Do You Want To Get Well?

John 5.

Jesus was in Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, at the Pool of Bethesda.

This wasn’t a backyard pool to go for a swim or work on a tan. This was a pool where sick people congregated. Ever so often an angel came to stir the water; and whoever got into the water first would be healed. Imagine the patience and the suspense people endured, wondering if they would be the next one to receive their healing.

The day Jesus visited the pool, He saw a man who had been sick for 38 years. Jesus picked him out of the crowd and asked, “Do you want to get well?”

Instead of answering the simple question with the obvious answer, the man begins to complain. “Sir, 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.”

Understandably, this man was frustrated from years of trying to get into the water first, but Jesus didn’t join the man’s pity party. Jesus said, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.”

The man was cured, took up his mat, and walked. Just like that!

I have waited for an answer to prayer for quite some time, and I have complained. I have questioned why I continue to wait. I check to see if I have crossed all my t’s and dotted all my i’s. I dissect and scrutinize until I find all of my focus is on ME, ME, ME.

Jesus ignores all of my craziness, gets down to the nitty-gritty and says, “Do you want to get well?”

He doesn’t want to discuss the “why’s,” the “what if’s,” or the “if only’s.” He won’t be joining anyone’s pity party. He fixed all of of our problems on the cross and wants to attend the praise party.

“He Himself carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we would be dead to sin and live for righteousness. Our instant healing flowed from his wounding.” 

1 Peter 2:24 (TPT)

The correct answer to “Do you want to get well?” is “Yes, and thank You very much!”

It’s time to get up, pick up our mat and walk!