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In John 5 Jesus gives us an example of his healing power. However, there is more to the story if we look closely:

John 5:2-9:

2Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed.[b] 5One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

7″Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”

8Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.

Here is a guy that has been sitting next to this same exact pool, in the same exact place for 38 years. It takes a lot of faith to keep coming back for 38 years in order to receive a healing doesn’t it? Or does it? Notice what Jesus said to the man in verse 6? He asks the invalid, “Do you want to get well?” What a question! To us, it seems the answer must be obvious. Many of us may even commend the man for his faith to keep coming back 38 years and hoping for a miracle.

It turns out that there were people that would camp out at the pool and beg for money. They didn’t want to go into the pool and be healed as they were pretty comfortable earning a living by begging. What purpose would be served if Jesus had healed someone like that? They may actually get kinda mad at Jesus for taking away their livelihood! Others were there because they just wanted to feel sorry for themselves. They weren’t believing in being healed as they would never enter the pool, choosing instead to sit on the sidelines and complain about how bad life was and how they couldn’t even get help into the pool as no one cares about them. Again, what purpose would it serve if they were healed by Jesus? None, as they would just wander off somewhere and find something else to cause them to feel burdened upon and sorry for themselves.

Now, ask yourself a question. Which one of these describes you? As much as we try to portray ourselves as strong and above it all, we each have experienced our own pity party at some point. We each have been in a situation where we have made excuses for things not happening as a way to just not keep going. A lot of us just keep doing the same old thing regardless of whether it works or not because we are such creatures of habit!

What if Jesus is asking you right now if you want to be delivered from your affliction? If you want to do what it takes to get that job and find a way to make ends meet or if you just want to keep pretending to look for a job and complain that there is too much competition so you’ll never get hired. What if Jesus is asking you to stop saying “Woe is me!” and make a decision to take a step in the right direction?

In verse 7 the invalid actually tries to make an excuse. He says no one will help him get into the pool and he is always just a little too slow on his own to make it. You know what Jesus does? It’s right there in verse 8. He doesn’t even acknowledge the excuses! Jesus hears the man, but immediately replies by telling him to, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” With this, the man gets up and walks away.

If we’d just look to Jesus to help us with our problems and be ready to respond immediately when he moves on our behalf, we would save a lot of wasted time and time pitying ourselves. You know, we’ve all gone through it and we’ll all go through it some more, but sometimes we just have to rise above it all and know that Jesus is asking us if we really want to be delivered and empowered and waiting for us to say “YES!” Won’t you stand up and pick up your mat and walk and say “YES!” to Jesus today?