John 5:1-16
Not to age myself, but I remember back in 1970, there was a rather popular song performed by Simon and Garfunkel, entitled, "Bridge over Troubled Water." It was an emotionally charged song that praised the power of peace and tranquility. It comes to mind as I consider this next miracle that we find in the Gospel of John. We are told that Jesus came up to Jerusalem during one of the Jewish feasts, and went straight to the pool of Bethesda. Five porches were around this pool, and all for a purpose—shade and protection for those who gathered "for the moving of the water." (vs. 3b)
The moving? Yes, verse 4 reads, "For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had." Now, many assume that the angel is a messenger of God, and the healing that results is also of God. Where my question comes in is that it just doesn't sound like something God would do—forcing people to scramble to the pool, fighting and trampling others, in order to get there first! I mean, what happened to, "...many that are first shall be last..?" (Mt. 19:30) Also, the Scriptures usually refer to God's angelic messenger as the angel of the Lord, not just "an angel." And is troubling things
really God's way? In the original languages, this "troubling" refers to an agitation, a commotion, even tumult—the opposite is peace. I looked up many of the Bible's references to "trouble," and found every one of them to be negative. In Psalm 107, we begin to see the heart of Jesus—"Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and He bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still." (vss. 28-29) Remember?—when Jesus stilled the storm, He stretched out His arms over the waters and said, "Peace, be still." (Mark 4:39) God is about wholeness, reconciliation, and real peace. But don't forget, God also, "...cast(s) upon them the fierceness of His anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them." (Ps. 78:49) Yes, our God is in control—the battle belongs to Him alone, and He can even use troublesome and evil angels, AKA demons, for His purposes, if He wants to do so!
In our text, Jesus didn't even let it get to that point—He denounced the man's excuses, asked him if he really wanted to be made whole, thereby accepting the resultant responsibility to live for God, and, did the healing Himself. Later, finding the man in the temple, He warned him, "Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee." (John 5:14b) Do you really want Him to own your battles, take control, and rule your life? In this, Jesus is the REAL bridge over troubled water. Indwelt with His Spirit, we all can go and sin no more!
~ Rev. Roy D. Warren, Jr.
