When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”
John 5: 6 (NKJV)
Scripture: John 5: 1-15
We like things nice and tidy – and comfortable. Unfortunately, God has this tendency to call us out of our comfort zones. This devotion looks at when Jesus did just that as He healed the man at the pool.
Cliff Notes
- Jesus asked the man if he wanted to be healed, but the man didn’t answer that question.
- Instead, he gave reasons as to why he couldn’t be healed, choosing instead to stay with the familiar in his comfort zone.
- The man thought healing could only come from the stirring of the water.
- We use our knowledge and experiences to stay in our comfort zones.
- Sometimes the work we are called to do takes us out of our comfort zones.
Remember the story about Jesus healing the man that was by the healing pool? He had been sickly a really long time, and Jesus asked him if he wanted healed. Let’s break this story down.
Let's Put It into Context
Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Passover feast. He basically went to the “hospital” to visit the sick. It was a pool or a bath where, every once in a while, the waters would be stirred. Whoever jumped in first was healed.
Whoever. Regardless of the illness.
Whoever didn’t hesitate but jumped in feet first was healed. They had to be seeking God’s healing.
Enter Jesus — the Great Physician. It sounds like there were a lot of people lounging around waiting for the whirlpool to start up. Jesus could have picked anyone.
Jesus picked this man. He pursued him. He came with good things without the man specifically asking Him for them. But first, Jesus asked him a really funny question.
Do You Really Want Healed?
“… Do you want to be made well?” (Jn. 5: 6 NKJV). Well, duh. That is why the man was by pool, wasn’t it?
But the man didn’t answer Jesus’ question. Shouldn’t he be going, “Please, please, please!!!”? His response, instead, was part defense and part whine.
Instead of saying yes, the man gave reasons why he couldn’t be healed. He essentially told Jesus that he was right where he needed to be to be healed. This was where God did the healing, he needed healing, so he was in the right place.
But the healing wasn’t taking place. Somebody else was faster. Nobody helped him. He couldn’t do it on his own. Whine, whine, whine.
Let’s look at it this way. It kind of makes it look as though the man wanted to stay in the condition he was in instead of being healed. The man stayed within his comfort zone.
Don’t we do that? We’ve gotten so used to the way things are that we don’t want them to change. This man had been this way for 38 years (Jn. 5: 5). It could have been all of his life. Yes, he was at the pool, but think of having to start over again after all those years. Scary, isn’t it?
Do You Really Want to Do It a Different Way?
Okay, this man had probably never met Jesus before. He may or may not have heard about Him and His healing powers since this was probably early on in His ministry.
But still, Jesus just asked the man a simple question. Do you wanna?
The man had tunnel vision. He was just looking at the water. That is how everyone else had gotten healed. He was basically telling Jesus, “You’re not an angel. What can You do for me?”
Don’t we use our knowledge and experiences as our comfort zones? New and improved may not be. Different is decidedly wrong. True, at times it can be.
But this was the Great Physician, not just an angel. Jesus was offering better. He was offering a sure thing. He was offering him exclusive.
Do You Really Want to Do It the Unpopular Way?
All it took was for Jesus to say, “… Rise, take up your bed and walk” (Jn. 5: 8 NKJV). Poof! He’s healed!!
It was the “… take up your bed …” (Jn. 5: 8 NKJV) that caused the trouble. You see, it was the Sabbath day. Passover Sabbath, to be exact.
Jesus asked the man to carry his bed. That was viewed as work. The Pharisees didn’t like that.
And of course, the Pharisees caught the man in the act. They called him on it.
Do we sometimes say, “No, I don’t want to get out of my comfort zone because what I am doing isn’t going to be well received”? We don’t want to go against the worldview.
Making the Connections
Christ didn’t have to use the water as a prop for healing. He could just speak the word.
The man didn’t have to say yes, he wanted to be healed. We don’t know if the healing took place before or after he rose as His was bidden to do.
What we do know is that the man went from zero to 60 — infirm (Jn. 5: 5) to strong enough to carry his bed — in nothing flat.
Why? It reads like the man immediately obeyed Jesus. He didn’t lay there and say, “Can’t the Man see how scary that would be? Can’t the Man see that that isn’t how it is done here? Can’t the Man see that I will get in t-r-o-u-b-l-e doing that?”
God, can’t you see that I’ve been in this job over [put in your number] years? How can you be asking me to start a new job?
Or relationship. Or attending a specific church. [Put in your activity]?
God, I don’t see how I can be a part of adult ministry. I’ve taught kid’s my entire life.
God, can’t you see that I can’t go on a mission trip? I am a back-pew person. I don’t get involved.
God, You can’t be asking me to do that. Someone is going to find out I am not perfect. Then it will wreck my witness for You.
How Do We Apply This?
Man, we are good at whining, too, aren’t we? How many people in the Bible have led with excuses?
And how many did God use anyway? How many did He take out of their comfort zones? And it turned out exactly how He wanted it? How many times did it turn out better than the whiner ever imagined?
May we be like the man. When God says, “Rise and do this I have called you to do,” May we do just that. Immediately. Even if it is outside our comfort zones.
Loving Father. You pursue us. Whether we know we need something or whether we don’t, You come to us offering what we cannot even imagine. Lord, may we immediately do what You are asking of us. Thank You for the times You do let us process and convince ourselves when we need it. Help us to ignore what we feel is comfortable and know that You are there as our comfort. Amen.
What do you think?
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