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This story in John Chapter 5:1-15 has some imbedded lessons for all of us. Jesus found a man there who apparently was bed ridden and could not walk. He was waiting for a miracle, so obviously he had a certain amount of faith in God.
Jesus asked him if he wanted to be healed. The man responded, "The sick man answered Him, ‘Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.’ Jesus said [spoke the Word] to him, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk.’ And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath" (John 5:7-9).
Jesus made an interesting comment to the man after he was healed. "Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, ‘See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you’" (John 5:14).
Sin no more? How could this man have been sinning? He could not walk, he was sick; he was mostly in the presence of the sick, blind, lame, and paralyzed. He had no access to drugs, prostitutes. He could not rob banks or any such thing.
I suggest that his sin was in looking for a man to help him. Notice that after he picked up his bed and walked, he did not credit his healing to man or even to his own soul power. He might have taken some credit; after all he did pick up his bed and walk without even having taken advantage of the miracle in the pool. Others might have been tempted to be proud of their healing in front of their friends who were still waiting at the pool. "Hey look at me. I got healed without the water even being stirred."
This man gave testimony that it was that Word of God that had healed him; "He answered them, ‘He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’’" (John 5:11).
Jesus did not pray for this man nor did He touch him. The man responded to the Word of God.
We continuously have two choices of where to go for our basic needs (love, security and significance). We can go to the Word of God, or we can go to any of the "other gods." The "other gods" can include our own soul power and abilities, our jobs or our money, our spouses, or for many it can mean the gods linked to their ancestors or the idols of the tree, rock or river. One is sin the other is life. This is the choice made by Adam and Eve. They turned their backs on the Tree of Life (the Word of God), and pursued their own soul power, which is ultimately backed up the all the other gods.
Larry Chkoreff - April, 2000