April 9, 2021
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?” John 5:6 ESV
It seems like a redundant question. Jesus knew that this paralytic was sitting by the pool hoping to be healed. So why ask? Two probable reasons. First, Jesus is exposing where the man is placing his faith? As with the other invalids resting by this open-air colonnade, he was holding to a superstition that when the waters of the pool were stirred by the wind, the first one in would be healed. But perhaps Jesus is also asking a more penetrating question to reveal the man’s will to change? Invalids survived by begging. If he were to be healed, he would have to make radical changes to the way he did life and take responsibility for his own care.
Father God, help us to do our part in leading a healthy lifestyle and trust in you as our ultimate source of healing—and grant us your peace when the answer is: “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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