S – One man was there who had been disabled for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and realized he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to get well?”
John 5:5–6 CSB
O – Commentary:
thirty-eight years The man’s age is unknown, but he had been sick for longer than many people lived in antiquity.
sickness The Greek term used here, astheneia, refers to any kind of debilitating condition. Since the man is unable to move into the pool on his own (v. 7), it’s assumed that he is either disabled or paralyzed.
Do you want to get well? was designed to focus the man’s attention on Him, to stimulate his will, and to raise his hopes. In the spiritual realm man’s great problem is that either he does not recognize he is sick (cf. Isa. 1:5–6; Luke 5:31) or he does not want to be cured. People are often happy, for a while at least, in their sins.
“John,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures
A – We are similar to the disabled man. We create routines and patterns in our lifetime that cause us to get stuck in our thinking and actions. Our relationship with Jesus causes our focus to shift from ourselves to Him. He will not force us to change. He asks – “Do you want to align with My character, thinking and actions?” The choice is ours.
R – Heavenly Father, thank you that you cause us to look at You alone. You are God and there is no other. Give us the courage to break from our routines and habits that draw us away from you. In You, there is the miraculous, peace and hope.
Just Add Water . Chris Bonham 