Sunday of the Paralytic

 John 5:1-15

Water is an important part of our journey to eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven.

From the moment of conception, water plays an important role in our growth and protection.  We are “viable” because we live within the water of a mother’s womb that feeds and sustains us.  We “are” water!  About 60% of an adult human body is water.  Organs are typically over 80%, but even your bones are more than 30% water!

In today’s Gospel, the Paralytic comes to the Sheep’s Pool of Bethesda as he had done now for many years, coming in faith and hope that he might receive his miracle—healing from the healing waters of the pool. 

Blessed Theophylact writes about this account, teaching that the waters are a “type” of the waters of baptism.  He says that the Lord uses these waters “to guide the Jews from the beginning towards faith in Christ” through this miracle.

The Lord had already given them water for cleansing of conditions in the Law of Moses, such as the stain of touching a corpse or a leper.  Here at Bethesda, the Lord amplifies His blessing, not by providing a permanent source of healing, but only one that came at the time when “the angel would come and trouble the water.”  Here, the word ‘trouble’ means to ‘stir’ or ‘agitate’ the otherwise calmer waters.  It was via this blessing that the healings were effected.

It is not the nature of  water by itself to heal, otherwise it would always heal.  It was through the acting of the angel that the miracle was accomplished.

And so it is with us in Baptism, where we begin with simple water, but which through fervent prayer to God it receives the grace of the Holy Spirit to effect a spiritual change in those who immerse themselves therein.  The waters of baptism heal spiritual blindness, enable the spiritually lame to walk in God’s path, and the spiritually dead to be raised up to the hope of eternal life.  Bethesda’s pool healed one.  In the waters of baptism, even if the whole world would approach at once, its grace and healing ability would not diminish.

As Jesus approaches the Paralytic, He asks a simple but somewhat incongruous question.  “Do you want to be made well?”  Who in a state of paralysis could answer such a question with, “No!”? 

And yet, this is a reflection of the world around us.  Our world is paralyzed with fear, anger, judgmentalism, hatred, oppression, self-centeredness.  The Church is here every day asking all, “Do you want to be made well?”  And you all know the response.  Most typically, it is a resounding, “NO!”  We judge those around us in ways that promote division.  But we judge ourselves in ways that elevate us above our neighbors.  We want to be masters, not servants.  And we're comfortable with that state of affairs.  Too often, we do not WANT to be healed of our divisivness.

Our Lord’s words to the Paralytic after finding him in the Temple are words we use at every confession here at St. Herman’s.  As the Lord healed the Paralytic and thereby forgave him his sins, we offer the Prayer of Absolution to the same end.  Jesus ends His encounter with the Paralytic saying, “Go and sin no more,” the same words we use to end the Absolution.

May each of us find within us His “living water”, promised to St. Photini at Jacob’s well (in next week’s Gospel….), so that we might change our hearts to truly become servants, not just of our Lord, but servants of those whom He instructed us are “the least of His brethren.”

 Christ is Risen!