Easter 6C

Easter 6C

Today’s gospel reading seems to introduce us another healing story of Jesus. At first, we might think how wonderful and miraculous Jesus is to heal another sick person. But if we look closer to the text, we find something strange about this miracle story. It even seems quite abnormal. So here are something which are atypical about it.

1. The man who Jesus heals never asks Jesus to heal him. Jesus first approaches to this man, and asks him, “Do you want to be made well?” Usually people who have heard of Jesus come to him to heal them or heal their loved ones. The man at the pool has never heard of Jesus, and doesn’t even recognize who he is.
2. So, not knowing what Jesus can do, the man’s answer to the question, “Do you want to be made well?” is far from, “Yes, Lord. I want to be made well.” He brings up his reasons why he CANNOT be made well. He says, “Sir, I have no one to pt me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.”
3. Nonetheless, Jesus heals the man, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” The man, regardless of his unfaith in Jesus, is healed.
4. In other gospel accounts of Jesus’ healing of the sick, most of them become the witnesses to Jesus. But this man at the neither becomes a witness nor a disciple of Jesus. Instead he reports Jesus to the local Jewish people who accuse him of breaking the law, that is, carrying his mat, working on Sabbath.

Basically, Jesus heals the man who has no knowledge of Jesus, has no desire to be healed, and has no will to become Jesus’ disciple even after being healed. He just wants to stay out of trouble. I become curious what motivates Jesus to heal such a person. 

On the other hand, some biblical scholars say there are hidden symbols in the text. The pool stands for the Law. The five porticoes are related to the Pentateuch, the Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Scriptures: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. And the man’s 38 years of sickness might mean the 38 years of Israel’s wanderings in the desert during their exodus from Egypt (Deut. 2:14). 

In this light, what Jesus is doing is creating some kind of new law. As he is healing the man who has been lying for 38 years at the pool with five porticoes, Jesus is liberating the Israelites who has been wandering for 38 years in the desert observing the five books of the Torah. 

Jesus is definitely doing something odd, offensive, and provocative to the local Jews who are observant of their law. And he heals the man at the pool on the day of sabbath when no work is allowed. 

Jesus’ healing ministry of this man at the pool has no good consequences. Jesus gains nothing out of his healing ministry. The cured man shows no gratitude. He cares more about himself once he is being accused of carrying his mat on the sabbath. The first thing that he does after being cured is to find out Jesus’ name. And he reports him to the local Jews. In a way, he betrays Jesus. And Jesus, by curing the man, ends up offending them and provoking them to plan his murder. Jesus’ act of healing the sick brings nothing but the cross on which he would be crucified and murdered. 

As I’m reflecting this foolish side of Jesus, I’m more and more convicted that Jesus knew what kind of consequences he would face at the end. Even though he knows what kind trouble he would get into, Jesus still heals the man. Regardless of the man’s unbelief, he heals him ANYWAY. In his act of healing the man, he shows us that God’s mercy is for everyone, the entire humanity whether one is good, bad, faithful, doubtful, poor, rich, or not. Just as St. John in the Book of Revelation says, “The temple is the Lamb himself, the light is the Lamb himself,” Jesus the Lamb himself is the Pool that heals. Just like the name Beth-Zatha, which means the house of mercy, Jesus himself is the house of God’s mercy for everyone.

God’s mercy is not cheap. It is costly. We see Jesus risking his life to heal the man who is rather ignorant and self-centered. And Jesus pays for the price of enacting and embodying God’s mercy on the cross. 

I wonder if we’re like the man at the pool. This man has been lying by the pool for 38 years. He seems quite comfortable lying there. Even when Jesus asks him the question, “Do you want to be made well?” to elicit some spark of will on the man’s part to be cured, he has no strong desire to be healed. He’s too used to his situation, his illness, and his miserable life. He’s stuck. He may have become too comfortable in that place.

Do we feel like this man? Do we want to be made well? What’s your answer to the question? Are we simply well enough so that we no longer need Jesus to heal us? Are we too comfortable to stay where we are and lie by the pool?

I don’t believe we are well. Our society, our world is suffering. It’s in agony. It’s filled with fear, anxiety, and violence. All kinds of -isms and prejudices force us to hate, not love. No more mercy, but more regulations and laws. There’s no culture of mercy and grace, but that of competition and judgment.

We can never be well when others are suffering. Just because my belly is full, my roof is not leaking, and my family is doing well, it doesn’t mean we are well. 

St. Lydia in our second lesson from the Book of Acts seems to know she is not well without Jesus. Once God opens her heart to the gospel, she is no longer stuck, lying at the pool. She stands up, takes her mat and walk. She shows the spirit of hospitality. She responds to Jesus, “Come and stay at my home.”

Today, Jesus asks us, “Do you want to be made well?” Regardless of how our responses to Jesus’ question, he tells us “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” May we hear the voice of Jesus who tells us to stand up from the spirit of hostility to the spirit of hospitality. And may God create in us a place where we say to those suffering, “Come and stay at my home.” Amen.