John 5: 4-7
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.
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This "certain" man was terribly needy and desperate for healing power. He is in many ways like so many people today. They are desperately looking for power.
Some are looking for power to heal the afflictions of their body, but a great many more are seeking power to heal their soul.
Our society is a full of candidates for this pool at Bethesda. From those abandoned and rejected, to those abused and afflicted, as well as the lonely and broken are in need of finding this power. They are all around us, many of them appearing quite whole. But they are not. They are desperately seeking power to overcome. And well they should be.
The problem with this man at Bethesda, is that he like so many today was looking for that power in the wrong places. His idea of healing from that pool was pure superstition. He believed, as verse seven tells us, that when the water of this pool is stirred, the first one in will be healed.
This pool may have had some restorative powers, which would explain the superstition. But the religion of the Bible is not a superstitious mysticism, rather, it is a religion of faith and obedience to a God of grace and might.
It is to God we are to look, not to pools or ancient artifacts or images of Mary, all of which is pure idolatry.
But there is always a tendency for religious people to turn to techniques, special objects, or formulas that are supposed to convey spiritual power.
There are popular books written today that will teach you prayer formulas that "work" in a way that other prayers do not. Some churches even sell "miracle cloths" which supposedly have been anointed so as to give them divine power.
All of these are idolatrous perversions of true religion. Biblical Christianity is not a religion of mystical power but of divine grace received through simple faith.
Nothing is more characteristic of Rome than the worship of relics. Wherever a chapel is opened, or a temple consecrated, it cannot be thoroughly complete without some relic or other of a church-saint to give sanctity to it.
The relics of the saints and rotten bones of the martyrs form a great part of the wealth of the Church. The grossest impostures have been practiced in regard to such relics; and the most drivelling tales have been told of their wonder-working powers, and that also by Fathers of high name in the records of Christendom.
Even Augustine, with his zeal against some forms of false doctrine, was deeply infected with this spirit that led to relic worship.
In Augustine's day, the formal "worship" of the relics was not yet established; but the martyrs to whom they were supposed to have belonged were already being prayed to. It has been said that there are enough bones of John the Baptist scattered around Europe for five or six bodies.
Apart from the Roman church we have another form of power seekers.
We have TV evangelists, like Benny Hinn, who run a traveling healing empire where many seek to find such power. Hinn can even heal through the TV itself if you touch the TV screen when he tells you to touch it and send in your check at the close of the program.
I'm not sure anyone has been found that Hinn has healed that is long lasting. But without a doubt he is one of the best known and possibly richest televangelists in the world.
People flock to see pastor Benny for that power they hope he can give them. It may be power over the will of their body, or maybe they need power in money they don't have.
This power force is only released through their faith and a check given to Benny.
According to Pastor Benny if a person expresses their faith by sowing a sufficient monetary seed into his ministry - that person will be granted divine physical healing.
Hogwash!!
All you have to do to have your prayers answered, according to God's sovereign will, is to be his child through faith in Christ and to speak to him in humble sincerity.
This poor man found in John chapter five as well as all of us could better spent his time at the temple beseeching God for mercy than waiting at this pool or seeing a few old bones and sending a check to Benny.
Anything which becomes a performance based, ritualistic tradition devoid of God's power and grace is wrong my friend. It becomes false religion that only makes others rich. God does not sell his blessings, He gives them away.
How many today are searching and seeking, going from this fad to that program, from this therapy to that pill, from one experience and excitement to another, all without ever receiving true power or life?
I feel the answer that countless people are seeking, is this true power. Like this man at this pool, unless Jesus comes and enters into our lives, no real and saving power from God can ever be present.
The good news for the man by the pool was that Jesus came into his life.
Jesus might well have rebuked him for his practical idolatry, seeking aid from a pool rather than crying out in prayer to God. But Jesus saw and knew his desperation. Out of his boundless mercy he simply asked, "Wilt thou be made whole?" or do you want to be healed?
This is what Jesus offers to a world so well depicted by the scene at this pool.
He came to give sight to the blind:
John 12:46
"While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light."
He came to lift up the weak and the weary, the hopeless and the lost:
John 3:17
"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."
Therefore it is Jesus that we need, as we find him in God's Word. Not a superstitious angle. Not a method or a program or therapy. Not religion, but power.
"Do you want to be healed?" he asks, and he has the power to do it.
John 5: 8
And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked:
This is power, and it stands for the whole of what Jesus can do, body and soul, to those who look to him in faith.
Later on, when the religious leaders accused him of healing on the Sabbath, Jesus referred to this healing, this man had never been able to do what he now did he had never risen and taken up his bed until the power of Christ gave him the strength. No checks were needed. No bones were there to be seen. It was all from the power of Christ.
Whereas I feel this biblical account is true, I feel the greater meaning and the reason for the story is to see all of mankind in the state that scripture tells of in this poor man. In other words we are all in some way helpless and wanting. What is it that you have not been able to do?
Is there some guilt that weighs down your soul? Bring it to Jesus to be washed clean in his blood. Is there some tragedy from your past that somehow cripples you? Look at what Jesus did for this man who had been lame for thirty-eight years.
Ask him to heal what is broken in you, and to bind up with mercy those wounds that God intends you still to bear. Bring the dark places of your heart into the light of his grace. Let his Word be a living source of spiritual life for your wanting soul.