Hopeless and Helpless?
June 9, 2013
John 5:2-8
I believe one of the hardest, most difficult things for most people --- is to ask for help. We want to be independent. In fact, we fight for our independence. Yet, at the same time, once some people have accepted help, they get stuck in a place where they rely more on the help of others, than on themselves.
Now, that can be a sticky topic. I’m not talking about someone who has a need. And I don’t want you to stop asking for help. But I’m wondering about those situations when we become so comfortable with others helping us, that we stop helping ourselves.
Last week we began to look at what could be a haunting and daunting question from Jesus — Do you want to be made well?
On the surface we all want to say of course. But we must consider what do we want to be made well from?
Do I really want to be made well? Honestly, well, yes and no. Yes, I want to be made well. I don’t want to hurt anymore. Yet, some part of us likes to play the role of innocent victim, to blame others for wounding us, or for keeping us stuck.
We find reasons to complain and look for excuses. We can list the many ways our parents have done us wrong . . . this is why I am the way I am. Our spouse has let us down. It’s the kids, they didn’t turn out as expected. My boss, my career, my teachers, my siblings, my friends, my pastors, my church and ultimately . . . my God has let me down.
Life is definitely not my fault. I deserve better. Why I could have been fully alive and well – but then those bad things happened . . . so here I am, stuck forever on the edge of healing. Healing’s so close, I can taste it, I can smell it, but it never happens.
Do you want to be made well? That question requires honest self-examination. Maybe a little digging into ourselves. Maybe we need a shovel. Sometimes we need to complete an archaeological dig . . . going deep into our heart and spirit to discover who we really are and what we really need and want.
When we’ve sifted and sorted through our heart, spirit and mind, what we may discover is that we want to be fully alive. Deep down we want to love and to be loved, and to draw close to the powerful love of God. Deep down we want our lives to be about something much larger than ourselves and our endless wallowing and self-promotion. We want our lives to be full of light, to be blessed and a blessing to others.
When it comes to healing, Jesus doesn’t appear out of nowhere, waving a magic wand. What Jesus asks is more demanding than that, and more costly. We need to accept His healing so we can become the very person God is calling us to be.
So, Jesus meets this man by the pool, and let’s look at the part of the story . . .
2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches.
3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.
4 For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.
5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.
6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”
7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”
8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.”
9 Immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.
Jesus asked him that question . . . “Do you want to be made well?” The man’s answer was really a messy answer. He doesn’t directly reply to Jesus' question but responds with blaming and complaint. “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.” - John 5:7. So, what does he mean?
I know people who don’t want to be healed. They don’t want to receive divine help for their problems. They don’t want to be helped out of their weakness. They love their weakness. They crave the attention of others through their helplessness. They’re able to escape responsibility. I have seen people turn their backs on a way of deliverance, because they did not want to be healed. They were comfortable just as they were, even though they would speak of their frustration.
I remember seeing Dr. Phil talking to some people who were dealing with a tough issue. Some of them just weren’t getting better. I’m not a huge Dr. Phil fan, but he got it right on this one. He looked at the people, and said, ‘you really don’t want to get better, do you?” The people were dumbfounded. Healing for these people was something they could control. On some issues, if we really want healing, and God offers it, then you know what, we will find healing, whatever the cost.
Remember, we can’t help somebody who does not want to be helped. As the Spirit moves among us this morning, He will ask this question to all of us. Do you want to be made well? We could all use some sort of healing, whether it’s physical, emotional or spiritual.
Maybe you aren’t feeling helpless enough. You’re not ready to give up on human efforts to solve your problems. You’re not ready to admit you cannot make it on your own. You’re still determined to get into the water on your own. Jesus can do nothing for you.
If some are here who identify with this man, and the Lord is saying to you, "Do you want to be made well?" and if you say, "Not yet," or, "No, I don't," then there is nothing more for you . . . today. You can sleep through the end of this message.
But this man at the pool of Bethesda wants to be healed. While he didn’t give a direct answer to Jesus, and while it was messy, I believe he wanted healing, but didn’t know how it could happen. He basically said, “Yes, I want to be healed, but I can’t. I've tried, I've done everything I know how. I want to get into that water, I want to be healed, I’ve really tried, but I’m slow. There’s no one to help me. I've given up. I have no hope.” Notice all of the I’s.
There will be some like that man here this morning. You’ve given up on your situation, you can’t believe there’s any hope left. You see no way out, so you’ve resigned yourself to a less than life.
But Jesus is standing in front of you and He offers the solution to you. What will you do when He speaks to you.
Jesus' response is short and clear: “Stand up, take your bed and walk.” And at once the man was made well, and he took up his bed and began to walk”
“Stand up and walk.” And immediately, he was made well.
You will notice the man didn’t need to climb into the pool in order to be healed. Whenever we say yes to Jesus, healing comes our way. It may not be the physical healing we desire, it may be spiritual, it may occur in our heart. We may need to let go of something else to find true and total healing. This man had a sin issue.
You may not, it may be your lot in life to bring glory and honor to Christ through your suffering. It’s not what you and I would choose for ourselves, but we have this amazing opportunity to bless others as God blesses us . . . as we move through our suffering and trials, and murkiness, we call life.
God never promised that our lives would be free from struggle, pain, or tragedy. But God is with us, and will make our hearts strong.
In accepting Jesus' healing, the man gave up his dependence on others to attend to him. Did you notice that the healing which Jesus commanded included the man to pick up his own mat? From now on, he wouldn’t be getting attention by lying on his mat. Jesus gave him wholeness, including the ability to care for himself. So we, too, who know our own failings and infirmities might ask ourselves, "Are we ready to give up our dependencies in order to allow God to make us whole?" What would Jesus heal you from? What would you be living without if you accepted Jesus' healing?
Those things we use to make ourselves feel better, seemingly harmless, may be the very things that block our healing. It might be a relationship from which we demand too much. It might be a pleasure we get from someone else's failure. It might be a right we reserve to feel critical of others. It might be the right to feel guilty if we want to. It could be a long standing bitterness. Whatever it is we use "to get through our day," these are the things that bring us to our knees as Jesus asks us, "Do you want to be healed?"
Healing is a gift, it’s pure grace. From it we are forever changed. Accepting our healing and taking our place in the Christian community is the follow-through in which we find ourselves healed. When we accept the healing of Jesus, our identity changes. Healing includes our willingness to leave the old person behind and accept the new creation Jesus gives us. It’s no surprise that we often cling to our suffering long after they’ve served their usefulness. So think twice as you bring your wish for healing to Jesus. Make sure you are willing to take up your bed and walk.
Last thing - celebrate the little victories. Don't minimize them!
Give thanks to God that today you made it without blowing up at the kids.
Phone a friend and share with them the good news that you went through the whole afternoon without putting yourself down.
Give your spouse a hug because they made it all day without a drink.
Celebrate with your father because he accepted a viewpoint of yours that fell outside his usual overly rigid barriers, and he didn't go ballistic.
Celebrate.
Just one more thing - Please, please, please don’t try to work through all of this by yourself. Don’t try to overcome the obstacles, to work away the impairments, to remove the hurt and pain all on your own. Remember who it is that’s asking the question - “Do you want to get well?”
No matter how many times the man tried to get up on his own, without the help of the Lord, nothing would happen. With the touch of the Lord - there’s new life.
Recall the words of Psalm 127, which tell us that the best of our plans, done without the blessing of God are all done ... ... in vain.
1 Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.
Turn your heart, spirit, mind and body towards Jesus.
Hear His invitation . . . it’s the invitation of the miracle-working Christ.
Come with whatever burden is on your heart.
Do you want to be made well?
Then leave it with Him. Rise, pick up your mat, and walk!
