These are the ruins Bethesda in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate, appropriately named because this is the gate where the sacrificial lambs entered Jerusalem. Water from the Gihon Spring filled the Pool of Bethesda, surrounded by five covered colonnades (think porches). Today this is in the French Quarter, not far from the Temple Mount, which is protected by Muslims. When Jesus was there, a man who had been crippled for thirty-eight years was near the pool. Jesus asked him, “Do you want to get well?” It seems like a silly question to me. Why wouldn’t he want to get well? Well, maybe the work he did before is not necessary any longer. That happened to me during the market crash of 2008 since I worked in financial services. Agents had to process their own work, work I did for them. Maybe the man was too old or too weak to work. What would he do if he got well? Begging had been his source of income for nearly four decades.
Jesus had compassion for this man. I distinguish that from pity. The difference is–we can have pity on a person’s situation, but we can have compassion on the person, which requires a response on our part. Jesus healed the man. Until Jesus showed up the crippled man waited til the water was stirred before he made an effort to get into the water. Then others got in before him. Jews and non-Jews believed this to be a healing sanctuary with powers from Eshmun, the Septic god of healing. They believed that an angel stirred the water, and the person to enter first after the water was stirred would be healed.
Jesus said, “Get up, pick up your mat, and walk” (John 5:8). And the once-crippled man got up, picked up his mat and left the pool area. The Pharisees told him he couldn’t carry his mat because it was the Sabbath. The once-crippled man said, “The man who healed me told me to pick up my mat and walk.” They asked him who healed him. He didn’t have a clue. Later Jesus met him in the temple. “See, you are well,” He said. “Do not sin anymore, so that something worse won’t happen to you” (John 5:14). Then the man who had been healed went to the Jewish leaders and reported that Jesus healed him. Why would he do that? He had to know those men didn’t like Jesus. Why didn’t he show more gratitude? While I point at this man, three fingers point back at me, and I ask myself, why am I not more thankful for all the ways God blesses me???
So then, the Jewish leaders persecuted Jesus for healing a man on the Sabbath. He said to them, “My Father is always at work to this very day, and I too am working” (John 5:17). This made the Jews even more ready to persecute Jesus because He claimed to be God’s Son (which He was).
Be sure, God desires mercy, not sacrifice. All our works mean nothing to Him unless we do them with love. In my husband Dennis’ words, Christians must do what love compels us to do. That is what Jesus did.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for your word, the truth, with examples of compassion. Teach us to show compassion as you show compassion. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Closer Walk with God 