What would you have done? Would you have helped? Do you think it would have taken 38 years had you been there?
This truly is a real human interest story. As I was reading it in the past few days, the lack of compassion shocked me. Furthermore, it compelled me to consider my own actions. I wonder what you would have done. What allows a people to ignore human suffering for so long? How bad is the world around us? Better yet, how bad is our hearts within us that we would push past the brokenness of this person? Was there so much human suffering that he became invisible?
Suffering for 38 years
Read the beginning of the story as it is told by one of Jesus’ best friends.
1 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. 3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. 4 For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. 5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. (John 5:1-5)
God’s Mercy through Miracles
God demonstrated mercy to those who were suffering at the pool by the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem. In God’s kindness, He would send an angel to the water there. All those around the pool – including those who were sick, blind, lame, and paralyzed – would wait until they saw the waters begin to stir. Upon the stirring of the water, the first person to get into the pool would be healed.
Can you imagine how cool this would be?
Essentially, those who were suffering would go to wait by the pool in order to receive a miracle. Just one at a time. I cannot hardly imagine the anticipation as those who were sick and suffering were all around the pool.
The particular guy that John tells us about had been coming down to that pool for thirty-eight years!
Consider the Man’s Condition
Thirty-eight years! According to John, he was paralyzed, meaning he could not walk.
We assume that he somehow would get people to take him daily down to the pool in the morning time and lay him near the pool. At night someone would also have to come get him. Day after day after day, individuals took him to the pool by the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem in order to get his miracle.
Thirty-eight years!
There was no man or woman to help him!
Read how the story continues.
6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” (John 5:6)
Jesus saw him and knew the man’s story. Jesus asked him an apparent question, “Do you want to be healed?” The man gave a chilling response.
7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”
The man did not say, “Yes.” Instead, the man told his story. What he explained saddens me. In fact, I would say it shocks me.
For thirty-eight years someone or some group of people have delivered this lame or paralyzed person to the pool to receive healing but did not stay by him for the day. Try as this person might, when the waters would be stirred, with no one to help him, someone else would inevitably beat him inside the pool. A miracle would happen again! The other person would be healed. Another opportunity missed!
Jesus responded to him with compassion.
8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” 9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. (John 5:1-9)
There is so much we can learn from Jesus in this story and the following verses. For sure, John includes this story in his gospel in order for us to learn more about Jesus’ divinity, the fact that He was the Son of God, and the Lord of the Sabbath as well.
But what has captured my thinking today is this man’s condition. No matter how hard he tried, for thirty-eight years he was at least one step too late. Why? There was no man to help him.
What about you?
What part of this story would be different had you been there?
Would you have been willing to provide this person the help he needed to get into the pool?
Thirty-eight years. One step too late. Simply because no man was willing to put him into the pool first.
I do not know about you, but I shutter to think that possibly I would have been no different. Would I have wanted my own miracle so badly or desired for a different friend to get a miracle so earnestly that I would have ignored this man? Not just ignored him – but thirty-eight years ignore him!
Look around you today
This brings me to today. I wonder how many people are around me and you that we functionally ignore? Are there those who need our help but they functionally are invisible? Am I blind to the human condition around me?
These questions point to the human condition on three levels:
- Physically. Possibly someone around you is hurting and simply needs your help today. Is it possible you have missed someone around you at work, at school, at the store, in your neighborhood, in your church, or anywhere else you frequent that needs physical help? We must each challenge ourselves to look around today and see if there might be someone out there like that today.
- Emotionally. My guess is that there are those around each one of us – if we would only pay attention – that are emotionally hurting. These folks would be harder to see no doubt. They may not be lying at our feet or walking with a limp or whatever the physical ailment may be, but they are equally hurting. Possibly we will need to have a conversation, ask a question or two, or just pay better attention.
- Spiritually. Without any doubt this category of hurting individuals is around each one us. There are people that I come into contact with today that have a spiritual condition that needs addressed. They need only the help that Jesus can bring. Discouraged, discontent, lost. Spiritually hurting people.
What will you do?
Jesus demonstrated His compassion. Jesus first saw the need and then did something about it.
We must first see the need. But once we do, what will we do about it?
There may be people around you today – especially those who need spiritual help, although not limited to them – who, if asked, would say, “Sir, I have no man…”
Will you be that man or woman today used by God to bring compassion, help, light, and hope to those around you?
KevinCarson.com | Wisdom for Life in Christ Together
