Christian Family Services Ministry

9-17-2021 – A Word to the Wise – I want to recount for you a scriptural story that I find relevant for our day and time. John 5:1-15

We find that Jesus heals a lame man on the Sabbath in Jerusalem.

After these things, there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now in Jerusalem by the sheep gate, there is a pool, which is called in Hebrew, “Bethesda”, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, or paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water; for an angel went down at certain times into the pool and stirred up the water. Whoever stepped in first after the stirring of the water was healed of whatever disease he had. A certain man was there who had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had been sick for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to be made well?”

The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I’m coming, another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Arise, take up your mat, and walk.” Immediately, the man was made well, and took up his mat and walked. Now it was the Sabbath on that day. So the Jews said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath. It is not lawful for you to carry the mat.” He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.’” Then they asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your mat and walk’?” But he who was healed didn’t know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a crowd being in the place. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “Behold, you are made well. Sin no more, so that nothing worse happens to you.” (WEB)

The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. For this cause the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill him, because he did these things on the Sabbath.

“After these things, there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem”. Though John does not say so the type of information found in this chapter would cause it to heavily lean towards the Feast of Trumpets. I know the Jew did not place much emphasis on birthdays however there is a good possibility that this is Jesus’s birthday. Without going into the whys and though impossible to prove this is a special time for Jesus. It is the New Year.

This event again is Jesus initialing contact and inquiring about the situation and simply asking do you want to be better. The man goes into an extended conversation about why he is here and the failure of others to help him.

It is uncertain what the actual diagnosis would be for this man. The text says lameness. It could have been some sort of paralysis John does not go into detail. However, the text later indicates that 38 years before this the man did something, a sin, which lay at the root of the physical problems.

Twenty-one centuries later we can say with experience and certainty that many emotional, spiritual, and intellectual problems lie at the root of many illnesses.

Now I know there are several interpretations of this man’s speech but to be honest I have my own, perhaps because I have heard it too many times from a host of emotional invalids.

The core issue for this man is that it is everyone’s fault, no one will help me. May I impress on you how many times I have heard this excuse? It is always someone else who is responsible. For thirty -eight years he blamed everyone else for his misery. I have heard it from addicts, prostitutes, neurotics, and even a few psychotics. It is always someone else who is responsible.

Herein lies the spiritual problem, it is a frequent affliction in our own society, the man is self-centered, selfish, and a good candidate for a narcissistic personality disorder.

Perhaps one might interject at this point that I am being too hard, even judgmental about this poor fellow.

Perhaps, but notice verses 11-16. After Jesus heals the man, he is caught and challenged for breaking the Sabbath and the first thing he does is blame Jesus, he made me do it! At this junction, he did not even know Jesus’ name.

Jesus meets him a little later, tells him who he is, and warns him what you did 38 years ago brought this on you, repeat it and something worse will befall you. What did this man do? Went and betrayed Jesus to the Jews who now want to kill Jesus. The person who had just rescued him from 38 years of personal hell!!

I know a few who resemble this person and situation. Do you? Are you?