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The Pool of Bethesda was located on the
eastern side of the city near the Fortress of Antonia. The name Bethesda
means "house of mercy." The water source was a nearby spring. The Pool had
five porches and according to the Bible there was a tradition that an
angel moved the waters at certain times and healed the sick. It was here
at the Pool of Bethesda that Jesus healed the man who was lame for
thirty-eight years. Recent archaeological discoveries have again confirmed
the Biblical account, that there were five porches and the fifth one
divided the rectangular pool into two separate compartments. Josephus
wrote about the Pool of the Sheep-market.
Archaeological remains of Herod's Jerusalem are scarce.
The Romans did a thorough work of destroying everything. We know
about Herod and his buildings through the writings of Josephus, Strabo,
Dio Cassius, Jewish Literature, archaeology and the
Bible.
The Roman Legions of Titus destroyed Jerusalem in 70
AD. They spared only Herod's powerful tower fortress as a symbol of the
strength of the Romans who were able to overpower it.
"After this there was a feast of the Jews;
and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep
market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five
porches. 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. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty
and eight years. 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? The
impotent man answered him, 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. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And
immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and
walked"
- John
5:1-9
| Heart Message
The Healing at the Pool of
Bethesda
Do you want to be
healed?
He cannot walk. There are no
wheelchairs. The pool is not ADA compliant. There is only the mercy
of others. Perhaps family members carry him to the Bethesda pool in
the morning, and pick him up at evening. The charity of others may
come to this house of mercy with a few coins or bread to share. Day
after day, year after year, he shares stories with those who suffer
alongside hoping to win the angelic healing lottery one
day.
But this is his lucky day! The Son of God enters that
jail cell and asks, "Do you want to be healed?" God doesn't
ask us questions because he lacks information. The question is a
gift to lead our thoughts in the right direction. Possibly the
healing brings with it a price that should be considered. Lets try
to unpack this question by asking it in a different
way.
"Do you want to leave all of your dependencies? Do
you want to work all day? Do you want to leave behind all excuses
and take on the full responsibility of life? Many of our desperate
prayers to God have a price in their answer. This Scripture can
apply not only to those with physical disabilities, but all of our
emotional and spiritual ones as well. Jesus asks us all, "Wilt thou
be made whole?" Do you really want the new and harder job, or is it
more convenient to complain about money? Do you want to leave
loneliness behind, and take on the joy and responsibility of a
relationship with a person who will heal the isolation, but also
force us to altar our selfish lifestyle?
There are the
many stories of alcoholics whose enduring spouses lived years hoping
for change. But surprisingly when the alcoholics were healed by
turning their lives over to God through A.A and the 12 Steps, many
of their spouses experienced a crash of their own. They built their
lives around the dysfunction, how do they live without it? No more
can they blame their own mood swings on someone else, the
co-dependent must now accept that they too are a sinner, and have
their own character defects to overcome. Alanon was formed by the
spouses of Alcoholics and now exists for anyone who is suffering
from dealing with an alcoholic.
When we ask God for healing
in any area of our lives, we are really asking for bigger problems
to solve. A 10 year old boy might solve the need for a newspaper on
the front step in the morning. Hopefully when he is 30 he is solving
bigger problems, like how to provide for a family. And solving
bigger problems, brings bigger joy. Let's ask God to challenge us,
to help us to take up our mats, burn our bridges of dependency and
walk forward solving greater and greater problems for as many people
as He allows, for as long as He allows.
Yes Lord, I want to
be healed!
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