Do you want to be well?

 

Lent is a special time to intentionally deepen our relationship with Jesus.  To accept the love and grace that is always present.  To ask for healing where needed.  The water in Ezekiel Chapter 47: 1-9 symbolizes nourishment, growth, comfort, relaxation, and healing for our bodies and mind but also for our environment.  The water’s growing depth is symbolic of our choice to grow in our faith, to help others grow in their faith, to love Jesus unconditionally.  As a disciple of Jesus, do I honor this symbolic representation of water - both spiritually and realistically in a world that is so dependent on healthy water and the faith of others? 

“Do you want to be well?” [John 5:6]

I can picture the man in John’s gospel [John 5: 1-16], languishing in the porticoes around the healing pools of Bethesda.  For 38 years he has been an invalid.  Because Jesus "knew that he had been ill for a long time," He offers him healing by asking a pointed question:

"Do you want to be well?"

As I read the man's response, I wonder if the man really wants to be healed.  Perhaps he’s thought of himself as an invalid for so many years that he isn't sure how to answer.  His answer isn’t "YES!" but the reasons why he has to remain sickly.

When we're asked the same question by Jesus, how do we answer?  We feel locked into situations in our lives, to points of view, addictions and negative attitudes.  Jesus offers us a release from these things, and we quickly tell Him why we can't be healed.

What would my life look like if I were well?  What would it look like to lead a life of integrity and wholeness?  Parts of my life are in conflict with other parts.  Things I say are important in my life don't always match how I live my life.

I can give Jesus a long list of why I can't be changed or healed.  The right circumstances aren't there in my life.  I have to live this way because "I’m a person who always has been.... inflexible, impolite, grumpy, negative..."  My life is set this way and I have to live with it.

In John 5: 1-16 Jesus commands the paralyzed man to “rise, pick up your mat, and walk.”  Do I help those in need to get to the pool of healing waters?  To grow in their faith?  Jesus is always by our side, waiting patiently to answer our prayers, make good a sinful deed, ease our transitions throughout life.  I pray to recognize Jesus’ presence throughout the day.  May I be reminded that Jesus is there for me, whether it’s in a challenging meeting, supporting a colleague/co-worker, driving safely in crazy morning or evening traffic, or in the silence of reflective thought.

We can tell Jesus why we can't change our lives.  We can quickly explain the circumstances that keep us from caring about the poor, treating our family better or being less judgmental.  But His healing call is always there, even when we don't want to hear it.  Jesus reaches out to us and waits for us to listen long enough to accept His healing words, "Rise and walk."

Jesus, I’m afraid of Your healing.  Maybe You’re offering me something I don't want.  What will it cost me to change?  What will it mean for my life if I stop thinking of myself a certain way and begin to think of myself as whole and healthy?  Give me the courage to accept the grace, love and healing You offer me.  Let me rise and walk beginning today and live, as You intend me to live, feeling loved by You and carrying that love to those You have placed in my life.  Jesus, I trust in You.