Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. 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. Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. 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?” 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.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. {John 5:2-9}
Sometimes all it takes is for Jesus to come by and ask us, “Do you want to be made well?” Sometimes we just have no strength to even take the effort to make ourselves well. Sometimes we have the strength and sometimes we don’t. There are times when it just seems impossible we will ever be made well, we can’t even raise a finger to be made well. We’ve given up. We have no hope anymore. Everyone is gone. No one is around to help us and prod us, and encourage us to try again. We have no one and no one knows if we’re even alive anymore.
But Jesus knows us. He knows where we are even when others aren’t there to help us. He knows what we’re going through. If we just keep looking to Him, and spend time with Him in His word and in hopes of His love for us, one of these days He will come and heal us.
Sometimes the Lord will let us go through difficult times in our lives so that we will find ourselves with no one, nothing else to do and no where else to go. He wants us to be still and find Him. He wants us to find Him and seek Him, and desire only Him. It’s not too hard for the Lord to heal us and work everything out for our good. But sometimes it’s hard for us to sit still and have a real relationship with Him. If everything is well with us we may never find Him. We will never sit still and talk to Him and learn who He is.
Sometimes the Lord allows bad things to happen in our lives so that we would really come down to nothing, and just cling to our hope in His love for us. God wants us to know Him more than us being made physically or even emotionally well, and wind up not needing Him anymore. Sometimes He would rather see us lame, blind, sick, bed ridden, but with an intimate relationship with Him, than to have us well and strong but so far away from Him.
He wants to make us whole. The Lord wants us to be made well. But it has to be through Him – through His timetable. Are we willing to trust Him through the process?
This man at the pool of Bethesda was made whole. But afterwards the Lord had to turn around and warn him, about not sinning again or else a worse thing will happen to him. When the Jews found out that he picked up his bed and walked home on a Sabbath day they wanted to know why he did that. He told them that the man who made him whole told him to. They wanted to know who it was, but he couldn’t tell. He didn’t know the Lord.
Then the Lord came around later to him and said to him,
Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. {John 5:14}
Unfortunately, he didn’t know who Jesus was and didn’t love Him. So when he found out it was Jesus who made him well, he went and told on Jesus to the Jews. Instead of thanking the Lord and worshipping Him, he went and betrayed the Lord.
That’s why it’s not always a great thing to want to be made whole so much, as to want to know who Jesus is first. What’s the point of being made whole, even mentally and emotionally, if our spirit is not whole with Jesus – if we don’t end up falling in love with Jesus first? The Lord talked about this in His gospel. He tells us,
And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. {Mark 9:43-48}
At the end of the day, is it better to be saved than to be made well? This life is but a moment, everything is passing. If we don’t get our healing on this earth it’s okay, because we’re going where life is eternal and our healing, physically and emotionally, is guaranteed. Jesus also warns us,
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. {Matthew 7:21-23}
Falling in love with Jesus is what matters in the end. Gaining Jesus is better than being made whole. Knowing Him, loving Him and doing His will and His desire are all the things that matter most to Jesus. Because when you do have Jesus, being made whole is automatic. Your soul, your heart, your spirit and your mind will be made whole. And that is so much better than anything you can ever experience or gain in this life. To know Jesus and to have Jesus is everything.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. {Matthew 6:33}
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. {Matthew 11:28-30}
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? {Mark 8:36}
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. {Mark 8:35}
Prayer
Lord Jesus, I thank You for Your great love for me. I thank You for giving Your life at the cross at Calvary so that I can be set free from all my sins and be cleansed from all of my iniquities. I love You, Lord Jesus. You mean the whole world to me.
I pray Father that You will please give me more faith in Your love for me. Help me to spend more time with You. Help me not to worry so much about being made well more than making sure of my relationship with You. Your are life everlasting. You are everything I could ever need in this life. Please Father, help me more and more each day to love You, to talk to You and to know You. I pray this Father in Your most wonderful and precious name, Jesus. Thank You, Father. Amen.
