When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had already been in that condition for a long time, He asked him,
“Do you want to be made well?”
“Sir,” the man replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”
(Gospel of John 5:6–7)
That man had been paralyzed for 38 years. We do not know the details of his painful story, but the fact is that paralysis had confined his life to a bed for a very long time. Sadly, when someone faces a painful or limiting situation, they can become closed off and filled with bitterness and resentment. The tendency is to focus only on the negative side of life.
It is possible that the paralyzed man had heard about Jesus, but he was unable to answer the question, “Do you want to be made well?” His focus was on his miserable condition: “Poor me, I have no one to help me…” But how many times have we done the same? We forget that God is by our side and lock ourselves into our own small, sad, and empty world, crowded with problems.
When difficult things happen that challenge us or bring more than we feel we can bear, we are tempted to make excuses like these:
“This is too hard for me.”
“I have no one to help me.”
“I can’t take it anymore; there are too many problems in my life.”
“It seems like all the bad things happen to me.”
Stop for a moment! Stop complaining and making excuses about your problems. Look to Jesus, listen to Him, and take a step of faith. He is faithful and all-powerful. Believe: all things are possible for the one who believes.
Prayer:
Lord God, I want to fix my eyes on You and not on the problems of this life. Sometimes it is very hard, Jesus, but I do not want to complain or make excuses. Remove all bitterness from my heart and all paralysis from my life. Increase my faith and give me strength and joy to face everything, trusting that You can do all things and that You care for me. Thank You, Father. In the name of Jesus, amen.