A Strange Question

It is surely one of the strangest questions asked in the whole of Scripture.  The gospel writer, John, tells the story of Jesus being in Jerusalem at the pool called Bethzatha.  Many invalid people, "blind, lame, and paralyzed," (John 5:4) waited there for the waters to be stirred.  Each hoped to be the first one in the water to receive the blessing of healing.  An ancient verse often missing in some translations explains the gathering of the broken: "...for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool, and stirred up the waters; whoever stepped in first after the stirring of the water was made well..." (John 5:3).  

Jesus saw a man there who had been paralyzed for thirty-eight years and asked him the strange sounding question:  "Do you want to be made well?"(John 5:6)  The paralyzed man never answered the question, but instead said, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the water when the water is stirred up..." (John 5:7)  As odd as it seems, there is no immediate "Yes" coming from the lips of the paralyzed man.  What he does is blame others for his continued infirmity!  

The question of Jesus brings two things to the surface.  Jesus is not going to force His blessing on anyone.  Secondly, not everyone wants to be healed.  Implicit within the question Jesus asked are questions like "Do you want to take responsibility for your life? Do you want to cease being dependent on others?  Do you want to get a job?"  What seems rather obvious to us is not always as obvious as it might seem.  When we ask Jesus for an act of healing in our life, He might ask us, "Are you willing to turn loose of a sedentary lifestyle and start walking?  Are you ready to change your diet to a more healthy one?  Are you ready to spend less time at work and more time with your family?  These are some of the prerequisites for the healing I am ready to give.  Do you want to be made well?"