28th Jan 2011

John 5:1-15 – The Healing at the Pool.

• “Being There”
• As I have often pointed out, Jesus very rarely initiated any healing. He healed and did miracles almost always in response to a request of one sort or another.
• Today’s story is one of the very few incidents [around five] that is the exception to the rule.
• Or is it?
• I would still list this with the four other incidents of Jesus initiating healing but I think there is an argument that says Jesus was still responding to a request.
• Most requests came from someone reaching out to touch His clothes, or ripping open a roof or simply approaching him and verbally asking His assistance.
• This one came from simply being there.
• Archeology teaches us that this pool was a common place for people to go to ask their god to heal them. Not just Jews but Romans as well.
• Jesus… God.. turns up and knows that the man is already requesting His assistance simply by being in that place.
• If you’ve ever gone to church you will know that sitting in the first few rows gives you a very different experience that sitting at the back.
• When I sit on the back row I tend to observe, when I sit on the front row I tend to participate.
• My physical position is a signal to God. It is a request.
• I’ve sometimes advised people who feel far away from God to simply move forward a few places in church. I know this is in one sense a very shallow piece of advice but in one sense it is not.
• Our position is a hint.
• It is a request of sorts.
• Where we go can be just as much as request as the things we say. I think God may not need to read body language but I think He does read the language of placement.
• Who, where and when we place ourselves in different places tells God [and if we will take the time, ourselves], just what our attitude is towards Him.
• Sometimes we just have to commit to being there and waiting for Jesus to turn up as it were.
• Praying for faithfulness today to just be in the right spot and not rush around from place to place to find a miracle.