John 5:1-9 "After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath."
Jesus had gone up to Jerusalem to attend a feast of the Jews, and was passing by the pool of Bethesda. He saw a man who had been crippled for 38 years, and had missed the opportunity for healing multiple times, it would seem. Can you imagine how discouraging this would be? Can you imagine how deeply grieved this man's heart must have been every time he tried so desperately to gain healing, relief, a way out of this terrible life of pain, only to see another get it before him? It must have felt to him as if no one cared for him in the least...after all, he didn't even have one single friend to help him into the pool at the right time. What a lonely life he must have led! The Bible says that hope deferred makes the heart sick...how many times was this poor man's hope deferred? And yet, even in his terrible plight, someone DID care. What is so precious to me about this story is that we don't see this man ask for healing...our Saviour went and sought him out. Jesus is such a perfect example of selfless compassion, concern, and love. He saw this man as an individual; a human being in desperate need, and He immediately reached out to help him and bring him healing, not just physically, but spiritually as well. I was so convicted by this...Do I see everyone around me as precious souls who love, cry, hope, fear, and will eventually die and spend eternity somewhere? Do I have a deep, consuming passion to reach them, touch their lives personally, and tell them of the One who can heal their deepest pain and sorrow? Oh, may I love these souls as He did! May I keep an eternal mindset in the midst of this very temporal world! May I do God's will with the compassion exhibited in the perfect life of my Lord!
Mykaela
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please make sure your comments are respectful and edifying to all involved! :) Comments are moderated, so if you do not see yours immediately, please wait just a bit for it to be posted. Thank you!