Friday | Week 4

Thirty-eight years. Thirty-eight years. I turned thirty-seven this year. The man had laid there for longer than I have been alive. He had not been well. Where were his family members? Did he have any friends? Sadly, in our day as well as in ancient days, those who are chronically unwell can be treated as burdens on society, often ignored, sometimes mistreated. 

How had thirty-eight years of not being well affected him? Recently, I have been dealing with a herniated disc in my lower back. The process has lasted for a few months now. And though I’m headed in the right direction, thanks be to God, I still have to navigate my day cautiously. At the worst point, I would be angry most of the day. With every subtle movement, my body reminded me of the injury. It started to change who I am. I was quieter; I was becoming less interested in some of the things that usually brought me joy. I would sometimes take my frustration out on friends and family. What would thirty-eight years do to a person?

After thirty-eight years, the man hears a question that might catch readers off-guard: “Do you want to get well?” Really, Jesus? Is this question even needed? I must say, though, it’s amazing how easily we humans come to embrace less-than-well, because it gets comfortable. We learn to cope. We adjust. Plus, being made well brings with it new responsibilities. Sometimes, we might not be ready to be made well.

After thirty-eight years, the man hears words what he surely never anticipated: “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk” (v.8). Just like that. All that time he spent lying by those pools, hoping that one day he could make it into the water to be cleansed, refreshed, restored. And now, the living water has come. He drinks; he’s renewed; he walks away, made well.

I can be so impatient. Recently, my cell phone was not receiving any signal. And it was out for…wait for it…thirty minutes. I was flabbergasted. This scene from John challenges me, for it reminds me that God doesn’t always work on such a rushed timeframe. This scene encourages me, because it reminds me that God, who is Love, does promise to come and to raise the dead to life (v.21).