John 5:1-18

The Healing at the Pool ~

Jesus is in Jerusalem for the feast - which feast is it?  We're not sure.  It is definitely one of the three pilgrim feasts - Passover, Pentecost, or Sukkot.  As you read John, you will note that he frames his gospel around the Jewish calendar of feasts, mentioning them often.  This reminds us that Jesus was Jewish and he followed the Levitical Law.

Now, as Jesus is in Jerusalem he comes upon the Bethesda pool, which means "the house of graceful waters."  It was a gathering place for the crippled and disabled who are seeking healing in the waters.  It is said that the spirit of God would stir up the waters & the first person to bath during this stirring would be healed of their affliction.  This link:  http://biblewalks.com/Sites/Bethesda.html  provides a history and some incredible pictures of the site. 

Jesus went up to a man that had no one to help him, he had no hope.  John tells us that this man had been an invalid for 38 years.  Jesus asked the man if he wanted to be healed.  An odd question right?  Actually, it is a very astute question.  Many people don't want to be healed.  They have come to identify themselves with their affliction and aren't willing to give it up.  However this man says yes & Jesus tells him to pick up his mat and walk. Which the man does - awesome. 

However, he doesn't get very far before he is reprimanded by some Jews.  You see, he is carrying his mat on the Sabbath.  What's the big deal you ask?  Well, Levitical Law states that no work should be done on the Sabbath.  It is a day devoted to rest & your relationship with God.  The religious leaders never wanted to break any of the Levitical laws, for that would be a sin, so they built hedges around the law.  They actually started to define what "work" really meant - & they ended up with over 1,800 laws on what one could and could not do on the Sabbath.  Basically, they took what was meant to be a relationship with God and made it into a list of do's & don'ts.  Now, I think in their hearts this started out as a good thing.  I mean, they were just trying to obey God & avoid sin.  Unfortunately, they lost sight of God in all these rules.  So, rather than praising God for the healing of a fellow brother in faith, they chastised him for carrying his mat!

Remember how I said that Jesus was a Jew who followed the Levitical Law - that's the law laid out by God when He spoke to Moses on Mt. Sinai.  Those laws were put into place for several reasons.  One, they explain how we flawed, stained humans can have a relationship with the Most Holy God.  Two, they show us how to stay healthy.  Three, they show us how to get along with our neighbors.  As Jesus will say in the upcoming Gospels, the sum of the Law is to love the Lord with everything you have and to treat others they way you want to be treated.  These laws are put into place for our own good, for our own benefit.  However, Jesus did not always obey the Pharisaical Law, because in obeying this law, man was actually breaking &/or losing sight of God's law.  Everything Jesus did pointed back to His Father.  As you go through life, remember that it's not about how good you can be, it's about how well you know Jesus.  Do you call Him your friend, or do you call Him your keeper?