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7 The sick man answered
him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is
stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down
ahead of me.”
The reality of every
human being is that we are stirred by the reality of our own
brokenness. In Psalms 34:18 we are reminded that the Lord is
near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in
spirit. Wholeness is an experience that emerges from the
mysterious union of our finite human predicament with the eternal
possibilities of God. When the pool of secular waters is
stirred by the power of the Holy Spirit, sacred healing unfolds in
way that transcends the barriers and boundaries of life.
In John chapters 2-11
we observe the manifestation of Jesus' ministry to those who are
broken. We come across a number of signs and conversations in
which Jesus empowers people to overcome barriers to holistic
living. Bringing wholeness to sinners and healing to the sick
was the mission of Jesus, and it is should be the vision of the
church today (Mark 2:17).
At the Annual Feast in Jerusalem, Jesus
reveals his authority to forgive sins and his power to heal.
Like the sick man by the Pool of Bethesda, we are all desparate to
experience healing and wholeness. Noteworthy is the fact that
the word Bethesda is derived from the Aramaic 'beth hesda' which
means "house of mercy". The sick man's complaint to
Jesus was - “Sir, when the water is stirred, I don’t have anybody
to put me in the pool. By the time I get there, somebody else is
already in.” (John 5:7) The church is supposed to be a house
of mercy, yet many of our members have no one to help them
experience healing and wholeness. We have failed to stirr the
waters for fear of worldly consequences.
In a place of disgrace, where people are
hurting and abandoned by the world, the church must encounter God's
people and extend grace.
Are there members of our worshipping
community that have been absent from church for many years?
Clergy and laity together must make a way for them to enter the
pool and experience healing and wholeness in Jesus Christ.
Maybe you are already in the church, and
still find that you are broken. Are you waiting for someone
to stirr the waters, and bring change to church? If so, what
are you waiting for? The great Mahatma Gandhi once said -
"Be the change you want to see in others." Stop
waiting for someone else to bring about healing and wholeness in
the church. Start engaging the the issues at hand and become
an agent in the healing process.
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