John 5:8-9a Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!” Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking!
For thirty-eight years, the man laid beside on one of the porches of the pool of Bethesda, hoping for someone to place him in the pool once an angel had stirred the waters. He had no help, so others would be the first in the pool and receive the healing he desired. For all those years, he was patient, hoping for his change to come.
Then, Jesus arrived one day and noticed him. Jesus asked a question that has always intrigued me, wanting to know if the man wanted to get well. I thought it a needless question, for the man had stayed on the porch rather than give up and have someone take him home. But I realize that you can’t take it for granted that everyone wants to be healed or changed, for sometimes people use their circumstances to have power over others and as an excuse to not do for themselves. Obviously, Jesus took the man’s explanation of his difficulties getting to the pool before another as a affirmation that he truly wanted to get well.
Then, the hope and faith that had sustained him for thirty-eight years came to fruition as Jesus told him to stand up, pick up his mat, and walk. I love that the man didn’t ask how he was supposed to do that without help. I admire how he simply got up and started walking, believing he had found the helper he needed and had been waiting for in Jesus Christ.
There are times in our lives when it seems that there is no one to help us overcome the struggles and trials that continue, even after we have prayed. But, if we place our trust in God the Father, He will send help in due season, if we faint not. Jesus is still the Mediator between humans and God, a very present help in the times of trouble. We can walk securely in knowing that a change will come.
Like the man at Bethesda, we may not know how the Lord will fix it or when the Lord will fix it, but we can be assured that He will do so, according to His will and His ways. It may look different from what we expect, as it did for the man laying on his mat, but it will soon change for the better.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen!
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