Jesus goes to a place where there are a multitude of invalids. He goes and talks to just one of them that we know of. But why does Jesus ask the man if he wants to be healed?

Is it for the man’s sake so that he can show the desire? God responds to the hearts of people. Is it for our sake? This way we understand his predicament.

Everyone is there because they want to be healed. I don’t see this place as something from God. I see this place as demonic. An “angel” stirs the water and the first one in is healed. People wait years for their chance and don’t ever get it. Remember, these are invalids, and they are supposed to move quickly and get into the water. The blind may be able to walk quickly, but they can’t see when the water is stirred. They have to wait to hear that it’s been stirred, but by then others are already moving. It feels like a mean trick to me.

There was healing available, but they were looking in the wrong place. It’s okay to want healing, but seek God and want Him. Love is the greatest gift. God is love. Want Him.

God cares when He heals. He doesn’t make us work for or earn our healing. He doesn’t make people get their life right first. This man had sin. Jesus spoke as if his sin was the cause of his lameness of thirty-eight years. He tells him, “Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.”

Jesus doesn’t rebuke anything to get the healing. He doesn’t “speak healing.” He just gives a command and the man obeys. God has to heal him so that he can obey. Maybe the command sparks a faith to obey.

Jesus seems to deliberately break the Sabbath law here, telling the man to carry his mat. The Pharisees want to kill Jesus for it because He is lawless, according to their law. The lawless one is the antichrist. And Jesus made Himself equal with God. That was blasphemy in their eyes. Of course, only if He weren’t actually God!