Keeping Your Nose Clean

When Jesus healed someone, it was news. Word of what happened spread quickly and if He lingered, they would bring those who needed healing to Him in droves. He never disappointed. During His ministry, He healed over a period of three years, from the Galilean region to Philistia, both male and female and children, both Jew and Gentiles and from all levels of society. No challenge was too big, no plea was rejected, and no one was charged a single coin.

Of all the recorded healings, one in particular stands out as rather unusual. The Gospel of John records the event, what happened after the healing and the advice Jesus gave the healed man.

A man who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years was in Jerusalem by a pool of water called Bethesda. A large number of disabled lie near the pool. When the water in the pool is stirred up, people strive to get in the water to be healed. This man had tried, but never got into the pool when the water was stirred. Jesus came to Jerusalem and went to that very pool and encountered the man. Jesus asked the man a peculiar question. Jesus asked him, “Do you want to get well?”! The man explained his circumstances. The question to the reader is: How badly did the man wish to be healed? Did he have a genuine desire to be well? And how many people in church sit idly by Sunday after Sunday right next to the living waters and refuse to do anything about it, they refuse to obey?. Remember, Jesus did say, “Get in the water”.

“Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.” (John 5:8) Jesus found the man again in the Temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” (John 5:14) It appears what Jesus was saying indicated that the man’s former illness was indeed of sin and Jesus warns him “lest a worst thing happen” meant God could lodge much worse pain. This further showed Jesus knows the future. This was a great miracle. But the man needed an even greater miracle then a physical healing—he needed to have his sins forgiven, he needed to seek God’s forgiveness to be spiritually healed.

Did the man keep his nose clean? Who knows—we do know that he ran straight to the Jewish authorities and told them who healed him on the Sabbath! Was it an oversight or carelessness? You decide.