An Absolutely Devastating Situation…
Sometimes you read or hear about an absolutely devastating situation. When you read it, your heart breaks for those involved and you are moved with compassion. This week while reading, I ran across one such passage. Although in a very familiar passage, this verse had escaped my view. Upon reading it, considering Jesus Who said it, and thinking out the implications of it, I would say it is certainly an absolutely devastating situation.
The Setting and Problem – John 5
In this chapter, Jesus heals a paralyzed man at the Pool of Bethesda. According to John, this man had been paralyzed for thirty-eight years. Every day, friends of this man would place him beside this pool in hope that he would be healed. It was believed that if when the waters stirred in this pool, the first person who steps in it would be healed. However, as the man explained it to Jesus, since he was paralyzed, someone else always could step in before he could pull himself over to the water to get into it. To say the least, the man was an a devastating situation. He sat every day by a pool that supposedly promised healing to the first person to step foot in it once the waters stirred; yet, the man was never fast enough. As paralyzed,. all the other people around him were quicker, stronger, and more likely to get whatever benefit this water provided.
On this day, though, Jesus walked by the man. Jesus knew how long he had been paralyzed. He asked the man, “Do you want to be made well?” The man explained his desperate situation.
Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.”
The Bible records that the lame man immediately became the healed man. “And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked” (John 5:9).
Just incredible. Jesus showed mercy to this man who had been paralyzed for thirty-eight years. He made him well. So well that this formerly lame man was able to stand, roll his own bedding, pick it up, carry it, and walk. Think how wonderful that was.
There is only one problem. John continues, “And that day was the Sabbath.”
The Real Absolutely Devastating Problem
The Jewish/religious leaders who watched this take place became angry. This healed man carried his bed. “You can’t do that! This is the Sabbath!”
There was a religious rule that you could not carry your bed roll on a Sabbath. Why? In order to honor God and the Old Testament, of course. So when they see this man carrying his bed roll – the man paralyzed and wasting away for thirty-eight years, they became angry because he broke a rule.
They ask him about it. He told them that he had been healed.
The responded, “Who healed you?”
He did not know Jesus’ name but found it out later. Once he knew it, the healed man shared it with the Jewish leaders.
The Bible explains their response, “For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath” (John 5:16).
They ask Jesus about it and He explained that it was the Father working with Him, which is how the man was healed.
The leaders’ response: “Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God” (John 5:18).
However, this was not the most absolutely devastating problem.
Jesus continued talking to them. This is where I found the verse that absolutely hit me as devastating.
Jesus said, “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” (John 5:39-40)
Did you catch that? But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.
The Truly Devastating Problem
Jesus was standing there talking to these religious and political leaders. He offered them eternal life if they would believe. They had the testimony of John the Baptist. Further, they could see a healed person in front of them! Jesus demonstrated God’s goodness in the flesh and they failed to appreciate that goodness.
Jesus offers them life, but they are unwilling to believe in Him.
Simply stated, this is the truly devastating problem.
What about you and yours?
Here’s the reality. Jesus also offers life to you and those you know and love as well. In this same conversation, Jesus explains, “He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life” (John 5:24).
Therefore, we must share Jesus with those around us. In Jesus, we can offer those around us life. We can offer it not because we have the authority over eternal life, but because Jesus has the authority over eternal life and welcomes everyone to believe.
The best way out of this absolutely, truly devastating problem is to turn to Jesus and believe.
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