#bethzatha

(via Bowyer Bible John's Gospel: Healing at the Sheep Pool. John 5:2-8)

Bowyer Bible print 5362 From Jan Luyken: “De Schriftuurlyke Geschiedenissen en Gelykenissen, Van het nieuwe verbond” (“The Scriptural Stories and Parables of the New Testament”) 1712 Robert Bowyer (1758-1834) expanded his own copy of the Macklin Bible to 45 volumes after acquiring and inserting over 6200 different prints of Biblical events. The Bowyer Bible is now housed in Bolton Museums and…

Commentaire suivi de l'Evangile de Jean | Guérison à la piscine de Bethzatha (Jn 5,1-47)

Le signe du paralytique de Bethzatha ouvre un nouveau volet. Cet évènement se situe à nouveau à Jérusalem. L’évangéliste nous y amène, une seconde fois, à l’occasion d’une fête qu’il ne précise pas. Celle-ci insère pourtant le récit dans un contexte de célébration auquel, du fait de son infirmité, notre homme ne peut pleinement y participer. Continue reading

Beth-zatha Pool. John 5:1-9. One of these days.

Next Sunday, Easter 6C, I am doing a pulpit swap with a peer. She’ll be with the good people of Zion-Hickory, NC and I will be with the good people of Emmanuel-High Point, NC. This will be some seriously faithful fun. I am every bit as excited as I am anxious—good excitement and healthy anxiety. I am moving with my mat. And moving with my mat feels oh so very good!

Two gospel readings are…

5.04.2012

This Sunday I am preaching on the next part in our journey through the Gospel of John.  The text is 5:1-18, and Jesus’ healing of the lame man at the pool of Bethzatha.

I have some struggles with this passage.

First, Jesus walks into this area where there are hundreds of sick people.  But, this is the only guy that Jesus’ notices and heals.  Why?

I am bothered that the others didn’t get Jesus’ attention as this one man did.  Couldn’t he have just done a mass healing for all of them?  In fact, though Jesus healed hundreds and hundreds, maybe thousands upon thousands of people, there were many he didn’t heal.  I think about that.

Second, I can’t totally figure out Jesus’ question to the man.  “Do you want to get well?”  He’s been lying there for thirty-eight years.  What do you think?  Do you have to ask?

And then thirdly, I bristle when Jesus says to the man later, that he is to stop sinning or something worse may happen to him.  Was this man unable to walk because of something he did?  Isn’t this to lay a guilt-thing on him?  Is he subtly blaming him for his previous condition?

Scripture is not always easy to get.  Jesus mystifies me at time.  There is a lot I read in the Bible with which I wrestle and wonder.  And I can’t answer every question that is raised.

Another of those is any explanation for this man’s, or anyone else’s, condition.  Why do some people have this ailment or that ailment?  Why is life so hard for some?  Why do some have to bear what seems to be such unfair burdens?  Yes, we live in a fallen world, but not everyone suffers the same.

There is a lot that I don’t know.

Does this passage raise questions for you?