John 4-5

November 7

John 4-5

When Jesus approached the invalid at the pool, he asked him; “do you want to get well?” This seems like an odd question. The man was lying by this pool where those with infirmities gathered in hopes of being healed. He had been an invalid for thirty eight years. Perhaps he had given up hope and just came to the pool as a formality. When Jesus asked him if he wanted to get well, the man did not say; “yes.” Instead he told Jesus why he had no hope. He did not pursue a cure, he made excuses.

Jesus told the man; “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” The man was cured and he walked. What have you struggled with in your life that you say you want healed, but you make excuses instead of pursuing a cure. Perhaps its and addiction, maybe it is a strained relationship, it could be a health issue, or the pursuit of more education or a job change. It is often easier to complain about our infirmities than it is to make a change.

Has Jesus asked you if you want to get well and you just make an excuse why it is not going to happen? He wants to heal us of more than our physical infirmities, He wants to go deeper. Later, Jesus found the man and told him to stop sinning or something worse may happen to him. His physical ailment was just the surface problem. Jesus saw the deeper issues. Perhaps those deeper issues were the obstacles to his recovery in the first place.

When we pray seeking God’s help in our lives, when we seek healing spiritually, physically, or emotionally, God wants to heal our hearts before He addresses our circumstances. To heal the outer person without addressing the deeper issues only lead to other problems. If we will allow God to cure the sin problem in our lives, if we seek Him with all our heart and allow Him to lead our lives, the other issues will take their rightful place.