Here is a story familiar to many. Jesus goes to a mystical healing spot called Bethesda, where there is a pool. Nearby the pool are a bunch of sick people, waiting for a certain moment each year. "The Big Moment" is when something or someone (the legend say it's an angel) comes and stirs up the pool and it has healing qualities for the first person into it. And here is a man who has been unable to move in 38 years. Who knows how many years he has sat at the pool of Bethesda, waiting for his chance?
Yet Jesus gives this man his chance right away, without the power of the waters. The man grabs his mat and starts walking. It happens to be the Sabbath, and so he gets in some trouble for working on the Sabbath, but he points out that the mysterious healer told him to do it.
It seems, at first blush, a normal healing story. Jesus heals on the Sabbath all the time (okay, 7 times in Matthew, Mark and Luke), and it usually results in some kind of conversation about the healing. But this story takes a bizarre turn when the man meets Jesus again in verse 14, and is immediately warned by Jesus to stop some kind of sin because it may result in a worse illness. This is a unique story to be sure.
We don't know exactly what happened in the story. Perhaps as a young man, this guy was caught up in doing some bad things that led to his particular injuries. Or, as an invalid, his whole life became about his condition and he steadily drove the people around him away. After all, there were no friends or family to help him get into the pool at Bethesda. Who knows?
I think what we learn about this story is not to blame all illnesses and ailments on personal sin, because Jesus rarely delivers the message to stop sinning to those whom He heals. I think what we learn about this story is that Jesus was able to see into this man's life and not only bring healing to his body, but his spirit. May we all experience Christ's healing today.
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