Here is a story from the Gospel of John chapter 5, verses 1-10. Here Jesus encounters a man physically, mentally, and spiritually broken and prostrate. The man has suffered physically most of his life. He has all but given up and learned to live with his infirmity.
The Greek word translated “infirmity” in the King James Version of this story is “astheneia.” This word could mean feebleness of mind and body or or a deficiency in character.
The sick man knows there is a way that he could be healed. He has heard the tales going back many generations of the pool, the Angel, and the healing waters. He knows what he would have to do, but he thinks it is beyond his ability. How can he make it into the water before the others. People less afflicted than he are always getting the blessing ahead of him. People are getting cured - who haven't suffered for as long as he has – have strong, able-bodied friends and family making sure they get in first. He has no one who cares enough to help him.
So Jesus comes by and says to him, "Do you want to be well?"
As he has rehearsed to himself many times, the man begins his lament:
“ I come here seeking a healing. I have faith. But there is no one who will help me. No one cares about me.”
Then Jesus says to him, "Get up, pick up your mat and walk."
Why didn't Jesus spend more time talking to the man first. If you go to a traditional, allopathic doctor, he or she will ask a lot of questions. They will want to know all of your symptoms, your living conditions, your family history, etc. The doctor will perform tests, evaluate the tests, then formulate a diagnosis. Then they will come up with a plan of treatment.
New Thought practitioners have to talk to patients for a time in order to guide them through the 5 steps of Recognition, Unification, Realization, Thanksgiving, and Release.
But Jesus just said:
"Get up, pick up your mat and walk."
The sick man must have sensed something about Jesus -- the compassion, the love, air of authority he had not seen in priests or physicians. He could feel Jesus had looking down into the depths of his tortured soul and planting the seed of hope and healing.
Jesus knew the root of this mans problem. Perhaps it was really the fear of failure. His past experience had shown how futile it was to even hope. He no longer even tried: he just went through the motions.
But the man sensed in his spirit the power of life in the words Jesus. There was no perceivable increase in the strength of his legs, but in his spirit the infirmed man felt a surge of power.
He got up, picked up his bed and walked away.
The words of Jesus are Spirit and Life. The power that will raise the dead on the last day is available to give life to the dead in spirit today.
Have you found that your best efforts to help yourself have failed? Have you lost hope? Are you resigned to live with whatever mental, physical, or spiritual infirmity you now suffer from?
Jesus says,
"Arise, take up your bed and walk."
Comments
Wonderful Counsel ..
I suffer from what the psychiatry field calls attention deficit disorder. It has seemingly rendered me impotent like the invalid John 5. Like him, I'm rife with reasons why I can't do something. I to have seemingly given up. But as I lay on my bed, unable to put my thoughts into any kind of plan of action, this scripture came to me.
Probably because I feel the man is me at this stage in my life. After re-reading the scripture along with the above commentary, I have renewed hope and faith that I to will find healing through Jesus Christ. Thx
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