The man beside the Bethesda pool

I went to the service at CrossCulture Church of Christ when I was in Melbourne a few weeks ago. On that day, the daughter of the minister was baptised, and she was baptised by another pastor who was a "very" pregnant lady... I don't think I'll ever see something like this in Hong Kong...

Anyway, back to the point, the Bible passage for the sermon that week is identical with the one I heard the next week after I came back to Hong Kong. I think it must a reminder from God...

John.5
[1] After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
[2] Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Hebrew called Beth-za'tha, which has five porticoes.
[3] In these lay a multitude of invalids, blind, lame, paralyzed.
[5] One man was there, who had been ill for thirty-eight years.
[6] When Jesus saw him and knew that he had been lying there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be healed?"
[7] The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is troubled, and while I am going another steps down before me."
[8] Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your pallet, and walk."
[9] And at once the man was healed, and he took up his pallet and walked. Now that day was the sabbath.
[10] So the Jews said to the man who was cured, "It is the sabbath, it is not lawful for you to carry your pallet."
[11] But he answered them, "The man who healed me said to me, `Take up your pallet, and walk.'"
[12] They asked him, "Who is the man who said to you, `Take up your pallet, and walk'?"
[13] Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place.
[14] Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse befall you."
[15] The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.

Here's the summary of the message from the church in Melbourne.



Most of the time we don't want to get well. The paralysed guy had been lying there for years, presumably got his money from begging/charity/family. No need to work, a bit inconvenienced. It may be difficult for us to imagine him not wanting to get well.

However, that's what we're doing (pr what I'm doing). I have to say most of the time I don't want to "get well". I just wanted to maintain the status quo.

"Yeah, my spiritual life is bad, but am I praying really hard/reading the Bible a lot to make it better? No!" "Yeah, it's bad to be addicted to TV, but do I wanna quit? Hmm..." "I know it's bad to just want to get more money. Hey, the stock market just dropped again!!! What??!!"

How can I make myself want to get healed??