Bethesda “ house of kindness, grace and mercy”

  John 5:1-9 “Sometime later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, He asked him, “Do you want to get well?”
 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.”

  I have to wonder how many people had to have walked by this man every day on their way into Jerusalem.  The Word says this one particular man had been crippled for thirty eight years.  Now I don’t know how many of those years were spent laying by this particular gate but I’m sure it had been a long time.  Anyone on the way to the temple (church) would have passed by this man, ignoring him, maybe tossing a few coins at his feet or a God bless spoken to him but walking right on by, none the less.  This crippled man wasn’t the only one there either, the Word says there were many people with various ailments such as the blind, deaf, crippled or lame, and those whose bodies were withered with palsy.  These people were not pretty and so I would surmise that some would even shudder with horror as they passed by and as many as there was I’m sure some even were stepped over by the multitudes on their way to the festivals.

  I wonder how many of these needy souls have we as ‘Christians’ passed by, ignoring them,  maybe even shuddering a little at the sight of them.  How many wounded, bleeding, hurting have we passed or even stepped over on our way to church to sing in the choir lifting 'holy' hands in worship.  How many can even be found lying on the very steps of the church today, just outside the door but unable to make it in?  And we, the 'church', just step over them or walk right on by, blinded by our self righteousness, not seeing any further than our own holy noses!

 But then along comes Jesus!  Hallelujah! Being God and knowing everything, He knew how long this man had been crippled, He saw how he had crawled inch by inch, year after year trying to get to the water while it was being stirred.  (“While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”) He saw the ‘go juice’, the determination this man had, how he never gave up.  Jesus saw faith! And when Jesus sees faith, it moves Him to action!  Jesus asked the lame man did he want to be whole? Healing only comes for those who want it. This man wanted to be healed and he was patiently waiting for it.  This man had faith! This man wanted healing! This man believed!  And this man was healed!

  “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 5:8-9). Instantly, as Jesus spoke the words, the man was completely healed.  To show he was fully healed Jesus told him to pick up his bed and to walk. He did not need to go to “rehab” to learn how to walk again. He was healed mind and body.  Honey when Jesus heals ya’, you’re healed!

 But again I wonder and must ask…how many?  How many of these wounded, bleeding, hurting souls have we passed up?  Jesus said I go but I leave you not helpless, such as I have I give to you.  All power in heaven and earth is mine and I give it to you!  You will be able to do these things I do and more.  Everything I am, everything I have, I give to you!  Hallelujah!  Now if that doesn’t put a shout in ya’ I don’t know what will!  What Jesus is saying here, we are to be Jesus in the flesh!  We are to be His hands reaching out and touching the needy, the hungry, the poor!  His feet walking the highways, the byways, searching, seeking for those which are lost!  His mouth bringing forth the gospel (good news) to all those that will hear.  We are to have His heart, loving the unlovable, touching the untouchable, forgiving the unforgivable!  Issuing out mercy and grace wherever we go…..such as I give to you, freely give to others!  But can I tell you something…..if you don’t have it you can’t give it!

  And let me tell you something else….what goes around comes around, the Word calls it, reaping what you sow.  If you give out (sow) bitterness then someone will be bitter toward you.  If you show hatefulness to others then others will be hateful toward you.  If you lie to someone then someone will surely lie to you.  But if you show kindness to others then others will be kind to you.  If you show mercy then mercy will be shown you.  If you love then you’ll be loved but if you hate you’ll be hated! You reap whatsoever you sow.  The Word says give and it will be given to you but if you don’t have it you can’t give it.  Where do you get it?  From the Giver!

“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”  (Matthew 16:19)   Freely you received, freely give!

 John 25:34-40  “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for You since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited Me in, I needed clothes and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me,I was in prison and you came to visit Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink?  When did we see You a stranger and invite You in, or needing clothes and clothe You? When did we see You sick or in prison and go to visit You?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of Mine, you did for Me.’

  “Bethesda” means a house of kindness, grace, and mercy. How fitting that the place where the crippled man would meet Jesus be called kindness, grace, and mercy.  Shouldn’t we be that place?  Shouldn’t the ‘church’ today be called a house of kindness, grace, and mercy?

 Oh, I wonder how many hurting and lost souls would be touched, delivered and healed if only….

In His love,

Elizabeth