That is the question Jesus asked the man at the pool of Bethesda, knowing he had been there for 38 years. His reply was that he had no one to put him into the pool, and while he was attempting to, someone else always got there first. Jesus responds to him by telling him to take up his bed and walk.
Jesus is not bodily walking through the crowds as He did 2000 years ago, but if He was, would people still want to be healed? Would they still want their bodies to work properly? Or would they say, "No, thanks, Jesus. If you heal me, I'll lose out on the government check I get every month."
In the last two years, we have seen a lot of people with legitimate ailments that would give all to have a healthy body. And, we have also met a lot more who, in their human weakness, their bodies have succumbed to the ravishes of drugs, alcohol, stress, or hard physical labor. Some, in their own eyes, dealing with whatever physical and/or emotional pain they have, feel as though the world 'owes' them. They would rather lay on their bed for 38 years, waiting for someone else to take responsibility for them, or not get too close so that someone else gets the healing first.
A friend of mine, a former nurse, said the correct medical terminology for this behavior is called 'secondary gain.' That is when having a legitimate pain or medical problem causes a benefit, like monetary compensation. This type of benefit can be, and has been, taken advantage of by people who would rather have a few extra dollars than a healthy body.
Ultimately, we are all responsible for our own actions. Let's take Jesus up on His offer, and receive the healing that He wants to give us. God allows U-turns on the highway of life. All we have to do is turn around.
No comments:
Post a Comment