Reflection on the Gospel of the Tuesday In The Fourth Week Of Lent |
John 5: 1-16 |
Wait not, but act in faith and walk with your head high and gaze fixed on Jesus.
Do you want to be healed? This is the question Jesus poses to the Paralysed man. Jesus was present at the Pool of Bethsaida. There were many people who had come for healing. Some were blind, others lame and some were paralyzed. All of them had their eyes fixed on the pool to wait for it to be disturbed so that they could enter it first and be healed. Wait! no, you are wrong, they all are not blind only some of them are. Others can see Jesus. But wait a minute, are we in a position to judge them? It troubles you because they have Jesus in their midst whose word alone can heal them yet their gaze was fixed on the pool. My dear family in Christ, how many times have we been in the same positions as the crowd in the Gospel od today? How many of us right know feel that our life can be better than what it is today if only we had that job or that car or that house or if she/he was my life partner or if I was taller, sharper, more good looking, more talented etc, etc, etc. Are we forgetting that with Jesus in our life, we already are living a life that is in abundance. Are you big enough to contain Jesus in your life? Yet we are not content. But the Lord does not give up on us. He is standing next to you and asking you the same question,”Do you want to be healed?”
All we have to do is stop complaining about the ifs and buts and simply in faith doing what the Lord says. First Stand up in faith, take command over the situation and take up your mat of fear, doubt and worries and now Walk in the way of the Lord, leading others to Jesus through your example. Never forget the warning of the Lord given to the man after he is healed, “DO NOT SIN ANY MORE SO THAT NOTHING WORSE HAPPENS TO YOU.” What can be worse than being a paralysed for 38 year? Losing his soul forever as wages of sin. There will be Jews in our lives in the form of our family, friends and colleagues who will question us on the choices we make as Christians for our lives. They will fail to understand your desire to be a servant and serve on the Sabbath. Instead they will discourage you to even proclaim the Lord and share your testimony with others so that in turn they too may be blessed and serve the true living God, Our Lord Jesus.
Jesus our Lord, thank you for your healing. May with your grace we sin no more and be a witness to your love and mercy. Amen
