through Samaria” (4:4).  He didn’t have to go; he chooses to go through Samaria.  Here again, Jesus simply “went up to Jerusalem” because there is a feast taking place in the city.  Well, we all know how the first “I have to go” episode ends up. A Samaritan town is forever changed!

Bottom line, Jesus is on a mission!  His mission consists of people—His people.  He wants to be where the people are.  He has his moments when he wants to be alone in prayer, but for the most part he wants to be where the people are.  He is, after all, God with us (Matthew 1:23).  He knows going in of the dangers, the pitfalls, the obstacles, and the hassles.  But these inconveniences are far outweighed by the contact, the opportunities, and the experiences that will be present as he spends time with his people.  And don’t forget for a moment that this is, after all, a festival, which is another word for a party.  It is festive, even if there are solemn moments associated with the event.  I like to think Jesus enjoys having fun with people—he finds pleasure in talking to people, laughing with people, and sharing run-of-the-mill and mundane moments with the common people like me.  He hasn’t changed—maybe I need to take advantage of my moments with him.

John 4:54

This miracle is the second wondrous sign Jesus performs in Galilee, this one after he returns from Judea.  John 4:54 EFP

I wonder why John makes this note in his Gospel record.  Why is it important to single out this miracle as the second miracle of Jesus in Galilee (the first being the wedding miracle in Cana).  Is it because there are only two miracles in Galilee so far?  Should there have been more?  From John’s narrative we learn he had done wonders in Jerusalem and people had believed in him (Chapter 2).  By chapter 4, the record shows the people in Galilee welcomed him home.  Apparently some of them had witnessed the wonders he had performed in Judea.  How many?  I don’t really know, but I can be fairly certain they were more than the ones performed in Galilee.

Remember the parenthetical statement made by John in chapter 4, verse 44, referring to Jesus’ assessment of his diminished status as a prophet in his own homeland.  His home folk apparently could not see in him anything more that the local boy, in spite of the evidence they may have seen to the contrary.  They marvel, but they do not believe.  And it is belief that is required to be saved.  They like Jesus because he brings them and the area recognition, but nothing more.  Certainly nothing personal.  This is a theme that will recur again in Galilee.  It can even happen in me, unless I am aware of the danger and resist the temptation to become so familiar with the Christ trappings and in doing so overlook the Christ that changes my life—the Jesus who gives me new life.  That is what I want and need every day.

John 4:53

The father confirms in his mind that one o’clock is indeed the very moment when Jesus told him, “Your son will live.”  As a result of this the man and his entire family believed in Jesus Christ.  John 4:53 EFP

What an amazing story of faith.  What a remarkable miracle!  When faith meets divine power amazing things happen.  Let’s process this for a moment.  Everything lines up pretty well, except for one thing…sort of.  Why did the man ask for the time when his son revived? 

For a man with the faith to take Jesus (who he had never met personally as far as I know) at his word and leave for home immediately after Jesus tells him his son would live, what compels him to ask the question?  He does not ask Jesus for any further evidence.  He does not seem to have been in a hurry to get home.  The story does not give us the sense that he asked the servants for the status of his son.  They share the news.  It is not until later that he asks the time when the boy revived.  Why?

I can’t help but see a smile show up on the man’s face as he processes the events of these two unforgettable days.  I don’t believe it was anything but a question asked to confirm what he already knew in his heart, but that he wanted to hear from a uninformed source—his servants.  They did not know anything about timing.  By now the man has undoubtedly told them the story of his encounter with Jesus, the initial cold shoulder response, and the final declaration of life.  He must have delighted in telling the story.  But then follows the clincher for all those present—he asks, “By the way, what time was it exactly when the boy came out of his delirium?  I’m just a bit curious…”  A wry grin must have enveloped his face when the servants tell him the exact time.  The exact moment!  Can you imagine the wonder that grips that contingent of master and men?  His home is never the same.  They all come to believe in the One who is unlike any man they had ever met or would ever meet again.  I think I am going to keep a journal of prayers.  I will look forward to smiling when I see specific prayers answered on my list.  Today sounds like a good day to begin!

John 4:51

Before he arrives home the man meets up with some of his servants who have come to let him know his son is alive and doing better. John 4:51 EFP

There is a surprise in this story you may not already be familiar with it.  As you may recall, this encounter between Jesus and the royal official probably takes place in Cana, where Jesus is visiting, although there are those who argue it takes place in Capernaum, where the man lived.  It will become clearer that the only logical scenario is the first, but today’s text does not clear up the picture yet.

All we know is that Jesus tells the man to go home, because his child will live.  Upon hearing the words of Jesus, the man returns home, as the text describes, having taken Jesus at his word.  We are not told in the text how far he had to go before arriving home.  We do know now that on his way home some of his servants meet up with him to share the good news that his son is alive.  We still do not know what ailed the boy.  We do know that the father describes the child’s condition as dire. 

The man’s request is granted.  The boy is alive.  Whatever malaise befalls him is now past.  His brush with death is over.  Now I am left with a new set of questions.  How much time elapses between the moment Jesus declares the boy well and the time the man and his servants meet?  Does he run home?  Do his servants run to find him the very instant the boy comes out of his near-death condition?  Do they run across town, assuming the miracle takes place in Capernaum?  Do they run the twenty miles from Capernaum to Cana?  How do they find each other?  Is he anguished during the time it takes him to arrive at home? If the father is confident in Jesus’ words, what is his reaction to his servants’ good news?  Does he feign surprise and say, “Really?”  These questions and more will be answered in the next exciting episode….

John 4:50

Jesus answers the request immediately.  “Go back home,” he tells him, “Your son will live.”  The man does not question Jesus’ statement.  He takes him at his word and leaves for home.”  John 4:50 EFP

There you have it—one moment there appears to be a brick wall of resistance; with the next breath come the showers of blessings.  One moment the man of the story finds himself pleading for his child’s life; and in an instant Jesus utters words that must have sounded like music to his ears.  What happened?  Is this a pattern?  What was the point of chastising him after his initial request?  Why such an equally sudden, if not surprising, concession at the end?

It all comes down to the man’s second request. “Sir, just come to my home before my child dies.”  The same individual whose motive for requesting a miracle one second prior is challenged by Jesus, is now given an additional response that gives him reason to ask again.  Remember, the original request is for Jesus to come with him and heal his son, who is on death’s doorstep—at home.  Jesus simply says “Go, your son will live.”  That’s it.  “Go home.”  What do those words sound to like the man?  “Go home?  Is the Healer not even coming with me?  Is he sending me away?”  He has a decision to make.  To insist the miracle be done on his terms, or to believe what the Master says.  He does the second.  He heads for home.  His action reveals the depth of his faith.

 
The text says, “He took him at his word.”  He accepts Jesus’ words as reality.  There is nothing more to request.  His son will be fine.  He doesn’t ask when.  He does not inquire as to how.  He simply goes home.  When I pray—do I rise up believing my request has been granted?  How to I hear the voice of Jesus telling me, “It’s done as you ask.”  I want to hear that voice!  I want to rise up from my moments of prayer with the certainty that my request, prayed in His Spirit and in His Name, is as good as done.  I am humbled by this man’s simple yet firmly anchored faith that boldly asks Jesus to answer his plea—and then just takes Him at his word.