Last week, in AT THE POOL OF BETHESDA, Part 1, we learned from the paralytic that we all live in a crippled state, we are all in need of healing. We learned that like the paralytic, we need to be aware of this fact, and we need to seek that healing in the living waters of Jesus, for He has promised to carry all of our burdens.
Today’s devotional begins immediately after this miracle. We are told that the paralytic had no idea who had healed him, for “Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.” (John 5:13 NIV). But the lesson for today lies in the next verse: “Afterward Jesus found him in the temple …” (John 5:14 NKJV)
Isn’t it interesting that though the man didn’t recognize Jesus as the Son of God, he did recognize that he had been the recipient of a miracle from God. He knew God’s touch, and he went directly to the temple to give thanksgiving and prayer!
So many times we are the recipients of one miracle or another, but we just chalk it up to, “coincidence”, or worse, we don’t realize we’ve received an answer to prayer. Far better to follow the example of the paralytic and turn every miracle back into praise!
And what happens when we do so? Let’s take a look: “Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him …” (John 5:14 NKJV)
The paralytic is standing in the temple praising God for the miracle, and suddenly Jesus appears, in person, in front of him! That’s what happens, friends! When we give thanks to God, Jesus appears to us!
But just what was it that Jesus said to him? “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse will happen to you.” (John 5:14 NIV)
Isn’t that a strange thing to say to a man who has just been healed? Especially in Jesus’ day, when the common belief was that disease and deformity were direct results of either your own sin, or the sin of your parents (See John 9:2)! Why would Jesus say such a thing to this man?
Because Jesus does not see a mere infirmity as the worst thing that can happen to us! Far worse in Jesus’ eyes is the direct result of our sin: The fires of hell!
Jesus is well aware of the human tendency to not fully recognize or appreciate miracles of God. He has so often seen that those He has healed have simply returned to their former lives of sin, as if God’s hand had never touched them. And His words to the paralytic are spoken loud and clear for each one of us today: Your healing (be it physical, mental or spiritual!) Is a DIRECT RESULT of God’s intervention on your behalf! Do NOT go on through life as if it had never happened! Your healing was MEANT to be a life-changing experience for you! See it as such! Let’s never stop giving thanks to God for each and every miracle!
Let’s never forget this lessons, friends! When we are the recipient of a miracle, let’s proclaim it to the world! Let’s tell the world the name of the One who gave it to us! And let’s never stop giving thanks to God!
Join us next week for AT THE POOL OF BETHESDA, Part 3: Of Priorities and Control …
In His love,
Lyn
Lyn Chaffart, Mother of two teens, Speech-Language Pathologist, Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, with Answers2Prayer Ministries.
* Taken from commentary given in The Archaeological Study Bible, New International Version, Copywright © 2005 by the Zondervan Corporation, pages 1728, 1729.
(To access the entire “At the Pool of Bethesda” mini-series, please click here.)