“Wilt Thou be Made Whole?”

I was reading the story of the sick man at the pool of Bethesda. You know the one where Jesus asks him if he wants to be healed? (John 5:5-9

⁵ And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

⁶ When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

⁷ The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

⁸ Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

⁹ And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked

Did you notice, he didn’t answer the question? Instead, he gave Jesus a long winded answer about why he was still there. Jesus had asked him a simple yes or no question, and was given an answer full of information that He already knew, information He didn’t need (“and knew that he had been a long time in that case.”)

Notice Jesus’ response, “Rise, take up they bed and walk”. The guy didn’t answer the question, but Jesus did, because he knew the answer before he had even asked it.

It made me wonder, how often does God ask us a question and we give him a long winded response full, of useless information, and He’s just shaking his head waiting for us to shut up, and allow him to come in to redeem the situation. He wants to heal us He wants us to live fully and not spend our lives waiting by a pool.