Devotion
Close to healing, still stuck
“By the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem there is a pool, called Bethesda in Aramaic, which has five colonnades. Within these lay a large number of the disabled, blind, lame, and paralyzed. - John 5:2-3 (CSB)”
Before John tells us anything about the man Jesus heals, he shows us the crowd. A pool with five covered porches, packed with people who could not see, could not walk, could not move. All of them close to the water. All of them still waiting.
People came to Bethesda because they believed something might happen there. It was the closest thing to hope they had. But proximity was not the same as healing. You could lie there for years, near the water, surrounded by other people who were also near the water, and nothing would change. Sunday's message named the uncomfortable part: this can be a picture of church. It is possible to sit near spiritual things, sing the songs, know the people, and still be carrying the same wound you walked in with five years ago.
Practice
Be honest with yourself today about the difference between being near God and being healed by Him. Nearness is comfortable. It asks nothing of you. Healing asks you to name what hurts. Take one minute today and finish this sentence out loud: "The thing I keep bringing to church and never bringing to Jesus is..."
Prayer
Father, I have been close to You without being honest with You. I have sat near Your presence and kept my wound to myself. Today I want more than nearness. Give me the courage to bring the real thing to You. Amen.
This Week’s Message
This devotion follows along with this week’s message.