Rise and shine
And give God the glory, glory
Rise and shine
And give God the glory, glory
Rise and shine
And give God the glory, glory
Children of the Lord.
This is the chorus of a catchy song I learnt in Sunday School. The lyrics have an engaging repetitive style narrating the story of Noah’s Ark and emphasizing faith, obedience and God’s protection.
The words, “rise and shine” continue to speak to us and remind us that when a child of God rises in obedience to God’s Word, his/her face will shine and ultimately God will be glorified.
I am reminded of the story of the invalid man from Gospel of John, chapter 5 and verses 1 through 15 who was healed by the pool of Bethsaida.
It is not uncommon for us to hear of hospitals named ‘Bethsaida” or “Bethesda” – all variants of name that remind us of the healing that took place in Jesus’ time by the pool of Bethsaida.
Of the innumerable miracles performed by Jesus, the Gospels record 35-40 of them, where people traveled great distances to come to Jesus to receive a miraculous healing.
One such incident that took place in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate at the pool of Bethsaida with five roofed colonnades which was a resting place for a multitude of invalids – blind, lame, and paralyzed. And it was here that the man, an invalid for 38 long years, lay.
Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem for a religious feast when He passed by the pool and saw this man. Jesus did not ignore the needs of others even amidst his regular pre-scheduled programs. A good lesson for us on how to respond to unexpected people with needs who may pop up unannounced amidst our pre-planned schedules.
Although the exact description of his illness is unclear, it is quite likely that this man suffered a paralytic disorder. That is why we notice this poor man sitting or lying by the pool, anxiously waiting with several others for the slightest movement in the water. All of them believed that whoever entered the pool first, soon after the water was stirred, would be healed of their infirmity. This was the faith of these sick people.
The invalid man’s illness didn’t permit him to get into the water – when he saw it was stirred. He longed for someone to have mercy upon him, lift and carry him into the water before anyone else could get in. Remember, this man had been patiently watching, struggling and failing each time awaiting his chance by the pool for 38 long years – in fact, even before Jesus was born on this earth.
It is to him that Jesus directs a question, “Do you want to be healed?” Instead of answering, “YES” or “NO”, the man immediately starts blaming and grumbling that other unwell people always went ahead of him into the water, as soon as the water was stirred and got healed, depriving him of the opportunity.
Apparently, he was too comfortable where he was, doing what he was doing and blaming others for what he could not do! All that Jesus wanted to hear him say was, YES! I WANT TO BE HEALED! Instead, he was complaining about his situation, blinded by his circumstances.
Since, it was always the first ones to enter the pool that got healed, this invalid and others like him failed to understand that BETHSAIDA means “a house of abundant grace or mercy” – that all who come to Jesus and experience His touch or say YES, LORD will receive healing. This healing was not reserved for the first comers.
The invalid man did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah. Had he recognized Him, he would have said “Yes Lord, I want to be healed”. But Jesus “saw” the man and “knew” he had been there for a long time. All that Jesus wanted was for this man to reply to His question and say, “Yes, Lord I want to become whole” by confessing his need for healing. We must never forget that Jesus sees our every need and knows our every situation, yet He longs to hear us speak to Him.
This man did not make such a confession as he failed to recognize Jesus as the True Healer. A good reminder for us – for a change in our attitude, we need to see Jesus as He is!
Why did Jesus ask this question, “Do you wish (desire) to become whole?” One reason could be to shake the man out of his complacency and despondency and create hope that he could be cured.
Usually, it is the sick who ask for healing, but here Jesus is the One asking if this man wants to be cured. That question by Jesus was probably the last ray of hope and faith that was raised in this man in 38 years who was otherwise drowning in the sea of despair and hopelessness. He was waiting to earn the sympathy of others as he recalled selfish people rushing into the pool pushing aside the helpless ones. The question that Jesus asked the man by the pool is one He also asks us: “Do you want to be made well?”
In answer to that question, the man probably expected Jesus to put him into the pool, because he saw healing in the ‘pool’ and not in Jesus! All the 38 years, this man, laying by the poolside had only been seen healing taking place in those who went into the pool and thus to him, the pool became the healing source than the Healer Himself!
Often, don’t we also expect healing / answers from Jesus exactly the way it happened in the past or the way it happened to someone else? But Jesus does His work His way, often uniquely each time.
Suddenly we hear Jesus tell this man, ‘Stand up, take your mat and walk.’ The man obeyed and we read that at once the man was made well and began to walk! This happened when the man obeyed and rose to his feet. Instant obedience brought instant healing. When Jesus speaks, diseased muscles and limbs immediately obey.
We are exhorted that our role is to simply rise at one word from Jesus and accept healing. Deep faith was ignited in him on hearing the voice of Jesus ‘to rise’ which, in other words meant, “Don’t lay down on the ground like an invalid any longer.” Although not confident, this man rose up as a sign of his faith. When Jesus told the invalid to take up his bed /mattress and walk – he did not retaliate saying that he did not wish to once again carry a token of his ill and immobile life of 38 years. This man simply believed and obeyed Jesus.
If the man had recognized Jesus, He would have given him all the glory and honor. The man does not know where his healing came from, as Jesus withdrew into the crowd and disappeared from the man’s sight (vs. 12 and 13).
We see that Jesus sought the man (vs. 14) out as He did not want the healed man to remain ignorant of the source of his healing. Jesus finds him in the temple. This is probably the very first time the healed man has stepped into a place of worship to give thanks to God! This man’s transformation is evident in his grateful response. True transformation!
This healed man started sharing with others, he told the Jews, ‘Jesus made me whole’ (v.15). When he saw Jesus for who He was, he shared the joyous news with others – bringing light and hope into other lives; ultimately he gave all credit and glory to Jesus for the miraculous healing. True transformation seeks to bring God all the glory to due to His name.
“Arise, shine! For your light has come; the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” Isaiah 60:1-2
To have the Glory of the Lord arise upon us means to be covered with His anointing; to be so full of His presence and power that it will be manifested in our life in tangible ways, empowering us to be more effective as we serve Him. We become more sensitive and tuned to His still small voice, causing us to have the boldness and unction to lay hands and pray for the sick. Our minds are transformed to put on the nature of Christ and fully realize our authority in Jesus.
“Glorifying God” is about shifting attention from us and drawing the attention of others to His greatness and goodness.
God is glorified when we are healed! He is magnified, exalted and praised. Yes, we go through the pain and agony of enduring discomfort and often distress during the process. But we must remember that when we are healed, God’s dignity and worth is visible, acknowledged and praised even through our pain. This is precisely what happened as people got healed throughout the ministry of Jesus.
Yes, Jesus could have prevented the individual from going through the pain of the illness but in Luke 13:10-13, we read of a woman who had been bent over for eighteen years by a spirit of infirmity and could not stand straight. She was healed as Jesus laid hands on her and she glorified God. The leper who was healed came back with a loud voice to glorify God (Luke 17:15) and Jesus’ hearing about Lazarus in John 11:4 said, “This sickness will not end in death; on the contrary it is for the glory and honor of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.” God is glorified when we are healed.
Mountaineers can easily save time and energy if they use a helicopter to reach the summit. However, their ultimate purpose is conquest and not mere efficiency. Flying a helicopter will take them to the top of the mountain but will not build in them strength, endurance, flexibility, character and resilience that comes from physically climbing the mountain through much discipline and patience.
God can easily create a mountaineer, but He doesn’t. He creates children who are trained to become one over a long process. They learn to excel by handling failure, hardship and pain. But the joy and thrill that comes from conquering and climbing the mountain top is irreplaceable.
Similarly, God uses sickness and suffering to display His work in us. This is highlighted in Jesus’ response to His disciples in John 9, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned”. Jesus wanted His disciples to shift their thinking from the cause of the man’s disability to the purpose of the disability. Jesus answered, “This happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.”
“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever” Hebrews 13:8 reminds us that while on earth, Jesus went abou t healing the multitudes. He is willing and ready to heal today with the same power and result so that God can always be glorified.
