In John 5:1-8, John records that Jesus did not go to the temple; He went to the pool of Bethesda — a pool of healing. He encountered a man who had an infirmity 38 years. This man would have been at the pool a lot over his lifetime to get some sort of relief for his infirmity. He asked the question, “Do you want to be made well?” (NKJV). This is a surprising question. He’s been this way 38 years! The answer is obvious!
There are a lot of people who want to be made well, but they’re not willing to do what’s necessary to make it happen. They keep doing what brought the condition on in the first place. They may enjoy the attention or they may love basking in the feeling of practicing evil or they may just not care enough. I don’t know what’s going on in your home, in your work, or in your body. But I do know the Lord asked the question and I know we can put being a victim behind us forever and stop blaming somebody else.
Jesus told the man, “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.” Get up, don’t leave anything behind, like your excuses and fears, and walk. Go forward and do what you can. The devil wants us to stay confined to our bed — he knows that we will become victims of our own mentality. Not everyone is willing to accept the responsibility that comes along with being made well. Taking up that bed serves as a reminder of what we came from and reminds us of the resolve to never go back (1 Corinthians 15:9-10)!
If you want to be made well in your spirituality, in your marriage, in your children’s devotion, in your morality, or in your salvation, you’re going to have to put in that work yourself. How long have you been lying there waiting for someone to come along and rescue you? Do you want to be made well? Repentance means that you change your direction (Matthew 21:28-29). If you really want to be made well in all these areas, you’re going to have to rise, take up your bed, and walk. Jesus says, “Come unto me” (Matthew 11:28). Jesus changes us from being victims to victors (Romans 8:37).
If you want to be made well, join us at the Loop 287 Church of Christ in Lufkin, Texas and we’ll discuss with you from the New Testament how you can restructure your life for a glorious future.
Kyle Campbell
