In John chapter 5 verses 6 through 8, Jesus approaches a man who’s been sick for 38 years – not really dying, but not really living either – not really experiencing the life God intended for him. And Jesus asks him if he’d like to be made well. Now, the King James version of the Bible uses the word, “whole,” here instead of the word, ”well.” And although, either word is appropriate, I like the King James better because wholeness carries with it the idea of being restored to the intended state. And in my view, that’s the sense of the original Greek here.
So, picture this. Jesus walks up to a guy who has apparently spent his entire life in a condition of brokenness, and the Lord asks Him if he would like to be made whole.
Wow! I think the offer of complete restoration implied in that simple question is just astounding to consider. And what’s even more amazing than that is to realize that this is exactly the same question/offer Jesus is making to each of us.
He steps onto the scene of our life’s devastation, looks us in the eye, and asks us if we want to be restored to our intended state. Dear God! How amazing is His love!
But look at the man’s reply. He’s been asked a yes or no question, “Do you want to be made well?” But he doesn’t answer with a simple, “yes.” He answers with an excuse for remaining in his brokenness and offers an explanation for why he can’t be made whole.
O my goodness. Is that like us or what!
He tells Jesus that there are conditions and circumstances sourced outside of himself that prevent him from being healed. “I can’t walk, so I can’t get to the water when it’s moving. I don’t have anyone to help me. Others push me out of the way.”
And isn’t that how we often respond to our Savior’s offer of restoration? We say, “I can never be whole because of what my father did to me.” “I can’t live the life I was made for because I never received the educational opportunities others had, because I don’t have enough money, because I have this disability, because this or that agency, organization, government, or person screwed me over. And our list goes on and on.
But Jesus is still standing there asking a simple yes or no question. “Do you want to be made whole?”
And in spite of the man’s all-too-human response, Jesus offers him three steps to recovery.
And the first of these is, “Rise.”
He’s asking the man to stop excusing himself and simply receive the healing being offered. And I believe some of you may be hearing the same thing from your Savior right now. “Rise.”
I know it sounds like He’s asking you to do something impossible. And it is…for you. But NOT for Him.
Dear one, stop making excuses for your brokenness or blaming it on someone or something outside yourself. Take His hand right now and RISE!