The story we read in John about Jesus curing the man who had suffered from
leprosy for over thirty years is a fascinating one. The man at the Pool of Bethesda did not ask to be cured. From the way that he answered the questions which Jesus put to him ,it seems that he did not want to be cured.. He may have enjoyed bad health as some folk do, getting all the sympathy that goes with it.
In this story, as in several others in the Gospels, it was Jesus who took the initiative in order to demonstrate something about Himself and therefore about God. Christ’s act was not prompted by compassion, it was a challenge and a sign.
Not only did the man by the pool try to evade the straight questions put to him
by Jesus when he met Jesus later in the Temple he did not show any
gratitude for being cured. Jesus had to speak to him plainly to him about his way of living. Some people don’t deserve to be helped but God helps them just the same. Nine out of the ten lepers who came to be healed did not return to
thank Jesus but they were healed nevertheless We all get more than we deserve, this was what Jesus was trying to show.
It is a common truth that God wants better things for us than we want for ourselves. It may be that we do not want the good things because we are not prepared to face the cost, controlling our temper, refraining from engaging in gossip and making hurtful remarks. God wants us to have a healthy body and mind, seeking pureness and wholeness in life is God’s will for us.
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