Scripture:
John 5:5-7, 9 NKJV
[5] Now, a certain man was there who had an infirmity of thirty-eight years. [6] 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?” [7] 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.”
[9] And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.
Observation:
I honestly think about this story a lot. I believe I have written about it in the past. It’s one of those stories in the bible that is pretty easy to tie to addiction. I believe that first, we have to explain a little bit about what’s going on. This man whose name is not known, had been lying by the pool of Bethesda for 38 years now it is believed that an angel would come and stir the water and the first one to get in it after it had been stirred would be healed. Now despite all his efforts he had been stuck there for a good portion of his life in hopes that maybe this time he would be faster than everyone else, or that as he inches his way to the pool maybe this time he would beat everyone and get it figured out. But the odds were never really in his favor. Having been lame for the past 38 years. I’m sure it was starting to wear on his emotional state. I can almost see him giving up on anything different. Sitting there watching everyone else receive the healing they needed. But never being able to physically obtain it for himself. Every effort was spoiled by someone who was just a little faster or who had someone to help them get in the pool. Attempt after Attempt with nothing to show for it but a broken life. Then along came this man who was not like any other man he had ever encountered. This guy seemed to care, HE seemed to have compassion. Looking at the lame man, HE posed a question. It was simple and to the point.” Do you want to be healed?” I mean, after all, what else needed to be asked? He was in the place where healing was available… it’s just that every effort he had ever made failed. As the man began to explain that to Jesus, I could almost see the love in the eyes of Jesus as this man continued to explain all his efforts that had ended with a little more hope lost. Jesus knew the man had done all he could with all the human efforts that he could muster up and had compassion on him. HE didn’t touch him or anything like that. In fact, all the scripture says is that immediately, the man was made well and took up his bed.
Application:
I honestly can’t tell you how many times I have tried to get clean and sober. But I can tell you when it started for me. I was 15 years old when the state of Oregon saw that I had an addiction issue. I was placed in a treatment center for youth entering sobriety called the Y.E.S. House and conveniently found a way to get kicked out. The thing is, I didn’t really want to stop at that point. Sure, addiction had caused a lot of trauma in my life. But there was a lot more that I had to go through before the desperation of my condition would truly come to the surface. 2 years later, they tried again. Back to the Y.E.S. house I went, and this time, I was a little more willing to put forth some effort. After graduation from the program, I dove into A.A. and N.A. and put forth my best efforts to live one day at a time with what they had told me was incurable. After about 2 years as the youngest member of those kinds of programs at the time. I found myself back in addiction. To be honest, I can’t tell you how many times I had tried since that second time when I realized that there was more to life. But I can tell you I would probably have to use my fingers and ties to get close to an accurate number. Try and fail try and fail because became the next several years of my life. All my efforts left me homeless and hopeless. Until I had an encounter with Jesus Christ. HIS question to me was simple. DO YOU WANT TO BE WELL? Do I? Let me tell you about every effort I have made. Let me tell you about all the times I have tried. Let me explain how someone always beats me to what I need. All my human efforts are worthless. I need your help. Just put me in the pool. That day that moment the encounter with Christ changed my life. Instantly, I was delivered from addiction. But after a life of addiction, I had to learn how to walk. I have stumbled along the way but gotten back up. My life is different today. My desires have changed. I no longer see myself as someone who has a disease that can’t be cured. I see myself as a new creation in Christ. Not even the same man. My point in telling you this story is… maybe you are at a spot in life where you feel like you have made every effort you can to accomplish something you want more than anything in the world. Let me introduce you to the man who asked me a simple question. DO YOU WANT TO BE WELL? Do you realize what you are missing is HIM? Our efforts just won’t do it. They will always leave us empty and void. The only true key to life-changing resurrection power is Jesus Christ. An encounter with HIM is the answer. A.A. and N.A. won’t do it, and I’m going to be honest here…. celebrate recovery and life recovery, and any other recovery program won’t do it. Oh, I’m not trying to say those things can’t bring you to the encounter you need because I know they can… they did for me… but the cold, hard, honest truth is an encounter with Jesus is life-changing and can not be replaced by anything else. The question becomes this… DO YOU WANT TO BE WELL?
Prayer:
Father, we know that you are the great, “I AM” nothing can replace you. You are all we need, all of our efforts, all of our attempts to change our lives are to no avail. Every effort every failure all of our attempts nothing but filthy rags. We need Jesus. All I can say is thank you, Father thank you for your son. Thank you for giving us the Holy Spirit. Thank you for all that you have done. Without an encounter with your son, we would have never been able to stand in the throne room of grace boldly proclaiming that we are a new creation. You have made us new you have delivered us from the captivity of our addiction and the power of sin. You have given us a life that we could never obtain on our own. A life where we are set free. Father all I can ask for is that you release your Holy Spirit to do what you have intended for it to do through these words that you have instructed me to write. If there is someone who is unsure about their relationship with Jesus Christ use these words to create the encounter needed to bring them to the life change they have made every effort to obtain yet have been left empty. Fill the void in their heart with the one thing that is missing. It’s in the mighty name of Jesus I pray amen.