Get out of the pool...

[2] Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. [3] In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed.* [5] One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. [6] When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” [7] The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” [8] Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” [9] And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath. (John 5:2-9 ESV)

Above, the Pool of Bethesda
*5:3 Some early manuscripts insert, wholly or in part, waiting for the moving of the water; [4] for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool, and stirred the water: whoever stepped in first after the stirring of the water was healed of whatever disease he had. But the earliest manuscripts do not include the above italicized end of verse 3 and all of verse 4, therefore, most Bible versions do not include them. The belief, however, is probably conveyed in John 5:7.

The Pool of Bethesda was a sticking point for many years as to whether John's testimony could be trusted, as there was never any evidence of the Pool he wrote about in verse 2. In the late 1950's the site was found and excavated, some 40 feet below ground, and sure enough there were 5 covered porticoes, the 5 colonnades John describes in the verse.

In verse 6 it says that Jesus knew that the man had been there a long time. This is probably due to His divine knowledge, just as he knew Nathaniel by the fig tree (John 1:48), and just as He knew the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:18). But what intrigues me most through this particular study, presented to me today during our pastor's sermon, is the question Jesus asks the invalid. “Do you want to be healed?”  What? Does he want to be healed? What kind of question is that? Of course he wants to be healed, he's been at the healing pool for a long, long time. The man then confirms to Jesus that he does want to be healed. So, Jesus heals him, tells him to pick up his bed and walk. And he does.

But what about that question, "Do you want to be healed?" Our pastor pointed out that sometimes we might get stuck in a "comfortable" rut. We aren't exactly happy with the way things are going, but it would be more trouble to change things. What about the person unhappy in a marriage due to a spouse's unwillingness to change bad habits? The spouse might not ask for the change, just allow bad things to go on. What about the person stuck in a job where they aren't fulfilling what they believe is their (or God's) purpose in life? What about the husband or wife who allows an alcoholic spouse to continue to destroy themselves? What about the wife who allows the continued beating of her, or her children? Sometimes Jesus might just be saying here, come on out, get out of that pool and make a positive change! This certainly makes me do some self reflection...