Jesus seemed to be on a streak of asking seemingly dumb questions and making outlandish demands in the Gospel of John.
In chapter 2, Jesus told those serving wine to fill up the jars used for washing and serve it to the master of the banquet! But they did so and the water became the best wine ever.
In chapter 3, Jesus told a learned religious scholar that he had to be born again aka start from scratch. We never found out whether this man changed.
In chapter 4, he asked the Samaritan Woman is she would give him a drink although he knew it was socially unacceptable to do so. He went on to offer and her to accept the living water and she, not only, never thirsted again, but she overflowed onto her hometown; bringing salvation to many.
Also in chapter 4, Jesus told the King's official to go home, his son was healed. The man believed Jesus and it was just as he had said. But not only did this man believe, but his whole household was changed!
So, chapter 5 should not come as any surprise when Jesus came to the pool at Bethesda. Many were there waiting for a miracle. Legend had it that when the water was troubled, it meant an angel was near. The first one into the pool would be healed.
In chapter 2, Jesus told those serving wine to fill up the jars used for washing and serve it to the master of the banquet! But they did so and the water became the best wine ever.
In chapter 3, Jesus told a learned religious scholar that he had to be born again aka start from scratch. We never found out whether this man changed.
In chapter 4, he asked the Samaritan Woman is she would give him a drink although he knew it was socially unacceptable to do so. He went on to offer and her to accept the living water and she, not only, never thirsted again, but she overflowed onto her hometown; bringing salvation to many.
Also in chapter 4, Jesus told the King's official to go home, his son was healed. The man believed Jesus and it was just as he had said. But not only did this man believe, but his whole household was changed!
So, chapter 5 should not come as any surprise when Jesus came to the pool at Bethesda. Many were there waiting for a miracle. Legend had it that when the water was troubled, it meant an angel was near. The first one into the pool would be healed.
So the man Jesus came into contact with was there waiting for a miracle and Jesus asked him the most outrageous of questions!
" DO YOU WANT TO GET WELL?"
JOHN 5:6
What a crazy question! Of course he wanted to get well, right? He was waiting at the pool for just that. But , Jesus knew that but, as usual, was cutting to the chase. The man informed Jesus that he had no one to help him to the pool.
Once again, Jesus broke all the rules. Instead of waiting and helping the man to the pool, he became more than what the man needed. He simply gave him a command:
"GET UP! PICK UP YOUR MAT AND WALK!!"
JOHN 5:8
No other man would have said that to him. But, of course, Jesus was no other man! But the man didn't stop and debate. It says he AT ONCE picked up his mat and walked.
It was another occurrence of a person simply believing what Jesus said and getting what they needed. The Wedding servants got the purest wine. The Samaritan never thirst again. The King's official got his son back and saw his whole household saved. And this man got his health back.
He didn't need the pool.
He needed healed.
Jesus , once again, confounds what we think we need and the way we need it and gives us simply, well, what we need!
AFTERNOTE:
The man, after being berated by the religious authorities, came back to Jesus. Jesus warned him to stop sinning or something worse would happen to him.
Did he listen to Jesus? Not sure.
But he did run back to the men who were more interested in the man who broke the sabbath by healing and not the miracle that lay before their very eyes!
Seeming to be more interested in reporting Jesus to them than Jesus warning leads me to think maybe he didn't understand at all.
" DO YOU WANT TO GET WELL?"
JOHN 5:6
What a crazy question! Of course he wanted to get well, right? He was waiting at the pool for just that. But , Jesus knew that but, as usual, was cutting to the chase. The man informed Jesus that he had no one to help him to the pool.
Once again, Jesus broke all the rules. Instead of waiting and helping the man to the pool, he became more than what the man needed. He simply gave him a command:
"GET UP! PICK UP YOUR MAT AND WALK!!"
JOHN 5:8
No other man would have said that to him. But, of course, Jesus was no other man! But the man didn't stop and debate. It says he AT ONCE picked up his mat and walked.
It was another occurrence of a person simply believing what Jesus said and getting what they needed. The Wedding servants got the purest wine. The Samaritan never thirst again. The King's official got his son back and saw his whole household saved. And this man got his health back.
He didn't need the pool.
He needed healed.
Jesus , once again, confounds what we think we need and the way we need it and gives us simply, well, what we need!
AFTERNOTE:
The man, after being berated by the religious authorities, came back to Jesus. Jesus warned him to stop sinning or something worse would happen to him.
Did he listen to Jesus? Not sure.
But he did run back to the men who were more interested in the man who broke the sabbath by healing and not the miracle that lay before their very eyes!
Seeming to be more interested in reporting Jesus to them than Jesus warning leads me to think maybe he didn't understand at all.