Want

John 5:2-9 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Hebrew called Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. In these lay a multitude of invalids, blind, lame, paralyzed. One man was there, who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew that he had been lying there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is troubled, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your pallet, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his pallet and walked.


Jesus sometimes asks what seems to be the most ridiculous questions. "Do you want to be healed?" would be among those questions. Who would not want to be healed? I mean if I have something wrong with me, why would I not want to be healed? Doesn't it seem impossible that a person would choose to continue in their infirmity. It was however a question for the ages. When Jesus was walking the earth he was limited to those he met on his journey, but after His death and resurrection he is available to anyone anywhere. My first experience of the healing power of Jesus was not physical healing. I was turned from a person with a negative world view to one who suddenly had a positive world view. I found peace that settled deep in my heart. I found healing for hurts and difficulties in relationships. The funny part is I knew I could go on just the way I was if that was my desire. It was as if Jesus was asking me, "Do you want to be healed?"


I think until you've begun to see the profound effect that Jesus healing creates, it is scary to choose healing. It is an old saying, "The devil you know is better than the devil you don't know." You see the unknown is so scary that even the things we have that need healing are more attractive than the risk of being healed. We walk away from what God can do for us because we have some level of comfort with the way things are. So, "Do you want to be healed?"