“Do You Want to Get Well?” (John 5:1-9a)

“My Life Will Never Change!”

One day about two years ago a mother and her son stopped by at the church office. They were looking for some financial help. I had never met them before, but I could find their names on pastor’s discretionary fund account book. They seemed to visit the church several times before. While I was having a conversation with them, I was able to see that they were caught in a vicious circle. I really wanted to help them out not one-time financial support, but to break out of that vicious circle. So I strongly exhorted them to come to church and believe in Jesus. But they said, “I have never been to church more than 20 years. I am unholy. If I go to your church, the church will be falling apart.” I said, “No, we are all broken people, but Jesus is able to help you to break the vicious circle.” But they persisted, “No, my life will never change.” And they walked away.

Why This Particular Man? 

I was sad that they firmly believed their lives would never change. But in fact, consciously or unconsciously many of us in this room also believe that a particular area of our lives will never change. Some of us say, “I have been praying for years, but God does not hear my prayer.” Some say, “Many miraculous signs were done in the Bible, but they are just pie in the sky. God never performs his signs in my life.” And we become frustrated and fall into despair. Eventually, we give up and say, “That’s the way it goes.” In today’s scripture we meet one person who has the same attitude as ours. He has been sick for 38 years. Normally, when the Bible specifies the number, there is a reason for that. “38 years” is not a short time. If somebody is 38 years old, he or she is older than Jesus’ age. The invalid might spend most of his life at the pool of Bethesda, or he might have lived as an invalid for life there. At that time a great number of disabled people were lying on the porches. But for some reason Jesus directly approached to this particular invalid. Have you ever thought why Jesus visited this man rather than the others? Jesus came to this invalid not because his faith was great, but because he was the most marginalized person even among the sick. The disabled people of Bethesda thought this man would have no chance to be healed. He was an extreme example. In other words, Today’s scripture tells us, “If Jesus came to even this man, he would come to you as well. If this invalid was healed, you could be healed as well.” Jesus is able to heal us today! He is able to change our lives today!

“Do You Want to Get Well?”

Do you remember the very first word that Jesus said to the invalid? Jesus said to him, “Do you want to get well?” It sounds strange because this is the very reason why the invalid came to Bethesda and has been waiting for 38 years. Then why did Jesus ask him, “Do you want to get well?” We can find an answer in verse 7. The invalid answered, "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.” His most serious disease was not a “physical illness,” but it was an “illness of the mind.” Jesus was able to see through his heart and wanted to heal his illness of the mind first.

Do You Want to Get Well “Now”?

First of all, the invalid had the illness of “despair.” At first, this man came to Bethesda with hope. He was eager to be healed. He got up early in the morning and kept watching a pool. However, little by little he began to get used to his life at Bethesda. He began to get up late. For him, yesterday, today, and tomorrow became the selfsame day. For 38 years, he had lived in Bethesda, the healing place, but ironically, he had never experienced healing there. He got used to a dull life. He got used to maintaining the status quo. He got used to making excuses. He said, “I am not healed because no one helps me.” He firmly believed, “There is no possibility to be healed.” “I will never be healed.” In fact, he already gave up being healed. He already accepted this powerless life as his fate. I have been to Thailand for a year as an exchange student. Once I had a chance to ride an elephant, and I was amazed how this big elephant was so submissive to his trainer. And after that, I heard how to train an elephant. It was very simple and easy. First, a trainer just ties an elephant to a stake. At first, the elephant tries desperately hard to escape. But later on, the elephant gives up and just stands beside the stake. Then the trainer unties the rope. The amazing thing is that the elephant never tries to run away any more although he is untied.

The invalid became the exactly the same as the tame elephant. Now his heart is filled with despair and desperation. There is no hope. For him, it is impossible to be healed based on his 38 years of experience. However, for Jesus, this is the day that this invalid must be healed. This is the day that he must get up and walk. So Jesus asked him, “Do you want to get well now?” And this morning Jesus is also asking you the same question, “Do you really want to get well now?” “Do you believe that I am able to heal you now?” Many of us grew up and have lived in church. We got used to living here. We feel comfortable. We feel at home. But, have you experienced healing through Jesus Christ in this church, Bethesda, the healing place? Jesus is asking us, “Do you want to be healed now?”

Do You Want to Get Well “through Me”?

Second, the invalid had the illness of “misbelief.” He put his hope in a myth, not the word of God, not the promise of God. Both Old and New Testaments do not have the original texts. Instead, they have lots of manuscripts written by hands. The latter half of verse 3 and verse 4 are not found in the earliest and reliable manuscripts, but they are found only in later and less important manuscripts. Except KJV, most of English translations do not have them. Verse 4 says, “From time to time an angel of the Lord would come down and stir up the waters. The first one into the pool after each such disturbance would be cured of whatever disease he had.” This myth does not match the character of God. The Kingdom of God is not claimed on a “first come, first served” basis. Besides, the Bible does not tell us when and who were healed in the pool. In other words, it is an “unfounded myth.” But, this man just wanted to be healed by any means. It was not important for him to be healed “by whom.” Either by myth or by Jesus there was no difference to him. The purpose of his life was to get well physically. But now Jesus comes to him and says, “Do you want to get well through me?” Jesus wanted to heal this man’s illness of misbelief. Healing a broken relationship with Jesus is more important than anything else. 

Apostle Paul had an incurable disease. He had a chronic disease. He described it as “a thorn in his flesh,” “a messenger of Satan.” It was such a shame for him. So three times he pleaded with Jesus, “Lord, take it away from me!” What do you think? Do you think Paul was healed or not? He was completely healed. Jesus said to him, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9). From that moment, his illness, his weakness was not a shame any more. It became his proud boast. It was not a thorn in his flesh any more. It became a divine channel of God’s power. So Paul boasts all the more about his weakness and says, “When I am weak, I am strong.” The illness of Paul’s mind was completely healed.

To be honest, I had had an illness of the mind for a long time. My mother made a vow to give me to the Lord for life even before I was born, and I myself also made a vow to be his servant when I was thirteen years old. I have many weaknesses, and particularly two of them hindered me from becoming a pastor. The first one was about “speech.” I’ve never been good with words. My family used to have family devotional time every evening, and each of the members took turns to share our thoughts or testimonies based on the Scripture of the day. Every day I became nervous, and I was poor at speaking. I was very afraid of public speaking. The second one was about “relationship.” I was not social enough. I always preferred to be alone, and it was always hard for me to mingle with others, especially with new people. Those were the great obstacles of my call to ministry. More than hundred times I prayed to take away those weaknesses. When I was a senior at college, I strongly sensed God’s calling to ministry. But I was still hesitant. And God asked one question, “Do you love me?” I said, “Yes.” He said, “Feed my lambs.” He did not take away my weaknesses. I am still poor at speaking. It is not just a language problem. I am not good at speaking Korean as well. I am still socially inapt. But, he healed the illness of my mind. For a long time, I was disappointed with God. I thought I was forsaken by God. But now, I am 100 percent confident that I am beloved child of God and that it is God who called me to ministry and equips me for his work. God healed the illness of my misbelief.

“Get Up, Take Your Mat, and Walk.”

What is your incurable disease? What is your chronic disease? It might be either a physical disease or an illness of the mind, or both. Jesus says to each of us in this room, “Do you want to get well now?” “Do you want to get well through me?” The word of God is always confirmed by the signs, by the power of God. Mark 16:20 says, “The Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.” Our weakness, disease, and illness are not curse. They exist to reveal God’s glory. When our physical disease is healed, when our illness of the mind is healed, that gives glory to God and glory to his church. So without ceasing let us cry out to God fervently, “Lord, I want to be healed!” Jesus says to each of us this morning, “Get up, take your mat, and walk.” Amen.