AI图⽚⽣成
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The Scene at Bethesda
The pool of Bethesda was not merely a place of physical healing but also a symbol of hope and despair. Here, multitudes of sick people, including those afflicted with blindness, lameness, and paralysis, gathered in the hope of being healed. John 5:3-4 describes this scene vividly:
“In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.”
For many, the pool was their last hope. The belief was that at certain times, an angel would descend and stir the water, and the first person to enter the pool after this stirring would be healed of their ailments.
The Lame Man
Among the multitude at the pool was a man who had been ill for thirty-eight years. His condition was one of lameness; he was unable to walk and relied on others for support. John 5:5 states:
“And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.”
This man's presence at the pool was an indication of his desperation and enduring faith. For nearly four decades, he had waited for an opportunity to be healed, but his condition had only worsened over the years. It is not recorded that he had succeeded in entering the pool during the stirring of the water, suggesting that perhaps others were quicker or more fortunate.
Jesus’ Encounter with the Lame Man
One day, Jesus visited the pool of Bethesda. His presence there was not a coincidence but a deliberate act of compassion. John 5:6 recounts the moment:
“When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?”
This question, though seemingly straightforward, was profound. Jesus was not merely asking if the man wanted physical healing but was also probing the depth of his desire and his faith. The man’s response reveals a sense of resignation and frustration. He said:
“Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.” (John 5:7)
The man had grown accustomed to his condition and had lost hope of ever being the first to enter the pool. His focus was on his inability to reach the water rather than on the possibility of being healed by a different means.
The Miracle
Jesus, seeing the man's despair, responded with a command that would change his life:
“Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.” (John 5:8)
This command was extraordinary. It was a direct and immediate instruction to do what the man had been unable to do for thirty-eight years. Jesus did not require the man to enter the pool or perform any ritual. Instead, He offered healing through His divine authority alone.
Immediately, the man’s condition changed.