13
SOMETIMES HEALING IS A CHOICE
John 5:1-18
Rev. Paul Wrightman 11/3/24
FIRST OFF, A CRUCIAL CLARIFICATION
NEEDS TO BE MADE
REGARDING TODAY'S SCRIPTURE TEXT
AND JOHN'S USE OF THE TERM "JEWS."
THE GOSPEL OF JOHN
WAS WRITTEN DURING A TIME
OF ACTIVE HOSTILITY BETWEEN
THE SYNAGOGUE AND THE EARLY CHURCH.
AT TIMES -- GIVEN HIS ANTAGONISM
TOWARD THOSE WHO REFUSE
TO ACCEPT JESUS AS MESSIAH --
IT SEEMS AS IF JOHN HAS FORGOTTEN THE FACT
THAT JESUS HIMSELF WAS JEWISH,
AND THAT HE HAD NO INTENTION
OF STARTING A NEW RELIGION,
BUT SIMPLY WANTED TO REFORM AN OLD ONE.
BASICALLY, JOHN IS RAILING AGAINST
THOSE IN THE JEWISH RELIGIOUS ESTABLISHMENT
OF THE TIME WHO REJECTED JESUS.
GIVEN THE FACT THAT THE GOSPEL OF JOHN
HAS ALL-TOO-OFTEN BEEN USED
BY THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
AS A MEANS OF PROMOTING ANTI-SEMITISM,
I BELIEVE THAT CONTEMPORARY TRANSLATIONS
OF THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES
HAVE A MORAL OBLIGATION
TO STOP USING THE WORD "JEWS"
IN THIS GENERAL PERJORATIVE WAY,
AND TO USE SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF
"HOSTILE JEWISH RELIGIOUS LEADERS" INSTEAD.
THIS IS A MATTER OF NO SMALL IMPORTANCE
SINCE MANY JEWISH LIVES HAVE BEEN TAKEN
AS A RESULT OF CHRISTIAN ANTI-SEMITISM,
ANTI-SEMITISM WHICH HAS OFTEN BEEN
BIBLICALLY PROOF-TEXTED
BY REFERENCE TO SCRIPTURES LIKE
THE ONE WE ARE CONSIDERING TODAY.
HOW ONE CHOOSES TO TRANSLATE
CAN SOMETIMES BE A LIFE-OR-DEATH MATTER,
AND I CONSIDER THE NRSV,
THE NEW REVISED STANDARD VERSION,
WHICH WE USE IN OUR BULLETIN,
AND WHICH IS CONSIDERED TO BE
THE "BEST" TRANSLATION
FOR PURPOSES OF SCHOLARSHIP,
TO BE GREALY LACKING IN THIS REGARD.
BY THE TIME THAT THE GOSPEL OF JOHN
WAS EDITED INTO ITS FINAL FORM,
THE CITY OF JERUSALEM
HAD LONG-SINCE BEEN DESTROYED
BY THE ROMANS.
JOHN IS REMEMBERING
THE PARTICULAR LOCATION
WHERE THIS HEALING MIRACLE TOOK PLACE.
AS USUAL, JOHN IS PROBABLY HIDDEN
SOMEWHERE IN THE BACKGROUND OF THIS SCENE,
HAVING SITUATED HIMSELF
IN A STRATEGIC SPOT SO AS TO BE ABLE
TO OVERHEAR JESUS' CONVERSATION
WITH THE PARALYZED MAN IN TODAY'S STORY.
INTERESTINGLY, ARCHAEOLOGISTS
HAVE UNEARTHED THIS VERY PLACE
IN JERUSALEM, THUS LENDING WEIGHT
TO THE EYEWITNESS NATURE OF THE ACCOUNT.
THIS MORNING'S SCRIPTURE
HAS ENOUGH SUBSTANCE IN IT
TO INSPIRE SEVERAL SERMONS.
WE COULD LOOK AT WHY JESUS
WAS SO ADAMANT ABOUT BREAKING
THE LAW AGAINST HEALING ON THE SABBATH.
A CLOSE LOOK AT VERSE 17,
"MY FATHER IS STILL WORKING,
AND I ALSO AM WORKING…"
WOULD BE A SERMON IN ITSELF.
BUT INSTEAD OF GETTING THEOLOGICAL
THIS MORNING,
I WOULD LIKE TO GET PERSONAL,
AND TAKE A GOOD LOOK
AT HOW JESUS CONNECTS WITH
THE BROKEN PERSON WHOM HE HEALS.
WHAT FASCINATES ME MOST ABOUT OUR TEXT
IS THAT IN IT JESUS TAKES THE INITIATIVE
WITH THE PERSON IN NEED OF HEALING
NOT JUST ONCE, BUT TWICE.
TODAY'S SCRIPTURE GIVES US NO INDICATION
WHY JESUS WAS IN THIS PARTICULAR PLACE
AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME,
BUT WE KNOW FROM ALL FOUR GOSPELS
THAT THE MOST LIKELY PLACE TO FIND JESUS
WAS WHERE THERE WERE
PEOPLE WHO WERE HURTING.
PICTURE IN YOUR MIND'S EYE
JESUS WALKING RIGHT UP
TO THE PERSON IN THIS PLACE
OF BOTH HOPE AND DESPERATION
WHO HAD BEEN THERE THE LONGEST --
SOME THIRTY-EIGHT YEARS --
AND ASKING HIM POINT-BLANK
"DO YOU WANT TO BE MADE WELL?",
OR BETTER,
"ARE YOU WILLING TO BECOME HEALTHY?"
MANY OF US -- FROM OUR OWN EXPERIENCE
WITH PROLONGED ILLNESS --
RECOGNIZE THIS AS THE PROFOUND QUESTION
WHICH IT IS.
IRONICALLY, IT IS EASY TO BECOME
SO COMFORTABLE WITH THE ROUTINES
AND RITUALS CONNECTED WITH OUR ILLNESS
THAT WE DON'T WANT TO BE MADE WELL.
BEING WELL, BECOMING HEALTHY,
WOULD FORCE US INTO NEW,
UNCHARTED TERRITORY,
TERRITORY THAT VERY LIKELY
WOULD CHALLENGE US
TO BECOME ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN LIFE,
INSTEAD OF LIFE'S PASSSIVE VICTIMS.
IT'S SIGNIFICANT THAT WHEN JESUS ASKS
THE PARALYZED MAN
IF HE WANTS TO BE MADE WELL,
IF HE IS WILLING TO BECOME HEALTHY,
THE GUY IMMEDIATELY REPLIES
WITH WHAT APPEARS TO BE
A WELL-REHEARSED WHINE:
"SIR, I HAVE NO ONE TO PUT ME INTO THE POOL
WHEN THE WATER IS STIRRED UP;
AND WHILE I AM MAKING MY WAY,
SOMEONE ELSE STEPS DOWN AHEAD OF ME."
HAVE YOU EVER SOUNDED LIKE THAT?
I KNOW I HAVE.
OBVIOUSLY NOT THE SAME EXACT WORDS,
BUT NONETHELESS THE SAME ATTITUDE
OF BEING A VICTIM AND FEELING HOPELESS.
OR I SOMETIMES SAY SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT
THAT "I'M NOT READY YET,"
AND WHEN SOMEONE ASKS ME
WHAT IT WOULD TAKE FOR ME TO GET READY,
I OFFER A MILE-LONG LIST OF EXCUSES.
I FIND IT ALMOST HUMOROUS
THAT JESUS TOTALLY IGNORES
THIS GUY'S COMPLAINING.
INSTEAD, HE ISSUES A CHALLENGE --
"STAND UP, TAKE YOUR MAT, AND WALK" --
WHICH REQUIRES THE PERSON'S
ACTIVE PARTICIPATION AND CO-OPERATION.
THE GUY'S HEALING
TAKES PLACE SIMULTANEOUSLY
WITH HIS SUMMONING THE FAITH AND COURAGE
TO ACTUALLY MAKE THE ATTEMPT TO STAND.
AS WITH THE GREAT MAJORITY
OF JESUS' HEALINGS IN THE GOSPELS,
JESUS TAKES THE MUSTARD-SEED OF FAITH
ON THE PART OF THE PERSON TO BE HEALED
AND MULTIPLIES THAT TO THE POINT
OF HEALTH AND WHOLENESS.
THIS PERSON'S HEALTH HAS BEEN RESTORED,
BUT APPARENTLY NOT HIS WHOLENESS.
WE KNOW THIS BECAUSE
JESUS TAKES THE INITIATIVE A SECOND TIME,
AND SEEKS HIM OUT IN THE TEMPLE.
THERE JESUS ADDS A SPIRITUAL DIMENSION
TO THE MAN'S HEALING
BY WARNING HIM AGAINST FURTHER SINNING.
THE WORD FOR SIN WHICH JESUS USES
IS A TERM TAKEN FROM THE WORLD OF ARCHERY
AND LITERALLY MEANS "TO MISS THE MARK,"
TO MISS THE MARK ON THE TARGET
THAT ONE IS AIMING TO HIT.
IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS MAN'S HEALING,
JESUS IS ADMONISHING HIM
TO STOP MISSING THE POINT OF HIS LIFE,
WHICH HE HAS APPARENTLY DONE
BY PLAYING THE ROLE OF THE VICTIM.
IF IT WAS BAD TO PLAY THE VICTIM
IN THE MIDST OF ONE'S ILLNESS,
HOW MUCH WORSE WOULD IT BE
TO CONTINUE TO PLAY THE ROLE OF THE VICTIM
IN THE MIDST OF ONE'S HEALTH?!
IT WOULD BE LIKE
SOMEONE FINALLY GETTING UP
FROM THEIR SICKBED,
LEAVING THEIR ILLNESS BEHIND,
BUT BRINGING WITH THEM
THE SAME OLD COMPLAINING,
THE SAME OLD DEMANDING ATTITUDE
THAT THEY HAD WHILE THEY WERE ILL.
THEY MAY BE WELL, BUT THEY ARE NOT WHOLE.
JESUS WANTS NOT JUST WELLNESS FOR US,
BUT WHOLENESS TOO.
WHAT AMAZES ME ABOUT THIS STORY
IS THE IN-DEPTH KNOWLEDGE
THAT JESUS HAS OF HEALING
AS A MULTI-DIMENSIONAL PROCESS.
HE KNOWS THAT PHYSICAL HEALING
IS IMPORTANT, BUT NOT ENOUGH.
HE KNOWS THAT THIS PERSON
ALSO NEEDS SPIRITUAL HEALING.
THAT'S WHY JESUS SERARCHES HIM OUT
IN THE TEMPLE.
AND WE KNOW THAT THE MAN IS, INDEED,
HEALED, BOTH PHYSICALLY AND SPIRITUALLY,
BECAUSE LATER ON IN THE STORY
WE FIND THIS PERSON SEEKING OUT
THE HOSTILE RELIGIOUS AUTHORITIES
AND PROCLAIMING TO THEM
(THE "TOLD" IN VERSE 15 OF THE NRSV
IS FAR TOO WEAK)
THAT IT WAS JESUS WHO HAD HEALED HIM.
I STAND IN AMAZEMENT AT HOW WELL JESUS
KNOWS THE MAN IN THIS HEALING STORY,
AND I STAND AMAZED AT HOW WELL JESUS KNOWS
YOU AND ME, OFTEN IN SPITE OF
THE MASKS THAT WE WEAR,
AND THE HIDING FROM HIM
THAT WE TRY TO ACCOMPLISH.
IN HER BOOK MY GRANDFATHER'S BLESSINGS,
DR. RACHEL NAOMI REMEN TELLS
THE FOLLOWING AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL STORY.
SHE WRITES:
"ALMOST FIFTY-EIGHT YEARS AGO,
I ATTENDED PRESCHOOL IN THE LITTLE PARK
AROUND THE CORNER FROM OUR APARTMENT
IN UPPER MANHATTAN.
AS THE SHY AND TIMID ONLY CHILD
OF OLDER PARENTS
IT HAD TAKEN ME A LONG TIME TO FEEL SAFE
IN THE COMPANY OF OTHER CHILDREN,
AND MY MOTHER OR MY NANA
OFTEN SAT ON A BENCH WITHIN EYESIGHT
TO GIVE ME THE COURAGE
TO REMAIN IN THE GROUP.
EVENTUALLY I WAS ABLE TO STAY THERE ALONE.
ONE DAY CLOSE TO HALLOWEEN,
MY NANA LEFT ME AT THE PARK,
AND I SPENT THE MORNING
WITH THE OTHER FOUR-YEAR-OLDS
MAKING MASKS.
CLOSE TO NOON THE TEACHERS THREADED STRING
THROUGH OUR CREATIONS
AND HELPED US TO PUT THEM ON.
I HAD NEVER WORN A MASK
AND I WAS ENTRANCED.
ABOUT THIS TIME MOTHERS BEGAN ARRIVING
TO PICK UP THEIR CHILDREN,
AND AS SOON AS I SAW
MY OWN MOTHER WALKING TOWARD THE CLASS
I STOOD AND WAVED TO HER.
SHE DID NOT RESPOND IN ANY WAY.
SHE STOPPED JUST INSIDE THE DOOR,
HER EYES SEARCHING THE ROOM.
SUDDENLY I REALIZED
THAT SHE DID NOT KNOW WHO I WAS
AND I BEGAN TO CRY, TERRIFIED.
ALL HER EFFORTS TO SOOTHE ME
AND EXPLAIN WHY SHE HAD NOT RECOGNIZED ME
FAILED TO COMFORT ME.
I SIMPLY COULD NOT UNDERSTAND
WHY SHE HAD NOT KNOWN ME.
I KNEW WHO I WAS WITH MY MASK ON.
WHY DIDN'T SHE?" (My Grandfather's Blessings, 146)
THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT EVEN IF OTHER PEOPLE
DON'T RECOGNIZE US WITH OUR MASKS ON,
JESUS DOES.
JUST AS HE SAW THROUGH THE MASK
OF THE PARALYZED MAN'S
ATTITUDE OF HELPLESSNESS AND VICTIMIZATION,
JESUS SEES THROUGH OUR MASKS AS WELL,
WHETHER THEY BE MASKS OF BAD ATTITUDES,
OR MASKS OF RESENTMENT, ANGER,
EXCUSES, FEAR, OR ADDICTION.
THE BEAUTIFUL THING
IS THAT JESUS WANTS TO HEAL US TOO.
AND HE WANTS TO HEAL US
NOT ONLY IN SPITE OF OUR MASKS,
BUT BECAUSE OF OUR MASKS.
THE MASKS THAT WE WEAR
KEEP US SEPARATED FROM OUR DEEPEST SELVES,
FROM THOSE WHOM WE LOVE, AND FROM GOD.
JESUS WANTS TO FIND US
AND HEAL US FROM THE INSIDE OUT,
SO THAT OUR MASKS FALL OFF
AND WE ARE LEFT FACE-TO-FACE
WITH OTHERS AND WITH GOD
IN HEALTHY AND CREATIVE RELATIONSHIPS.
LIKE MANY OF US, HENRI NOUWEN
ONE OF THE MAJOR WRITERS
ON THE TOPIC OF SPIRITUALITY,
SPENT MOST OF HIS LIFE THINKING
THAT IT WAS HIS TASK TO FIND GOD.
LET'S LISTEN TO NOUWEN'S OWN WORDS.
HE WRITES IN THE RETURN OF THE PRODIGAL SON:
"FOR MOST OF MY LIFE I HAVE STRUGGLED
TO FIND GOD, TO KNOW GOD, TO LOVE GOD.
I HAVE TRIED HARD TO FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES
OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE --
PRAY ALWAYS, WORK FOR OTHERS,
READ THE SCRIPTURES --
AND TO AVOID THE MANY TEMPTATIONS
TO DISSIPATE MYSELF.
I HAVE FAILED MANY TIMES
BUT ALWAYS TRIED AGAIN,
EVEN WHEN I WAS CLOSE TO DESPAIR.
NOW I WONDER
WHETHER I HAVE SUFFICIENTLY REALIZED
THAT DURING ALL THIS TIME
GOD HAS BEEN TRYING TO FIND ME,
TO KNOW ME, TO LOVE ME.
THE QUESTION IS NOT "HOW AM I TO FIND GOD?"
BUT
"HOW AM I TO LET MYSELF BE FOUND BY [GOD]?"
THE QUESTION IS NOT "HOW AM I TO KNOW GOD?"
BUT
"HOW AM I TO LET MYSELF BE KNOWN BY GOD?"
AND, FINALLY, THE QUESTION IS NOT
"HOW AM I TO LOVE GOD?"
BUT
"HOW AM I TO LET MYSELF BE LOVED BY GOD?"
GOD IS LOOKING INTO THE DISTANCE FOR ME,
TRYING TO FIND ME,
AND LONGING TO BRING ME HOME.
IN ALL THREE PARABLES IN LUKE CHAPTER 15
WHICH JESUS TELLS IN RESPONSE
TO THE QUESTION OF WHY HE EATS WITH SINNERS,
HE PUTS THE EMPHASIS ON GOD'S INITIATIVE.
GOD IS THE SHEPHERD
WHO GOES LOOKING FOR HIS LOST SHEEP.
GOD IS THE WOMAN WHO LIGHTS A LAMP,
SWEEPS OUT THE HOUSE,
AND SEACHES EVERYWHERE FOR HER LOST COIN
UNTIL SHE HAS FOUND IT.
GOD IS THE FATHER
WHO WATCHES AND WAITS FOR HIS CHILDREN,
RUNS OUT TO MEET THEM,
EMBRACES THEM, PLEADS WITH THEM,
BEGS AND URGES THEM TO COME HOME…
GOD IS NOT THE PATRIARCH WHO STAYS HOME,
DOESN'T MOVE,
AND EXPECTS HIS CHILDREN TO COME TO HIM,
APOLOGIZE FOR THEIR ABERRENT BEHAVIOR,
BEG FOR FORGIVENESS,
AND PROMISE TO DO BETTER.
TO THE CONTRARY, HE LEAVES THE HOUSE,
IGNORING HIS DIGNITY BY RUNNING TOWARD THEM,
PAYS NO HEED TO APOLOGIES
AND PROMISES OF CHANGE,
AND BRINGS THEM TO THE TABLE
RICHLY PREPARED FOR THEM."
JUST AS JESUS SOUGHT OUT THE PARALYZED MAN
IN TODAY'S STORY OF HEALING AND WHOLENESS,
JESUS COMES LOOKING FOR EACH OF US --
NOT TO FIND US OUT, NOT TO JUDGE US,
BUT TO HEAL US AND MAKE US WHOLE,
TO INVITE US HOME.
MANY PEOPLE HAVE QUESTIONS
ABOUT WHO JESUS REALLY IS.
THEY HAVE TROUBLE
WITH THEOLOGICAL ABSTRACTIONS
AND LABELS SUCH AS "SON OF GOD"
"TRUE GOD AND TRUE MAN,"
OR "SECOND PERSON OF THE TRINITY."
A SIMPLE BUT NEVERTHELESS PROFOUND WAY
OF UNDERSTANDING JESUS
IS SIMPLY TO SEE HIM
AS THE EMBODIMENT OF GOD'S LOVE,
GOD'S LOVE MADE VISIBLE AND TANGIBLE.
WHAT WOULD GOD LOOK AND ACT LIKE
IF GOD WERE TO ASSUME HUMAN FORM?
GOD WOULD LOOK AND ACT LIKE JESUS!
AMEN.