Waiting for Jesus by Adam Navis

Waiting for Jesus January 31, 2019 Read: John 5:1-17 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” (v. 6) You can learn a lot about a person if you watch their reaction when technology fails. Imagine that your Internet stops working, your lawnmower sputters to a stop, your smartphone crashes, or your car won’t start in the morning. How long does it take for you to feel frustrated, helpless, or angry? A couple of minutes? Two seconds? The man in today’s Scripture has been looking for help for 38 years. Thirty-eight years of wanting and wishing. Thirty-eight years of hoping and imagining a different future. Thirty-eight years of frustration, helplessness, and anger. So when Jesus sees him, he can tell this man has been waiting for a long time, because waiting has come to define this man’s life. He’s so obsessed with getting into the pool that he doesn’t really live. He doesn’t even see the man, Jesus, standing before him. This is what makes Jesus’ question more than rhetorical, because Jesus really wants to know, “Do you want this thing you’ve been seeking? Or do you want to be healed?” How long have you been waiting? Have you become too focused on whatever you believe will make your life better that you can’t see the Savior standing right beside you, offering maybe not what you want but exactly what you need? —Adam Navis As you pray, ask God to open your eyes to the reality that in a short time, or a long time, Jesus can heal us.