Breakfast With the Word Monday 4th Week of Lent
Do We Really Want to be made Well?
John 5:1-3,5-16
Have we for one day ask ourselves this question? Can we ask ourselves for one day whether we really want God to make us well? Do we really want to be made well? Do you want Jesus to touch your lives?
We do come in the presence of God, seeking for His mercy and forgiveness, seeking for breakthrough, healing, and salvation. Though we need God to touch lives, sometimes we also find it so hard to have faith in God to do things we seek for. Sometimes even we find it reluctant to pray, to have a constant communion with God.
Many times we feel so weak when the things of God are mentioned. It looks as if we seek God, yet we are not ready for Him. Therefore, there comes the question “are we really ready for God?
The Gospel
There was a Jewish festival, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now at the Sheep Pool in Jerusalem there is a building, called Bethzatha in Hebrew, consisting of five porticos; and under these were crowds of sick people – blind, lame, paralysed – waiting for the water to move.
One man there had an illness which had lasted thirty-eight years, and when Jesus saw him lying there and knew he had been in this condition for a long time, he said, ‘Do you want to be well again?’ Therefore, do we really want to be able?
The sick man replied ‘I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is disturbed; and while I am still on the way, someone else gets there before me.’ Jesus said, ‘Get up, pick up your sleeping-mat and walk.’ The man was cured at once, and he picked up his mat and walked away.
The Significance
Many of us today are passing through challenges and problems. When we undergo some certain challenges, we assume that it may be the anger of God. Some of us attribute it to the mistakes of our past? while others attribute their problems to a family curse or something. Despite whatever the situation or the source of the situation is, the question is ” do we really want to be made well?
This is the question Jesus asked the blind man He met today at the pool of Beth-zatha in today’s gospel.
When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there for a long time, He said to him, ” Do you want to be made well?”
Instead of simply answering “yes”, he began a discussion, telling Jesus how he expected to be cured by the waters of the pool. But Jesus simple response to the discussion is “ take up your sleeping mat and go home”.
From this gospel, we can observe that Jesus was the one who saw that he has been there for a long time,
He has been sick for more than thirty-eight years.
He pitied His condition and told him “Get up, pick up your sleeping-mat and walk.’ The man was cured at once, and he picked up his mat and walked away.
The one thing that cured the man today is His willingness to be at the pool for a long time believing that one day that His time will come.
It is also the mercy of Jesus, who is always willing to save us. Therefore, the healing, saving and liberating power of Jesus is assured. Jesus cannot but have mercy always. Where the problem lies is on us.
Like this man, are we willing to stay strong in faith despite the seeming challenges?
This man today had challenges at the pool that prevented His healing. He would have left the pool since it was obvious there was no solution for Him, but he kept on staying and believing that His time has come. And he got what he wanted. So if we want to be made well again, we need to imitate this sick man. The day of our liberation may be bear .
We need to have a Discussion with the Lord
When Jesus asks Him Do you want to be made well? Instead of answering Jesus, he began to narrate His problem. I guess that he does not know that Jesus is the one. But he was willing to share his problem to others.
It often happens that the disturbances and problems we have can be better faced if we can also discuss them with the Lord and become more open to His advice.
Jesus is really interested in our welfare. His ways are always above our ways, His thoughts always above our thoughts.
To have faith in this interior conversation with Jesus is the secret of the inner life of the Spirit. Do we really want to be made well? Let the us engage in a discussion with the Lord through prayers and reparation.
So, Let every one take up his or her weapon of prayer and seek the face of God. Let the us seek the face of God for divine inspiration.
Do We really want to made Well
The problem is ‘ do we really want to be well? Let us ask ourselves “Is there any ‘blindness’ in me that I am addicted to or stuck in? What am I doing that still makes God angry? The blind man has been there for 38 years, certainly may be in a state of hopelessness.
What type of sin do we want to stop?
Have we lost hope already in God’s salvation? Jesus question is a call to look into ourselves, or have we lost hope? The question is also a call for spiritual conversion, a call to deliver us from the seemingly anger of God. A call to seek for divine intervention. But the question still do we really want to be made well? And what shows we are ready to be made well?
May God bless you dearest and give you the grace to overcome the challenges that have befallen the children of God. Amen.
Amen
Amen
Amen
Amen. Thank you Padre and may God continue to bless you 🙏.
Amen, Lord make me whole again
Amen
Thank you Fr.
Amen sd Amen, thank you fr.
Most merciful Lord, please forgive me for my sins. I desire to see them and to acknowledge the consequences they impose upon me. I know that You desire to free me from these burdens and to heal them at the source. Lord, give me courage to confess my sins to You, especially in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Amen. Please God help us
Amen
May God have mercy on us. Amen
Amen, Lord Jesus May ur Mercy set me free. Jesus, I Trust in You !
Amen
Amen
Amen! Thank you Father.
Amen. Jesus I thank you for your breakfast this morning. Lord, Help me to be ready for your divine touching in my life through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen.
Amen!
You are blessed Padre. Thank you 🙌
Amen thanks Padre
Amen
Heal me Lord Jesus Christ Amen
Certain pertinent questions called to my mind after the above exposé.
1) Is my life under the influence of the drug of the letter of the law, rather than under the sweet wine of the spirit of the law?
2)Have I fully trusted Jesus to help me overcome the illness, unforgiveness and bad habits that I have been wrestling with for so many years?
3) What is that “blindness” that impedes my notice of the presence of my Lord and Savior in my life and thus obstructs my free conversation with Him?
Lord Jesus, let Your river of grace heal me of the sin of rigidity to the law. Let me rise and walk again on the path of empathy, understanding, compassion and love. Help me so that I no longer commit the sin of spiritual lameness. Unforgiveness makes me lame, and prevents me from walking into God’s clean water of pardon and joy. Give healing of body, mind and spirit to my sick friends and family. Amen.
Praise be to Jesus!
Amen. Thank you Padre. Lord please grant me the grace to overcome the challenges in my life. Amen
Amen.
Amen and Amen. God please help us and make me well again. Heal me my physical and spiritual sickness IJN Amen
Amen
Amen. I wait on You Jesus
Amen
Amen! Lord I need your healing! Please also heal my family members of their illnesses. Amen
Amen. Lord let me never forget I have a God who can do all things. Amen.
Amen
Amennnnnnn
Amen Fr
Amen
Amen, remain blessed Fr.