Who said that you could Walk?
“They asked him, “Who is this man that told you to pick up your mat and walk?” But he did not know who Jesus was, and Jesus had left because of the crowd. ” ( John 5:12,13 CEV)
In John chapter 5 Jesus is in Jerusalem for a Jewish festival. He makes His way to the pool of Bethesda, a notorious gathering place for sick people. Bethesda was a pool where crowds of sick people would lay on platforms waiting for a certain movement of the water. The sick believed that getting into the pool while the water was stirred would cure any disease. While near the pool, Jesus saw a man that had been sick for 38 years and asked him if he wished to be healed. The sick man said, “Lord, I don’t have anyone to put me in the pool when the water is stirred up. I try to get in, but someone else always gets there first(John 5:7 CEV).”
Jesus then said to him, “Stand up, pick up your mat and walk”(John 5:8). The man picked up his mat and began walking. Some of us would have given Jesus a second excuse explaining why we could not walk and how our legs don’t work. But this man, instead of giving an excuse, stood up and walked. His response to Jesus is inspiring. When Jesus speaks to our situations in life we are required to act in faith, not doubt. Although the man’s response to Jesus is remarkable, Jesus’ response to the man is even more important for us to pay attention to.
Jesus never promoted himself. When the sick man was asked the question, “Who healed you?”, the man didn’t know (John 5:13). Jesus did not take the time to show this healing off to the crowd, nor did he make sure that the man wrote down his healing in a statement so that it could be verified later. Jesus was more interested in this man knowing Him, than the crowd knowing that he had just worked a miracle.
After his run in with the Jewish leaders, the man that was healed was met by Jesus in the temple(John 5:14). The bible says that Jesus found him in the temple. Jesus sought the man that was sick in order to reveal himself to him. Jesus did not spend his ministry trying to get the crowds to know Him, He spent his time causing individuals to know Him. The crowds can make a noise, but only an individual can testify to the works of God.
Jesus never gathered crowds; the crowds always gathered around Him. Ask yourself today, “What am I doing that’s worth gathering around?” The Kingdom of God has no need to be promoted, it must be revealed to the hearts of men. God’s heart is set on revealing Himself to individuals. It’s the testimony of a personal encounter that God uses to change our lives and the lives of people we encounter.
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September 7, 2010