The House of Hope and Restoration

JESUS HEALS A MAN SICK FOR 38 YEARS AND ONE BORN BLIND-

In John 5:1-10 Jesus went to the Pool of Bethesda. There were several pools there with many sick people waiting for healing. They all waited for an Angel to stir the water and when the water is stirred, whoever goes into the water first received their healing. It was a survival of the fastest. You had to be fast and first.

This was an untenable situation for this man, he had no capacity to be first and fast. For more than 38 years he tried his luck and no one felt pity for him to give him a chance. Christ had to come and impart healing to this man.

When Christ saw him, the Bible records that Christ could see the man had been sick for a long time, his facial expression showed a long sickness. It probably showed a lack of hope, he never saw himself leaving the pool side whole. He couldn’t imagine a point where everyone around him would be slower than him.

Christ moved into the scene and Jesus asked him “ Do you want to be well?” the man must have been perplexed at the question: It’s like Christ was saying after all these years you want to tell me that you couldn’t possibly jump in quickly? Are you really serious about the healing? Of course I do, but I don’t have the means to go first, the strong and fast go in quicker and therefore I’m still like this after all these years.

Those with a higher priority are able to have appointments before me, I’m always bumped to the back of the queue. Those with better medical aid options get enrolled for their healing operations than me. I want to be well but unfortunately I have no means, there’s no one to help me, I don’t have the right connections to get the jobs, always someone with better connections and qualifications gets in first and takes the job from right under my nose.

I’m almost giving up all hope of ever working, someone more qualified than me always comes. I’m desperate but there’s nothing I can do, Sir if there’s something you can do for me to appropriate my healing I’m ready. I’m ready to accept my healing if you will give it to me whatever it takes and whatever it costs. It might be the Sabbath but if you say I must pick up my mat, I will do it.

Christ says to him “Stand up. Pick up your mat and walk.” The man responded. When Christ speaks, nature responds, when He spoke to the storm it became quiet, He created nature and therefore nature knows and understands His voice. He is Lord and master over it. He speaks to disease and it responds to Him, He is Lord and Master over all. Everything that is created obeys Him, everything that has a name responds to Him He has a name above all others.

Jesus is here to change your situation, He wants to turn your circumstances around, He wants to bring the healing to your life that you so much desire. The answer to your prayer is here today, Christ has come that you may have life. You might have lost all hope before, but in Christ that hope can be restored and realised. Christ is your connection to your healing, progress and salvation He’s the one you need for your circumstances to change for the better once and for all.

 

Stand up, pick up your mat and walk in Jesus’ name. Stand up and go and take that job that you desire, stand up and go and access the healing that has eluded you and cost you so much in life, your life savings and all. Jesus is here just for you, to announce that you are healed, you don’t have to have the connections and strengths of others. He loves you and came to the pool just because of your pain. No matter what you’ve done in the past to cause you the pain that you are suffering He says” Stand up, pick up your mat and walk.”

We learn in John 5:14 when Christ comes into contact with the man he had healed the reason for his long sickness. Christ says to him: ‘See you are well now. Stop sinning so that something worse doesn’t happen to you.” Somehow this man’s sickness (whatever it was) was a result of his sin, still this didn’t preclude him from being a beneficiary/ candidate of Christ’s mercy. Christ healed him inspite of the cause. This suggests that there are conditions (even sicknesses) that are a result of sin.

I believe it is because of this incident that a few chapters after this in John 9:1-3 when the disciples saw a man born blind they were buffled, they had an internal dialogue which they later verbalised to the Lord. They said Lord, a few days ago you said to the man who was sick for a long time at the Bethesda Pool that He must stop sinning else the sickness will be severe, now we are confused- this man we see before us was born blind, could it be that his parents sinned, or was it him who sinned. Christ said to them: This particular man was born blind so that God’s power could be shown in Him.” There are those who are the way they are so that God’s power could be demonstrated, whatever the cause of your situation without exception you are a candidate for God’s touch and healing.

Christ spit on the ground, made some mud and put it on the man’s eyes and told him “ Go and wash yourself in the pool of Siloam and the man came back seeing.” This emphasises the importance of taking instructions from God and obeying His word, when you obey God you will reap the benefits/ fruits of His word.

Many people make sure they take and follow instructions of people, professionals (doctors and others) and even inyangas to the letter but when God asks them to do something, they disobey or are filled with unbelief. They cannot follow simple instructions from God no matter how simple and straight forward they are. Professionals can give them the most complex set of instructions, inyangas can give them the most awkward rules and instructions they will follow, just look and live, follow Christ and live.