HOPE FINALLY PAYS OFF, AFTER 38 YEARS OF HELPLESSNESS

I am sure this would have been one of the headlines among the media in Israel, after Jesus healed the man who had been ill for 38yrs at the pool of Bethesda. This could also pass for a brief write up of the story:


"A man who refused to give up after 38 years of making disappointing attempts to receive his healing by being the first to step in the pool of Bethesda has finally got what he so wanted.
Yesterday in the late afternoon, he had an encounter with Jesus who told him to pick up his bed and walk, and he could not disobey.  However, one thing that we are yet to find out, is why Jesus healed no one else but that man, our reporters are still working on it and we shall bring you these details in our subsequent reports."
 While these are happening, the controversy of Jesus healing on the Sabbath still continues, the question we are still asking is "is He disregarding the law or He is just doing good on the Sabbath?" send your comments through our Facebook page on www.facebook.com/jewnews


John 5:6  When Jesus noticed him lying there [helpless], knowing that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, Do you want to become well? [Are you really in earnest about getting well?]
John 5:7  The invalid answered, Sir, I have nobody when the water is moving to put me into the pool; but while I am trying to come [into it] myself, somebody else steps down ahead of me.
John 5:8  Jesus said to him, Get up! Pick up your bed (sleeping pad) and walk!


This man had been by the pool of Bethesda for 38 years! Why did he not just go home and maybe die, being mad at God?


1. From his own account, for the entire 38 years, he did not get the help he needed; if someone could just push him into the pool, quickly enough after the moving of the water, he could just receive his healing and go home. Apparently, all the people who could help him disappointed him (5:7).
2. Life around the pool must have been very agonizing; some people probably received their healing in just two weeks after they arrived at the pool. He had spent close to years!
3. His stay there became quite ridiculous. Perhaps he was not putting in much effort like the others, maybe his sins were so heavy that he was never going to get the chance- no wonder he had to be quick to explain himself to anyone he came in contact with.
4. On one ordinary day, he did not even know that his time had come. He started the routine of explaining himself to a gentleman (deviating from His question). All he heard was an a voice with authority that said  "pick up your bed and walk" . He did not even know how he got up, by the time he realized, he was on his feet, something he had  not experienced for 38 agonizing years.
5. 38 years of hope had finally paid off. He refused to turn back home. He had the hope that ONE DAY, it would be his turn, and he could walk again- and he did. GLORY BE TO GOD. Finally.


The passage teaches me two things


1. No matter how long it takes, with hope, we shall receive our breakthrough. 
The most hopeless situation is not death, but a man with no hope. To such a person, death is a better option and if you leave him alone, he will commit suicide. Hopelessness is far more deadly than death itself. Hopelessness is the source of depression which can also lead to suicide. If I lost all I have  and I know that in the next few days, I am going to get them back, what cause do I have to worry and further get depressed over it? Having a knowledge  or  a conviction that you will get what you want is what I call hope. If you think there is no hope for you, think about the man in this passage (John 5:1-8) who was left in a vegetative state for 38 years. As far as God is concerned, there are no hopeless situations, except where you find a man without hope.
2. It might look as if God has abandoned us, and that He is not interested in what we are going through, especially if we consider our pasts. Fortunately, we always find out later that it is not what it seemed to be in the beginning.
Look at this man; Jesus literally went straight to him and healed him, it was not recorded that any other person was healed (this was a place concentrated with sick people). After healing the man, the bible says Jesus slipped away, unnoticed because of the crowd. It is indubitable that Jesus went to the pool of Bethesda because of him. I am sure it is at this point that he would understand that all this while, God had His eyes on him.


The eyes of the Lord are on us, He knows every detail of what we have been through and what we are going through. It is true that others may have taken the lead, and you may have been left behind. However, know that He has the power to lift you from the back of the queue to where you are supposed to be. Your faith may be weak, but you can't afford to lose hope. Remember  that as far as God is concerned, there are no hopeless situations, except where you can find a man without hope. You can be helpless but you can't be hopeless.


I hope you get encouraged with this. Keep on praying and feeding on what the Word of God has said about you and your situation. Your breakthrough is on its way.