In John chapter 5, a certain man in Jerusalem came to the pool of Bethesda to be be healed of his infirmity at Solomon's Porch. It was customary for the Jews to come to this pool at the temple, to be healed:
"In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. 4 For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had."
I want to point out something:
This man had been regularly attending a body of still water, in a public place of worship, hoping to be healed. Yet, healing would only take place after the waters were stirred at a certain time by an angel. Since this man had no one to place him in the water at the precise moment, he did not receive healing for 38 years.
But something unexpected happened; someone greater than an angel came up to the man and asked him if he wanted to be healed. The man was completely healed.
The spiritual truths found in the book of John, are so rich. This particular story illustrates something that I want to share:
How often do multitudes of believers go to public places of worship, looking for healing where there is water, but find none, because the water is stagnant?
I share this illustration of the pool, because water in the scriptures is often symbolic of God's Word. For instance the Apostle Paul taught:
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word." (Ephesians 5:25-26)
Christ set the model for how husbands are to love their wives by spiritually cleansing them with the washing of water by the word. Another illustration of how the Word of God cleanses:
"You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you." (John 15:3)
Did you notice that Jesus cleansed His disciples by simply speaking the Word to them? When He speaks, the Holy Spirit stirs His words. And they produce spiritual cleansing. I find these beautiful illustrations of how the word of God is meant to be applied in a way that washes, cleanses, and sanctifies us from dust we pick-up in this world.
When Jesus taught the crowds in the temple he boldly declared:
“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes on Me, as the Scripture has said, OUT OF HIS HEART WILL FLOW RIVERS OF LIVING WATER.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing on Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:38)
Out of our Lord's heart flows rivers of living water. These are the waters that give abundant life to those whose hearts are sensitive enough to His spirit.
This flowing river of living water is what also restores the soul (psyche) and can even heal physical ailments. Our God is the God of cleansing. He is the God of Restoration. He is the God of Healing. He is God of peace. He is God who gives hope. Hallelujah!
I just noticed something: when Jesus healed this certain man waiting for the waters to be stirred, He did so on the Day of Rest, and He did so in front of the multitudes, which included the Pharisees, btw. If any group ought to have understood how the Word of God heals, it seems like it ought to have been these guys. After all, they studied the Tanakh more than anyone else. Yet for all their studying they didn't understand this important truth:
You cannot be cleansed, restored and healed without God's Word stirring in you.
When Jesus opened His mouth declaring God's Word, it was definitely stirring. It would cause the unclean spirits to tremble and flee. People who heard & received God's word flowing out of the Lord's heart, asking, seeking and grabbing hold of Him for healing--got what they came for.
If we are to respect the power and authority given to disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, we need His Word, to stir in us. We do this by constantly meditating upon it...
"Blessed is the one who...delights in the instruction of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers." (Psalm 1:1-3)
If water in the scriptures is symbolic of the word of God, then trees are symbolic of men & women.
There is something about believing on the Lord Jesus, that allows us 'trees' to drink from the rivers of living water. As we abide in the Lord Jesus via His word, it quenches our thirst, nourishes our spirit, shields our minds, and produces good fruits for others to see.
The Word of God can cleanse, restore, heal, and bring life, provided that it is stirred/moving by the Holy Spirit. If the Word is stagnant, or not stirred by the Holy Spirit, then it does not cleanse, restore, heal or give life. Jesus came to stir the Water of the Word, so that we might have life, and that we might have it more abundantly.
When the religious folks were upset at Jesus for healing this certain man at the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath, AND for proclaiming His relationship with the Father, He revealed the problem of their heart. Speaking of the Father's teaching, Jesus told them:
"You don't have the Father's word abiding in you, because you don't believe on Him whom He sent. 39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; yet these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life." (John 5: 38-40)
I believe Jesus illustrated a problem of what I loosely refer to as 'churchianity'. Getting together to discuss the Word of God is great, IF it's pointing us to Jesus as Lord, and not pointing us to personal experiences, tradition, piety, or how well we have performed at keeping the religious commandments.
So often, I see people who refer to themselves as 'Christians', yet they don't experience freedom from spiritual oppression, don't experience a renewed mind or physical healings. After we have turned towards God, our human nature wants to please God, instead of remembering that only Jesus is pleasing to God. I imagine the natural outcome of this would be feelings of separation, isolation, and loneliness. I offer then, that the cure to a lonely heart, is 'alone time' with our Lord Jesus. Intimacy with Him in the Word of God. What's more important?-- Community? or Communion?
Let us come to the Lord Jesus, commune with Him, and allow His spirit to stir the water. Let us drink from Him. After all He is the True Vine.
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