When Jesus Offers More Than We Expect: The Man at Bethesda
The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me.” ~Jn 5:7
In the spirit of lent, I’d like to focus on the man at the pool.
If you have watched The Chosen, this scene, with artistic license, of course, is delivered beautifully.
If I recall correctly, in the round table for this episode, the consultants expand on the likely superstition and facts regarding the pool of Bethesda.
The pool was a pagan site where people came to ask for blessings from different gods throughout history.
At some point, the pool randomly started bubbling in the center. Over time, a story emerged that the bubbling happened when an angel came to disturb the water and heal whoever entered the pool first.
The story went viral and the sick started crowding the place waiting for their chance to win the race to the water.
Nowadays, it is believed that the bubbles were caused by the water system breathing as the water moved from one place to another around the temple city.
But, let’s get back to the crippled man.
We know…
- He has been there 38 years.
- In those days, if you were blind, lame, or crippled, you had no value to the community.
- He had zero chance to being the first to make it to the pool.
- He had no chance of winning but he kept trying.
Jesus uses a question to offer healing, but the man is so consumed by his circumstances that, instead of noticing the divine offer, he thinks Jesus is there to help him make it to the water.
In other words, he expects Jesus to fit into his world.
The next recorded words from Jesus are “Rise, take up your mat and walk.”
We can only read between the lines and suspect that additional exchanges happened for Jesus to notice the man truly wanted to be healed but had no idea of the other options. Hence, Jesus healed him.
Maybe, no additional words were said and Jesus only had to look at the man’s eyes to see his acceptance of defeat overshadowing the glimmer of hope that healing could happen.
This sickly man represents you and me. Pummeled, worn down, and consumed by the things of the world and the constant battles of life. He represents the part of us that believes our current circumstances is all we have and won’t change without a miracle.
He represents the claim: We have no choice and we must play the hand we were dealt.
Jesus regularly comes to us to ask if we want a new hand. He isn’t offering advice, strategies, or help. He comes to offer a new hand and new game altogether.
Let us be grateful for Jesus patient persistence to make our lives anew and ask for the grace to always hear him and open the door when he comes knocking.
In peace,
~Juan
