Day 36 — Right Place, Right Time
John 5:1-4
‘Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralysed.’
Continue reading the whole story (John 5:1-17)
In this story John tells us one of his early memories of Jesus, recounting a moment when Jesus went up to Jerusalem after having performed his first miracle at Cana. As Jesus enters Jerusalem through the sheep gate, he comes to the pool of Bethesda and encounters a paralysed man. This man was at this pool because of a hope and anticipation that this was the right place to receive a miracle. He wasn’t the only one there. John describes how many blind, lame and paralysed people were all gathered there in the hope of healing. Jesus meets a man whose response to his circumstance of being paralysed is to position himself in a place to receive. He could have gone off in a whole range of other directions, he could have accepted his circumstances and instead adopted the position of a beggar, but he doesn’t. Instead he positions himself in anticipation. He places all of his eggs in one basket. He has gone all in. He has fully committed himself to the possibility of healing through being in what he considers the right place, anticipating the right time.
We all respond to our circumstances individually, and in this moment with lockdown and coronavirus, we will all have responded differently. In this story is a helpful encouragement - no matter our circumstances - to place ourselves before Jesus.
Back in September, I was with a church leader in the Nineveh plains in Iraq. He was recounting the persecution that had swept the area in the form of Isis. I asked him how he had encountered Jesus in his circumstances. He paused for a moment and reflected, and then said, ‘Persecution has taught me to carry my cross daily. Before, I would pick it up and put it down. But now I live at the cross.’
I found this profound. Circumstance had confronted him with his need to rely on God, and to live each day trusting in God. Our circumstances confront us with unforeseen challenges. Our circumstances provoke our choices. I encourage you, whatever the provocation and discomfort of this moment, like our friend in John 5, to position yourself in anticipation of encounter.
Prayer – Jesus help me to turn to you, to see you, to draw near to you in this moment. I need you. You are my hope.
Sam Miller
Open Doors