I don’t know about you guys, but all this talk of swine flu, regular flu, and all other health pandemics is starting to drive me crazy! I was a little under the weather after SonQuest (which was great by the way!) and started showing flu-like symptoms, but I’m doing a lot better. I know that this flu stuff has affected a lot of people here in Ocala and around the state. Sickness is going around. As you know by now, I’m a diehard Florida Gators fan, so you can understand my concern last week when all the talk of swine flu and respiratory sickness hit my team hard. UF flew 3 different planes to Lexington, KY last week to play the Wildcats: one for those who were healthy, another for 5 players showing symptoms of respiratory sickness, and the third carrying those with the flu. Sickness is going around. When I walk into my office and carry out tasks throughout the day here at Maricamp, I can’t help but notice that we’ve added 8 or so instant hand sanitizer stations all around the building. We even had a full page insert in our bulletin this week that talked all about prevention tips and warning signs of H1N1 and flu. Sickness is going around.
In John 5, we find Jesus traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate a feast. On his way to the feast, he passed by a place called the Sheep Gate (or Bethesda if you’re versed in Aramaic!). I know what you’re thinking, but no, he’s not going to the Sheep Gate to pick up dinner – the Sheep Gate was a pool where all the disabled and needy people would gather. If you have your Bible open, you’ll notice that many translations omit verse 4, but verse 4 says that the disabled would gather there because every now and then an angel of the Lord would come down and stir the waters. The first person to get into the pool after the angel stirred it up would be cured of whatever disease he or she had….WOW! Picture yourself at the Sheep Gate. Can you see the angel coming down to stir the waters? Can you visualize seeing somebody who you’ve known to be disabled for years getting into the pool, and leaving healed? Can you imagine your heart breaking each time this happened when you weren’t able to get in the pool?
Interestingly enough, Jesus met a man who the text says “had been an invalid for 38 years.” His family may have set him out at the Sheep Gate the moment they knew he was disabled. Jesus learned of his condition, and that he’d been there for “a long time (v. 6)” and asked him a rather interesting question: “Do you want to get well?” When I first read this, I thought “Well of course he wants to get well, he’s probably been laying on his mat in that spot for 38 years, Jesus- you know he wants to get well!” But I thought about it some more, and I studied this narrative a little closer. Jesus knew he wanted to get well, after all, he is the Great Physician. Lets backtrack a little. This man has been disabled to the degree of not being able to make it into the pool (some form of paralysis?) for 38 years. That’s a long time! There’s a good chance that this man has no hope of being cured. He may be so used to being in this state that being healed would present a lifestyle full of new challenges (finding a job, learning how to adapt to this new condition, etc.). I think Jesus asked him this question in order to get the man to explore his heart and see if he really wanted to be changed. Which leads us to an interesting comparison….
God’s healing has been documented throughout time…..the Bible records many miracles, and I know many of you can think of things God has done in your own life to reaffirm His power and providence. But I want to take it from the physical to the spiritual for a minute here. Take some time right now to consider your own personal relationship with God. Where are you at? Are you and God tight? Are you still searching for what’s true? Are you at a point where you think that you’ve hurt God too much? Really evaluate where you’re at right now. Be honest.
Jesus is asking each and every one of us, “Do you really want to be changed?” Because when we’re changed by God, amazing things will start to happen. Relationships with others will improve. The peace that surpasses our human understanding will be present in your life. You will be considered right with God. The things from your past (and possibly present) that have kept you “laying on your mat” will be taken away by the Son. The guilt that you’ve lived with for so long will be washed away. Romans 12:2 says that we will be transformed.
Some of us have been living in the rut that we call sin for quite a while. I’ve been there at one point in my relatively short (23 years) life. It must have been 4 years ago, but I can vividly remember breaking down and laying it all before God one night at 3AM. I was broken and disabled by the sin in my life. I was living totally opposite of how God’s Word told me I should be living. But when I turned it all over to Him and responded to that question, “Do you really want to be changed?”, my life transformed! I mentioned those benefits of being changed because I’ve experienced them, and you will too!
I didn’t want to leave you hanging from John 5, so I need to tell you what happens next. Jesus commanded the man to get up, pick up his mat, and walk – and he did just that. The choice is up to you. You see, sickness may be going around, but all you have to do is respond to the call of the Savior. You have the option to stay where you’re at in your relationship with God, or to rise up and walk with the Shepherd of the Sheep Gate. Do you want to get well?
I’ll leave you with a passage from the book of Hebrews: ”Therefore, since we’re surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of God.” (Heb. 12:1-2, NIV)
May God bless you today. May He heal you of whatever it is in your life that is weighing you down. May you walk with Him as He guides your life, and leads you in a new direction filled with love and joy.
If you want to find out more about this, please email me at: pastorbeef@gmail.com