John 5:1-23 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

After these things there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes. 3 In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, waiting for the moving of the waters; 4 for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted. 5 A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, “Do you wish to get well?” 7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.” 9 Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk.

Now it was the Sabbath on that day. 10 So the Jews were saying to the man who was cured, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not permissible for you to carry your pallet.” 11 But he answered them, “He who made me well was the one who said to me, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk.’” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk’?” 13 But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while there was a crowd in that place. 14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.” 15 The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. 16 For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath. 17 But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.”

Jesus’ Equality with God

18 For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.

19 Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. 20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. 22 For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, 23 so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

In today's text it says: Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes.  In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, waiting for the moving of the waters;  for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.  A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.  When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, “Do you wish to get well?”  The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”  Jesus said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.”  Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk. Now it was the Sabbath on that day.  So the Jews were saying to the man who was cured, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not permissible for you to carry your pallet.”  But he answered them, “He who made me well was the one who said to me, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk.’”  They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk’?”  But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while there was a crowd in that place. 

I couldn't help but wonder, as I meditated on the text, if perhaps the reason we sometimes fail to see and receive the miracles we want is because, like the sick man in the text, we come but we are already convinced that healing won't happen for us. We believe enough to be there, but we are convinced that the miracle will be for someone else. Jesus asked the question: “Do you wish to get well,” and the sick man answered with the reasons that he could not. He had faith to believe in the miracle of the pool, but He lacked the faith to receive the healing for Himself. Jesus responded to his lack of faith saying: “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.”  Then the man's faith turned from the pool and his own ability or worthiness, to Jesus. Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk. If we will turn our faith from our own inabilities or our own unworthiness and look instead to Jesus, if we will answer and respond to Him when He asks “Do you wish to get well,” perhaps we too will become well.

I wondered too if the reason that the church does not often see the miracles they say that they want to see, is because like the Jews in the text, we want to have everything fit into our plans and our programs. We want miracles, but we want them when we want them, not when it interferes with our time or our regulations and traditions. We don't see the miracles because we try to limit the infinite, omnipotent God by putting Him into the box we have created. Jesus says: “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.  For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel.  For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.  For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son,  so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.” Jesus does what the Father is doing. If we want to see the marvelous works of God, we need to see and hear what the Father is doing and saying. We need to stop trying to limit God to our finite parameters and instead begin to see with eyes of faith into the infinite kingdom of God. Jesus taught us to pray saying: ‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name. ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. ‘Give us this day our daily bread.  ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.  ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’ If we want to see and experience the kingdom and the power and the glory of God, then we need to see from heaven's perspective. We need to come into alignment with heaven, rather than trying to make heaven align with earth.

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ; precious Holy Spirit; I look to You with eyes of faith. May I never allow myself to be limited by my own inabilities or worthiness. Instead, may I receive according to Your omnipotence and worthiness. Indeed may Your kingdom come and may Your will be done. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.