Do You Want to Be Well?

 

5 One man was there who had been disabled for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and realized he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to get well?” 7 “Sir,” the disabled man answered, “I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I’m coming, someone goes down ahead of me.” 8 “Get up,” Jesus told him, “pick up your mat and walk.” 9 Instantly the man got well, picked up his mat, and started to walk.

John 5:5-9 CSB

At Grace Point we've been in a series called "Questions Jesus Asked (and is still asking)." Yesterday the message was about Jesus healing the invalid at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-9). Before he healed him, Jesus asked him, "Do you want to be made well?" Which seems like a redundant question but instead of answering "yes" the man started making excuses. Jesus knew that the man had grown comfortable in his situation. Jesus doesn't bless his heart, He just tells him that if he wants to be well, "Get up. Pick up your mat and walk." And he does. His healing didn't come in the way he thought it would, but it came when he OBEYED the command of Jesus. 

Sometimes when we have problems, we figure out how to fix them and ask God to do it our way. But God doesn't work that way - if we truly want to be well, i.e. have our problems "fixed", we have to do it His way. He may command us to do something unconventional, or outside of our comfort zone, but to truly be well, we have to do things His way, not ours. He never promised that it would be easy, but He does promise to be with us as we obey. 

Being made well will take a significant step of faith, because if some small tweak would have helped you overcome your problem you would have done it years ago. You can't be made well of something you won't confront, or something that you are still trying to manage or compensate for. You will only get well when you surrender fully to Jesus and do as He says. The healing may not come in the the way you thought it would, but if You follow Jesus and obey His words, you will be healed. 

Do you want to be well? 

You can listen to the full message HERE at our sermon site.