Have you ever asked someone a question and they didn’t really answer you? Maybe you find yourself thinking, “Did they hear what I just said? Was I unclear? I did say that in English, right?”
It can be a bit frustrating. But, consider this. Have you ever been the one doing the deflecting? For whatever reason, you don’t really want to answer truthfully whatever was asked. We’ve probably all done this from time to time. Why, I wonder? We don’t like it when someone does it to us.
I think there can be many reasons why. Maybe the answer is not any business of the one asking. Maybe we are embarrassed by our answer and don’t want to speak that truth aloud.
When I read the Gospel today from John 5:1-16, I became aware that the sick man by the pool doesn’t really answer Jesus’ question.
“One man was there who had been ill for thirty eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be well?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me.”
Is it just me or does this man seem to be avoiding the question and making some excuses? Maybe it’s implied that he wants to be healed, since he is talking about getting into the waters that seem to be miraculous. But, Jesus asks a pretty straight up question.
“Do you want to be well?” Yes? No?
Jesus didn’t ask him, “Hey, has it been hard for you to get help getting in the water? Why have you been ill for so long?”
I have to ponder if we don’t do that with the Lord too.
He asks a simple question.“Do you want to be well?”
Do I? Do I want to be free of the sins that bind me? Do I want to be free of my anxiety and worry? Do I want to be less judgmental of others? Do I want to stop dealing with anger, gossip, and toxic relationships? Do I want to do what is necessary to be healed of my illness?
Or am I a bit comfortable right where I am? It takes some work to overcome these things. It takes some introspection and some honest conversations with the Lord about the dark areas in my life that need to be cut out and healed.
When I hear this sick man’s answer to Jesus, I notice excuses. I notice blame. In thirty eight years, he hasn’t been able to do ANYTHING?
I have no one to help me.
I can’t get there in time.
Someone always beats me to it.
Yea, these answers sound very familiar. They all seem to point to forces outside himself as the cause for his situation. We do this too.
I couldn’t get out of the conversation. She started talking about him and I couldn’t just stand there and be quiet. That would have been awkward.
If someone else had just spoken up first, I would have felt more comfortable.
I tried to stop, but it was just too hard.
They were really just so rude. It upset me and I have to vent. It’s not healthy to keep this all bottled up.
I am this way because of the events in my life. If I hadn’t had to endure (fill in the blank), I would be in a better place.
We can make all kinds of excuses to stay where we are and not grow and change. We blame others, claim it’s too difficult, and a myriad of other factors that all sound logical in our own minds.
But, when spoken aloud in the presence of our Lord, they start to ring hollow. Because just like in the story, Jesus calls us to do something.
He doesn’t call over one of the apostles to pick the man up and help him into the pool. He tells the man to “Rise, take up your mat, and walk.” After thirty eight years, he has to own his healing with his actions and by his willingness to do as Jesus is telling him to do.
The answer for us is always listening to the Lord instead of all the voices in our head. Doing what He’s calling us to do, even if it seems impossible, will work. I’m sure the sick man thought it was a crazy idea. But, in the face of Jesus, he had the courage to try.
So, what is our lesson? Stop looking to others to bring about the changes we need to make. Stop finding excuses to stay comfortable in our “sickness”. Let’s listen to the Lord and do what He says.
Rise up!
Walk!
Be Healed!
XOXO,
Barb
Reflections of a Cute Lil Mom 