John 5:3-11
Struggles of the Lame Man at Sheep Gate
3 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. 4 From time to time an angel of the Lord would come down and stir up the waters. The first one into the pool after each such disturbance would be cured of whatever disease they had. 5 One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?"
7 "Sir," the invalid replied, "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me."
8 Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.
The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, 10 and so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat."
11 But he replied, "The man who made me well said to me, 'Pick up your mat and walk.' "
Jesus helps the helpless...He went to the place called Sheep Gate to help the blind, the lame, and the paralyzed...There was one man who was an invalid for thirty eight years and could not help himself because of his condition...He could not get into the stirred healing angel water to become whole...When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, He asked him, "Do you want to get well?"...Jesus was going to help this paralyzed man...And He did...
Jesus went our looking and out of His way to help those who needed help...And He helped them...I am not like that...I find it difficult to seek those who are troubled, especially to go out of my way to help them...It seems my instincts are to stay my distance from those who are suffering and in pain...But not Jesus...And maybe because I cannot be like Him and are not like Him, I do not give the Christian voice its due...The more we are like Him, the more the world will listen to us, and the greater that voice will be...