DO YOU WANT TO BE HEALED?
27th Feb 2013
This question was addressed to a man unable to walk, waiting beside a pool of water for an angel to come down and move the water, and hope that someone might help him to be the first in the water and receive healing. He had sat and waited a very long time - in fact 38 years!
On the surface it seems to have been unkind or insensitive to ask, “Do you want to be healed?” But Jesus knew what He was doing and needed to hear the response from this man’s innermost being. (John 5:1-15)
When Jesus commanded him to, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk!” He did all three - then everything changed. Sometimes we hear the same question and know deep down we are not ready for a change in lifestyle. This story is about physical healing, but what about healing from character traits, anger issues or cyclical patterns of behaviour?
It may surprise you that Moses had anger issues he never resolved - read his life story. He killed an Egyptian, he lost his temper when the Israelites didn’t follow his instructions about the Manna, he smashed the stones where God had written his commands, he struck the rock when he was told to speak to it. Over and over again he displayed uncontrolled anger, but never asked God to remove it, or to deal with the deeper issues that caused it.
Do you want to be healed? Do I? When I see ‘flesh’ re-acting and displaying itself, do I want to be healed or to change?
It is a question all of us have to face, and our wonderful God is longing to heal and help us - but he waits for us to respond to His question, and to be obedient to His answer.
by Joyce Sibthorpe
