Lent4. 2016 8th March-The sick man answered him

8^th March

(C)Br. Luke Efo 2010

Scripture John 5: 1-16

¹ After these things, there was a Jewish festival, and Yeshua went up to Jerusalem. ² Now in Jerusalem by the sheep gate, there is a pool, which is called in Hebrew, “Bethesda”, having five porches. ³ In these lay a great multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, or paralysed, waiting for the moving of the water; ⁴ for an angel went down at certain times into the pool and stirred up the water. Whoever stepped in first after the stirring of the water was healed of whatever disease he had. ⁵ A certain man was there who had been sick for thirty-eight years. ⁶ When Yeshua saw him lying there, and knew that he had been sick for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to be made well?”

⁷ The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I’m coming, another steps down before me.”

⁸ Yeshua said to him, “Arise, take up your mat, and walk.”

⁹ Immediately, the man was made well, and took up his mat and walked.

Now it was the Sabbath on that day. ¹⁰ So the Judeans said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath. It is not lawful for you to carry the mat.”

¹¹ He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.’”

¹² Then they asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your mat and walk’?”

¹³ But he who was healed didn’t know who it was, for Yeshua had withdrawn, a crowd being in the place.

¹⁴ Afterward Yeshua found him in the temple, and said to him, “Behold, you are made well. Sin no more, so that nothing worse happens to you.”

¹⁵ The man went away, and told the Judeans that it was Yeshua who had made him well. ¹⁶ For this cause the Judeans persecuted Yeshua, and sought to kill him, because he did these things on the Sabbath.

Reflection:

“⁷ The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I’m coming, another steps down before me.” (Verse 7) Imagine how you would feel if each time you tried to do something that would heal you, someone pushed you aside and took your healing. Imagine, if you will for a moment, the frustration and hopelessness he must have felt. We could say that we would help him, and not push him aside, but would we?  If we were there for another, would we really help him or those we were with?

Your thoughts: