March 11 -- John 5:1-15
"Then Jesus said to him, 'Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.'” --John 5:8 (NIV)

The man had been an invalid for 38 years. That’s a long time to lie on a mat and rely on the generosity of others to survive. And there couldn’t have been any close relatives or friends who cared because he didn’t have anyone to help him take advantage of the miraculous pool. Someone always got there before him when the healing waters were stirred. So, for almost four decades, he waited alone for a miracle. Then Jesus came.
When Jesus approached, He asked the man, “Do you want to get well?” (v. 6) At first glance, this question seems a bit odd, maybe even a little rude. Having been an invalid for 38 years, the man would have been visibly ill, and he was lying on a mat by a famous healing pool—wasn’t it obvious he wanted to be healed? But Jesus “learned [the man] had been in this condition for a long time” (v. 6), so in a way, the question was a valid one.
Healing for this man would require an entire life change. The only way he could have been making a living was by begging, and if he were healed, he would have to find work and begin doing many things he hadn’t had the ability to do for most of his life. Though he may have been more than willing to do this, such a total change after 38 years would be radical. Jesus simply asked him what the desire of his heart really was. He asks us the same thing. That positive change you say you want—do you really want it? Have you considered what it will mean?
Read the passage again and try to imagine the whole scene. Look at the man’s face. Look at Jesus’ face. Hear the tone in their voices. Note that the man obeyed his Healer, even though the command to carry his mat went against the Sabbath rules set by the religious leaders. And the religious leaders were not happy about it. But that’s a topic for tomorrow…
Consider: Is there a positive change I would like to see in my life? What would the cost of this change be for me? Is this something I really desire?
After you’ve examined your heart, talk to God about what you have discovered. If you find resistance to growth and/or healing, ask Him to help you surrender this resistance to Him. (And don’t forget to ask Him for the growth and healing.) Then, follow Him, obeying Him just as the healed invalid did. He longs to remake you into the image of Jesus because He loves you.
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