“Do you want to be well?
John 5:1-17
In our recent study in Nehemiah I showed you this picture of what the wall looked like that Nehemiah and the builders constructed around Jerusalem. This picture shows 10 gates that were used to gain entrance to the city. Each gate had a specific purpose.
• Horse gate - area horses could enter
• Fish gate-a fish market was located there
Another of those Gates was referred to as the sheep gate. This was the entrance through which the sheep that were being used for sacrifices would enter. We are told that Jesus was near that gate when he encountered this man who was sick. The Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. Jesus had come to the pool of Bethesda. And there lying all around the pool were sick and paralyzed people. They had come to this spot because there was a legend that an angel would on occasion stir the waters of the pool-legend says the first one to get into the water would be healed. Now remember this was only a superstition.
Jesus moves into the midst of this group but we notice that he does not heal everyone at the pool that day but as he moved among them, he is drawn to one particular man who had been ill for 38 years. To me it is puzzling why out of all of these very needy people that Jesus would only choose to heal one. Could have been Jesus knew the man had been lying there for 38 years – could have been another reason. But one thing we do know is that it was not because the man was asking for Jesus’ help. He didn’t even know who Jesus was. Jesus encounters this man and then Jesus asks him a very strange question. Here it is … do you want to get well? I mean if a man was starving would you ask, do you want some food? This man, paralyzed for 38 years and Jesus says do you want to walk? Do you want to get well?
3 things/truths I want you to see in this passage today.
1. Before you can change you must decide if you want to be changed. Notice v. 6. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew he had already been in that condition a long time he said to him, do you want to be made well? Clearly Jesus wanted this man to think about this question-there’s more here than we see on the surface.
I believe this is a lot like a question parents sometimes ask their children-you want a good spanking? First of all I never had a good one and 2nd I think we already know the answer to that question -- it’s no.
In the past 38 years this man had been a beggar so he lived his life off the donations of others. If he was healed he would lose those donations. He would lose the pity of others. Today as horrible as this sounds, in some Third World countries, parents are guilty of hurting their children, crippling them, perhaps so they can earn a living begging on the streets. If this man was healed, he would then have to be responsible for himself. It would be the equivalent today of offering this to a person on welfare and saying are you willing to give up your income in order to get well? Now he would be responsible for himself.
I see people like this in our world today. Their lives are sick. Hurting. But they have never considered the fact that God might have something new for them. They’re satisfied with just getting by. I see it all the time. People hear the gospel. Maybe even excited when they first hear it-but then they realize they really don’t want to be changed-who likes change? So they leave. Before you can ever change you have to decide, do I want to be changed?
2. Once we decide we do in fact want change, then we must make a second decision. We must decide to stop making excuses. Verse seven. Notice the man avoids the question Jesus has asked him. He doesn’t say whether or not he wants to get well. Instead he just complains. Gives us a long list of his troubles. Let me ask you, has it ever occurred to you there are some people who just really enjoy complaining? They see themselves as a victim. A victim of society. A victim of their upbringing/bad parenting. They have convinced themselves that everything that happens to them is somebody else’s fault. It has to be …… I can’t be the one to blame. We can’t help but feel sorry for this man: all alone, no family we know of, lame, lonely and then he says, I have no one to help me. I can’t do anything, nobody will help me and God’s not doing anything for me either. Listen, if you decide you want to change you have to stop making excuses.
3. Next decision. You must decide to take action. Vvs. 8-9. Now understand that when this man was healed, he wasn’t healed by the water. Jesus said to him, get up. Pick up your mat and walk. Obviously the man now had a choice to make. He could
• listen and just ignore what Jesus said
• he could sit there and wish someone would just do it for him
• he could listen to Jesus and obey. Do what he says. Get up!
I have that choice. You have that choice. Do you want to get up and do something or is it easier to just stay right where you are? You want to be well or is it easier to just stay right where you are. Jesus is saying something on a deeper level than we see on the surface. Look, if you want to change don’t make any provisions for going back. First thing you need to do-get rid of that mat. Cut off any possibility of going back. Burn your bridges and burn them now.
Later, according to verse 14 Jesus found this man in the temple and he said here, “see you are well. Do not sin any more so that something worse doesn’t happen to you.” We could say this man is a lot like us or we are a lot like him. We no doubt make mistakes. There was sin in his life-we all have it. I don’t believe Jesus was saying that his sin was the cause of his illness but don’t think for a moment it couldn’t be. But here is a truth that he was saying for sure: the result of sin in our lives is always worse than the result of physical illness. Sin destroys. Wages of sin is death.
Now let’s look at what this man who had been paralyzed for 38 years did that was right.
1. He identified what he wanted. I mean, let’s face it, there are those who if given an opportunity for healing, will actually choose to remain sick. The first step is to get up.
2. He stopped blaming others. He was complaining. Every time the water bubbles up, no one is there to help me into the pool. Someone always beats me in. I can’t get help and it’s been that way for 38 years. We had been blaming others for our problems since the beginning of time.
• When God asked Adam why he disobeyed, Adam said... It was that woman you gave me.
• Students do it in school, I would do better but that teacher doesn’t like me.
• I would go further in life but you don’t understand how I was raised. You ever seen my family?
We have a very hard time saying these words: I was wrong. I am responsible.
3. He did the right thing. He got up. Verse 8. Jesus often told people that in order to be healed they must do something. He
• Told the man with the withered hand, stretch out your hand. When he did he was.
• Jesus put dirt on the eyes of a blind man and said go and wash it off. He did, and suddenly, he could see.
• Jesus said to this man, pick up your mat and walk. Sometimes we just have to do something.
4. Finally, he gave all the glory/credit to Jesus. Vs.13 reminds us that Jesus wanted him to be physically healthy but he also wanted him to be spiritually healthy. V. 14. See, you are well... again. Apparently there had been a time when he could walk. And Jesus didn’t want him to fall into this condition again. Is it possible Jesus wants to make you well and you have instead settled for 2nd best? Decided to just stay where you are? Maybe it’s just easier. Pardon the pun but those are lame excuses.
If ever there was a person who could have just hung onto his excuses …. Robert Reed would be that person. His hands are twisted and His feet are useless. He can’t bathe himself. Can’t feed himself. Can’t brush his teeth, comb his hair or put on his clothes by himself. His shirts are held together by Velcro. He has Cerebral Palsy. This terrible disease keeps him from driving a car, riding a bike of just going for a walk. But it didn’t keep him from graduating from college with a degree in Latin. It didn’t keep him from later teaching at the college level. It didn’t keep him from going on 5 mission trips and eventually becoming a missionary to Portugal. There he stationed himself daily in a park where he would give out brochures about Jesus all day long. In 6 years he led 70 people to the Lord. Why? Because he chose not to offer any excuses. We all have them. We’ve been crippled from the past? Do you hold on to it? Is there secret sin?
• An addiction? Something you’re not willing to give up? Do you want to get well?
This man said yes. He picked up his mat and he moved forward. Perhaps it’s your turn today to do the same.
