Have You Been Made Well?

 

Good day, I’m Duane Matz and this is today’s Living Word.

 

Today, I want to share some thoughts with you from a very familiar Bible story found in John 5.

 

Joh 5:2 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.

This was some kind of pool! But please note how many people were healed after the holy jacuzzi was turned on! ONE! The first one and no more. Imagine what it would look like if this was the rule at your local Urgent Care! Can you imagine the scuffling and the mayhem that would follow.

 

Let me ask you, would you be willing to wait for your treatment and give someone else your place?

 Well, apparently these people would not, because there was a guy waiting his turn for 38 years!

 

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 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.

 

Oh Oh! The Sabbath! And the Sabbath police were present!

Look what happens next!

 

 10 The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, "It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed." 11 He answered them, "He who made me well said to me, 'Take up your bed and walk.'"

 

The man who was made well, chose to obey the one who made him well. Wouldn’t you?......Shouldn’t you?  Let’s not miss this. Has Jesus made you well? Has He righted your relationship to God?  Seek to obey Him as opposed to man-made religious rules and regulations!

 

12 Then they asked him, "Who is the Man who said to you, 'Take up your bed and walk'?" 13 But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. 14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you."

 

The man was made well, and Jesus left him with these words….”See you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you. Hmmmm, I wonder what that could be.

 

Friend have you been made well? Is Jesus your Savior and Lord, then go and turn from your sins.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word