Devotion for 1 June 2011 Anno Domini

Devotion for 1 June 2011 Anno Domini
“5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. 6When 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? 7The 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. 8Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.10 The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.11 He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.12 Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk? 13And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.15 The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.” (John 5:5-15)
“And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.” The only name of great import here is not the man with the infirmity, but the Man who was able, beyond measure, to heal every disability – the Lord Jesus Christ. So, we have a “certain man” at the pool of Bethesda at which an Angel at times disturbed the waters and gave hope of healing to the first man to the water. The name, Bethesda, means House of Kindness, and this is the place at which the man with the infirmity found the most gracious of kindnesses and mercies. He had suffered his affliction for thirty-eight years. Either he suffered from early youth, or he also suffered from infirmity of age.
“When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case,” Jesus did not find this man by any combination of accidental events, but by the foreknowledge and Providence of God. He already knew that the man had suffered a “long time in that case.” “He saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?” It is very likely that the sick man had not the slightest understanding of the meaning and depth of Christ’s inquiry. Certainly, after years of pain and suffering, and coming to the pool, he desired, above all else, t o be made whole in his physical body. But when Christ makes whole, He makes body AND soul whole. He not only removes the physical impediments to freedom, but, more importantly, the spiritual impediments to the Perfect Law of Liberty.
“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.” The man does not answer the question of Christ with a direct response. Instead, he makes excuses for his failure to be healed. Instead of asking outright forgiveness for our sins, how often we try to justify and extenuate our reasons for sinning. Of course, his case is not totally devoid of hope. After all, he IS at the pool! Had he given up hope the hour before the arrival of Christ, he would have lived out the remainder of his life with his infirmity. But being at the pool to meet Christ at the time appointed by Christ for the purpose resulted in his physical AND spiritual healing. No man but One, would help him.
“Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.” Notice that Jesus does not ponder the pros and cons of healing this man. He acts with immediate compassion. He issues a command which the man could not have ignored even if he was disposed to do so. Not only “Rise!” but “take up thy bed,” and “walk!” The sight of many people witnessing this man, stricken for thirty eight years, rising at the command of Christ and, not only rising, but taking up the load of his bed, and walking with it was unimaginable in its implications. But the man did that very thing at Christ’s command. We, too, are not to lie down at every hopeless prospect. We are to rise up, carry our weight, and walk in faith. General Patton has said that “it doesn’t matter how hard you fall. The important thing is how high you bounce!” I believe that! Every Olympic champion has failed at his sport more than any amateur. Why? Because it was the series of failures which he overcame that made him a champion in the first place. The same is true of our spiritual muscles. God wants us active and spirited to overcome the challenges of life by the power of His Word.
“And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.” There was no delay while the sinews and tissues in the man’s body gradually strengthened. He was made whole immediately! Now most observers would have thought this was a wonderful act of compassion by our Lord, and perhaps most observers did do so; however, you see, it was the Sabbath! There were those present who would grasp at every straw to discredit the Son of God for they resented Him.
“The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.” I will refer to these infidel Pharisees in the same way that our Lord made reference to them: they were a “generation of vipers!” (Matt 3:7) Please do not accuse me of judging without cause. That which God’s Word judges is judged already. We may always judge by the Word of God as to righteousness and not be blamed of personal judgment. These men could not see the glorious fruit of healing; they could only see the abrogation of the man-made ordinance for the Sabbath. God’s Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath! This is the kind of judgment Christ counseled against.
“He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.” Even this simple man was baffled at the lack of logic and common sense of these ungodly Jews. Who told thee to carry thy bed? Why it was more importantly the same One who made me whole! Being healed from a disability of thirty-eight years duration should far outweigh any consideration of carrying one’s bed on one day out of those thirty-eight years.
“Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?” These men should have marveled at the miracle, not glowered at the result. What man healed thee on the Sabbath? He must be found and killed! What hopeless degenerates of the Temple!
“And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.” Perhaps this man’s healing should have evoked a great curiosity in the agent by whom the healing came. Perhaps he should have asked, “Who art thou that thou canst heal me?” But the man may have been so completely overcome with joy that his thinking was not keen enough to ask. How often do we pray for a thing and, once granted, fail to recognize that God Himself came to us and answered our prayer?
Sometimes, the Lord gives us a bit of space to digest His goodness, and then returns for further teaching. “Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.” Important to realize that this man did not linger in some bar or brothel someplace in Jerusalem after his healing. He went straight to the House of
God. Where do you run in gratitude of the mercies of God? “Behold, thou art made whole.” You are not just whole in body, but your sins have been forgiven you! You are every whit whole! Therefore “sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.” Sin is the root and season of all pain and death. You are forgiven! So, go and sin no more.
“The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.” The second most important thing in being healed and forgiven is to avoid keeping it a secret! This man told the unbelieving Jews that it was Jesus who healed him. My heart burns with joy when I see a young athlete make a public profession that all his skills are due to his Lord Jesus Christ. Why are we not all like such young champions! This poor man, healed of grievous hurt, had no idea that the news of One who could completely heal would be received with malicious contempt. The very Light of the World had come unto them and, amazingly, they could not see it. “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” (John 1:5). Are you able to behold the Light of Christ today?