Eyes to See

One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.

Text: John 5:-15

Pray for eyes to see people as Jesus sees them.

Like many of you, I have read or heard sermons on this passage many times. One of the true wonders of God’s Word is how fresh and relevant it still is today.
 
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
 
Jesus returns to Jerusalem and stops at the Pool of Bethesda to heal a man and provide the Jewish religious leaders with the 3rd of 7 signs. Here are a couple of follow-up thoughts regarding this passage.
 
There were most likely dozens of people around this pool hoping to be physically healed. Ever wondered why just this one man?  Why did Jesus only heal this one man?
 
There are countless possible explanations and since the text doesn’t tell us explicitly, we can only know this; Sometimes Jesus does miracles for many at once, like the feeding of the 5000 for instance. This is an example of Jesus stepping into a life, a situation that from a human perspective was hopeless and healed this man as only He could.
It is a reminder for all of us that Jesus heals us individually. It is not a corporate matter. It does not depend on whether or not we are a member of a certain church or denomination. It is also not a matter of luck, like winning the lottery. Jesus stepped into this man’s life and asked… Do you want to be healed? He asks each of us the exact same question. Our salvation is solely dependent on our response to that very question.
 
It isn’t always easy to see past our circumstances or the way were brought up. Consider the Jewish leaders in this scene. They were so zealous over religious form they were actually more blind than those physically blind at the pool. Jesus performed this sign, not to just heal the man, but so they could see that He was the promised Messiah they so desperately wanted.
 
We must never allow religious zeal to cause Scriptural blindness. Pray for our Elders and staff, that we will always hold fast to promoting life as prescribed in Scripture. Lives that honor’s God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, unflinchingly as the culture around us drifts further and further away from His Word.
 
Pray for eyes to see people as Jesus sees them. Enabling us to see past the temporary and physical needs, realizing they may have a greater need, a need for the same grace God extended to us. What a great Christmas gift that would be.