The man by the pool of Bethzatha was also saying "if only." If only someone would help him into the pool he could be healed. If only others would step aside and give him a chance he could have a turn in the pool. The swirling waters were like a whirlpool that would provide therapy for his crippled body. Reaching the pool was his ticket to wellness. The pool was his only source of hope. If only he could reach the healing waters. If only someone would give him a hand.
How often do we find ourselves saying, "if only." If only I had more money. If only someone would give me a chance. If only I would win the lottery. If only someone would really care about me. We tend to focus on a single issue as the primary solution to all our problems. I am sure we can all think of someone who is waiting for the big break to come along that will change their life forever. I had a friend in high school who dreamed of being a rock star. He spent hundreds of hours playing music, recording, sending his material to agents. It was his life’s ambition. but nothing ever came of it.
It’s okay to dream. But, at some point we have to accept reality and reach in a new direction. If not, we remain paralyzed in our current situation, unable to move forward. Sometimes I lament the fact that I didn’t make the Navy a career. By now, I could be retired with a fairly comfortable pension. There are times when I catch myself saying, "If only I had stayed an officer in the Navy I could be living the good life." Perhaps, but I didn’t because my heart was no longer in it. What I discovered is that there were options for my life that were more fulfilling.
For 38 years the man lay near the pool as if it were his only source of hope. It is a classic example of what my students learn in my college counseling class. It is simply this; that people are stuck because they fail to take advantage of opportunities and available resources. Options are available but they either ignore them or don’t see them. They need someone to help them see and need encouragement to try.
The man in our story is no different than millions of people today who ignore resources that are as close as their own back yard. The healing waters of the pool were visible, but he had no way to get there. Certainly there was someone who would help him but did he really want to be helped?
For some folks it is easier to remain a victim than do anything to change their ways. Those who are victims are filled with self pity. They are the ones who say, "Woe is me." Being a victim is a defense mechanism. It means they resist taking any action to change their situation. It means it is easier to stay like they are then making changes. It also requires some movement on their part.
The man indicated to Jesus that he wanted to be healed. Jesus apparently believes he is sincere. After making sure that is what he wanted, Jesus tells him to "rise, take up his pallet and walk." It’s as if Jesus was saying, "You can do this. You have it within you to overcome your dilemma." By responding to that invitation he is no longer a victim as the man gets up and walks. Jesus has motivated him to make a move. Perhaps it is the authority of Jesus that inspired him. Or perhaps no one has ever confronted him before. The good news is that he responds and goes forward.
Persons of authority can help us. Sometimes we need permission or an affirming word from someone we respect. When I arrived in Orlando, Florida as an enlisted man in the Navy in l970, I was checking in with the officer of the day, who happened to be from Ohio. We chatted about our common ground. He was surprised to learn that I had a college education but was not an officer. He then told me abut a program where I could apply. This man of authority had inspired me to try. Because of his interest in me I graduated from Officer’s Candidate School about a year later.
There is another way of looking at this story in John. Since the man gets up and walks, it illustrates the fact that there is power within him to do just that. It is power initiated by Jesus, but it is also power that is within the man’s grasp to take charge of his life. By believing in Jesus he overcomes his fear and lets go of his self pity.
There is a story about a young man named Chris McGonigle who was able to rise above his illness upon discovering the power of God within. The story is from Woman’s World Magazine and reprinted in "Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul." Chris was an athlete and collapsed on the football field. They took him to the hospital and found he had a hole in his heart. They repaired it with surgery but two months later Christ got sick again. Chris was put on medication but his days in sports were over. He barely had enough energy to get through a day of school. Frustrated with his limitations, Kristina, his mother, found another cardiologist and they attempted to correct his problem But, it didn’t work.
Chris became despondent. He broke up with his girlfriend, announced he was dropping out of school and stopped calling his friends. "I have no future," he told his mother. Chris refused any more attempts of surgery and his mother continued her prayers for him but refused to give up. One day, a crazy impulse seized her. She decided to take a drive. She thought a change of scenery might help. Chris didn’t object, in fact he suggested they drive to Montana. They ended up in the Bitterfoot Valley near Missoula. The surroundings were beautiful, deer drinking from streams, mountains everywhere. Chris liked it so well he wanted to live there. Since Chris’s father traveled it didn’t really matter where they lived. There Chris could fish and one day climb the mountains.
After moving there, Chris agreed to one additional surgery. This time it worked. "Once he thought he had no tomorrows, now he wants to build his own log house," Kristina said. Until the change of scenery, Chris had lost faith in himself. Now he had something to live for.
I believe God wants us to believe in ourselves. There is power within us that is sometimes untapped. It is within our reach. It can move us to attempt new things. With a little inspiration and encouragement from others we too can "rise and walk."
The man by the pool had given up on himself. He had also given up on society. But, Jesus came by and made all the difference in the world. He didn’t even have to go looking for him. Jesus is always near by inviting us to rise and walk. The invitation is always there but we don’t always respond.
Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio