Poolside

Introduction

There is something about not being thankful that bothers me. We have plenty that seems unjust and unfair and we tend to focus on those things rather than being thankful for all the good things. Just think about it. Most of us got up this morning and could eat something if we chose to. Most of us have running water and clothes in the closet and food in the pantry and a car that runs or if it doesn’t we will get it fixed. We have people who care about us; we have jobs; a modest amount of health. So much to be thankful for.

I suppose though that any “bother” I have about others not being thankful is really met in me. Complaining seems part of the human condition. As such it demonstrates a lack of thankfulness in us. Having a thankful spirit is a sign of understanding that someone else has provided for you what you could not supply for yourself. Or even if you could provide it for yourself, a thankful spirit recognizes that someone has done something for you to encourage you and to strengthen you. I remember a time from my own teenage years when I wasn’t thankful. My mom was a stay at home mom. She did all the things that made life easier and better for us. I remember the day that we ate a well cooked meal without thankfulness. Her tears convinced that simply saying “thank you” can lift a heavy heart.

It’s hard to imagine not being thankful. But such exists in our world. And such existed in Jesus’ day as well. In our text, we will see Jesus’ third sign in John’s gospel. This sign is to point to something extraordinary about Jesus. It is another piece of evidence about the nature of Jesus. However, part of what makes this sign intriguing is the response of the one who benefits from the sign. Lack of gratitude is not new, but it says something about the person who is not grateful. Let’s be thankful today.

The Story

Jesus returns to Jerusalem at a feast time. He goes to the Sheep Gate which is not far from the temple. This is the place where sheep were washed before sacrifice. The pool of water is called Bethesda which means “house of mercy.” The superstition was that periodically an angel from God would come down and stir up the waters. Whoever was first into the pool after the waters had been stirred would be healed. This pool was surrounded by a large number of sick—blind, lame, and the paralyzed. It would have been the hospital area of the day. No doctors or nurses. Just suffering people with friends and family hoping to be the first to get into the pool. The wealthy and pious avoided such a place.

Jesus sees a man who has been lame for 38 years. Of all the people who are suffering, Jesus encounters this lame man. With a question that seems odd, Jesus asks if the man wants to get well. Let’s think about that just a moment. Lame for 38 years—do you want to get well? Odd question, but maybe not. The man’s response tells us that Jesus knew the exact question to ask. The man responds with a statement of why he can’t be healed. No one is there to help him into the pool. Let’s not be too hard on the man yet. He isn’t looking for some miraculous solution. He is trying to explain his situation to a stranger.

So Jesus tells him to get up and walk. Lame for 38 years. The man must have immediately felt some changes in his body. He must have felt strength he either had never felt before or had long forgotten what it felt like. The text tells us he got up and walked away. Jesus gets lost in the crowd and the man is confronted with his “sin” of walking around on the Sabbath with his mat tucked under his arm.

Let’s notice some things about this man. First, notice there is not one expression of faith on the man’s part before he is healed. He doesn’t say he wants to get well. He doesn’t look at Jesus and say “Can you help me get better?” What he does is walk when told to do so and in that sense there is some response based on what he experiences but even when he meets Jesus in the temple, there is no faith expressed.

Second, notice that this man never says “thank you.” How can a person who hasn’t walked in 38 years act like such an event is no big deal? There is no leaping and shouting for joy as we see with the lame man in Acts 3 who was lame from birth for over 40 years. When confronted by the religious leaders, he doesn’t even act excited. He says he was just following orders. He sees Jesus in the temple and there is no expression of thanks. No gratitude for what God has done for him. Some say that the man is in the temple area to express thanks. But his reaction to the meeting with Jesus suggests otherwise.

Third, he turns Jesus in. Confronted by religious leaders he blames Jesus for his law breaking. When he discovers who it is that healed him, he goes to the religious leaders and turns Jesus in.

Fourth, we are this man. We went to our pantries and closets this morning expecting to find food and clothes. Did you say thank you as you dressed and ate? When something goes wrong do you pass the blame? Do you deny God’s goodness instead of exalting and praising him in your complaining? Children do this with their parents. Children expect their parents to provide certain things without a thank you. They complain when expectations are not met and deny their parent’s goodness because the parent will not do what the child wants. And like children, we do the same thing with our Heavenly Father.

Jesus

But we must not miss John’s evidence. How easy it would have been for John to select another “sign” story that ended with someone saying thank you and someone being loyal and faithful to Jesus. But John doesn’t do that. He chooses the story not for the reaction of the recipient of God’s favor but for what the sign shows about Jesus. John tells us the healing takes place on the Sabbath. Jesus is revealing that he is over the Sabbath. Since God is the originator of the Sabbath, for Jesus to heal, inspire, and rule the Sabbath says something about who he is claiming to be.

Even a man healed of a long term condition may not see who Jesus is, but John wants his readers to see. The religious leaders reveal that they are not willing to look at the evidence anymore. How do you ignore a man’s healing for the sake of manmade law? Why is there no rejoicing in this story? It is because joy is found when faith meets God. When there is no joy, it means that faith is dying. It means that faith fails to see Jesus for who he really is. We never hear of this man again. As a result of his turning Jesus in, things are going to get heated for Jesus. No faith; no excitement; no thankfulness; no responsibility; shifting blame. And all the while Jesus remains, with this warning: “Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”

Jesus healed him. Was compassionate to him. But what he is really concerned about is his spiritual life. Stop sinning and the man goes to the religious leaders. Something worse may happen and we never hear of the man again. What do you believe about Jesus? Is your life today like that of this man—lacking faith and gratitude?

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