Jesus saw a man who had been unable to move around for over 38 years by the pool of Bethesda. Jesus asked the man if he wanted to be healed and the man’s response was that he had no one to put him in the pool. We do not know if this was a legend that the sick desired to be placed in the pool if the waters were stirred but this man had lost hope. He did not even respond with yes, definitetly, or duh. It was an excuse from the beginning.

Jesus’ response is perfect, as he said, “Get up and take your bed and walk.” There was no physical contact with this man that made him better compared to some of other miracles of Jesus. This was just his voice. The man got up and was healed.

The question that comes up is that some people do not necessarily want to be healed, but why? Why not be healed physically but more important spiritually. The man was stricken for over 38 years. I can understand maybe a little bitterness or even hostility towards that type of question. The man was searching for something but that something was the pool of Bethesda. We may want to be healed but we look towards other things, other people, other ideas. The answer needs to be Christ. Jesus does ask if we want to be healed we just need to realize that he does meet us where we are sometimes. May we desire for the continuing of the salvation that we have and never lose sight of God’s greatness.

PJ