The sun was hot, just like a normal day, its heat radiating mercilessly down on the earth. There was a gentle breeze from a lake in the distance, but it didn’t help cool anyone down from the scorching sun. That’s why it was better to be here, near a pool in the shade provided by a cloth cover that was supported by circle of colonnades. Each equally spaced column surrounded this pool like Roman sentries, standing tall and proud. Under its cover a large group of people had gathered.
Just like every day, a single, solitary man was laying down in the shade, listening to the quiet buzz of conversations going on around him. He’d been lying there for so long that each new day blended in with other days, leaving his memory a blur of faces and voices. People came and went. Some hobbled in and out on crutches. Others were carried by their friends and families. Even more others were guided by their walking sticks, tap-tap-tapping around to make sure they would not fall over an unexpected, unseen obstacle.
He picked up a pebble and stared at the pool before him. The last person had gotten out of the pool a while ago, so it was still, its surface smooth and undisturbed. He sighed, remembering what was told to him about this pool. It was said that from time to time an angel from heaven would come down and stir up the water. The first one into the pool after each such disturbance would be cured of whatever disease he had.
He grunted as he got more comfortable on his mat that provided some comfort against the rocky ground. He recalled the last time the pool was stirred up. There was a mad dash of people, all in a hope to be the first one in the pool. Even though he was one of the people closest to the pool, he could never get in the pool in time. “If only I had someone to help me into the pool,” he thought. “It will never happen.” He sighed again on this unpleasant thought and threw away the pebble.
By now, the sun had reached through the colonnades, beaming its rays onto his face. He didn’t care at this point, lying down and closing his eyes. The bright sun wouldn’t stop him from falling asleep. It was then that someone stepped into the path of the sun, blocking the light. Startled with the unexpected darkness, he opened his eyes and squinted at the silhouette of the man who had blocked the sunlight. His eyes adjusted to the light and saw the man clearer and saw that he had other people with him.
“Hello,” the man said, moving out of the sun to sit next to him.
Still unsure what to make of this stranger, he replied a greeting back.
“Tell me,” the man said, motioning to his mat. “How long have you been lying here?”
Something compelled him to answer. “I don’t know. It’s been so long.” He paused, changing his gaze from the man to his legs. He turned wistful. “But it’s been thirty-eight years since these legs of mine have worked.”
“Do you want to get well?”
“Sir,” he answered, “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.”
The man stood up. “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.”
Ha, was he serious? But, all of a sudden, the legs that had been dead for thirty-eight years came alive. Nerve endings started tingling. The muscles started twitching. For the first time, he saw his big toe wiggle. He blinked, looking back and forth from the man to his legs. Could it be real? Could he really be healed? Was he whole again?
He giggled in disbelief. The man bent down and held out his hand. He grabbed it and pulled himself up. He was standing on both of his feet! The man and his friends stood by, smiling. He stood there for a minute, relishing the feeling of the soil underneath his naked feet. He bent down and rolled up his mat and stood up once again.
The man nodded, and he turned around and saw the path up to Jerusalem from the pool. That’s where he was going to go. He took a first step, and then a second, and then a third. Before he knew it, he was walking! He grinned and turned back to look at the man, but he had already disappeared in the crowd at the pool.
At an instant, thirty-eight years of pain had been forgotten and buried. He looked back from the pool to Jerusalem and started walking faster and faster, and before he knew it, he was running, the wind blowing through his hair, feet pounding against the ground, tears forming in his eyes. He was no longer broken.
After thirty-eight years of brokenness, thanks to a mysterious stranger, he was healed, made whole.
Completely.
(Adapted from John 5:1-14)
– Matt
brokencrippleJesusJohnmiracleparalyzedsick
The Broken Man
March 31, 2011
Calvary
Comments Off on The Broken Man
Matt
The sun was hot, just like a normal day, its heat radiating mercilessly down on the earth. There was a gentle breeze from a lake in the distance, but it didn’t help cool anyone down from the scorching sun. That’s why it was better to be here, near a pool in the shade provided by a cloth cover that was supported by circle of colonnades. Each equally spaced column surrounded this pool like Roman sentries, standing tall and proud. Under its cover a large group of people had gathered.
Just like every day, a single, solitary man was laying down in the shade, listening to the quiet buzz of conversations going on around him. He’d been lying there for so long that each new day blended in with other days, leaving his memory a blur of faces and voices. People came and went. Some hobbled in and out on crutches. Others were carried by their friends and families. Even more others were guided by their walking sticks, tap-tap-tapping around to make sure they would not fall over an unexpected, unseen obstacle.
He picked up a pebble and stared at the pool before him. The last person had gotten out of the pool a while ago, so it was still, its surface smooth and undisturbed. He sighed, remembering what was told to him about this pool. It was said that from time to time an angel from heaven would come down and stir up the water. The first one into the pool after each such disturbance would be cured of whatever disease he had.
He grunted as he got more comfortable on his mat that provided some comfort against the rocky ground. He recalled the last time the pool was stirred up. There was a mad dash of people, all in a hope to be the first one in the pool. Even though he was one of the people closest to the pool, he could never get in the pool in time. “If only I had someone to help me into the pool,” he thought. “It will never happen.” He sighed again on this unpleasant thought and threw away the pebble.
By now, the sun had reached through the colonnades, beaming its rays onto his face. He didn’t care at this point, lying down and closing his eyes. The bright sun wouldn’t stop him from falling asleep. It was then that someone stepped into the path of the sun, blocking the light. Startled with the unexpected darkness, he opened his eyes and squinted at the silhouette of the man who had blocked the sunlight. His eyes adjusted to the light and saw the man clearer and saw that he had other people with him.
“Hello,” the man said, moving out of the sun to sit next to him.
Still unsure what to make of this stranger, he replied a greeting back.
“Tell me,” the man said, motioning to his mat. “How long have you been lying here?”
Something compelled him to answer. “I don’t know. It’s been so long.” He paused, changing his gaze from the man to his legs. He turned wistful. “But it’s been thirty-eight years since these legs of mine have worked.”
“Do you want to get well?”
“Sir,” he answered, “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.”
The man stood up. “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.”
Ha, was he serious? But, all of a sudden, the legs that had been dead for thirty-eight years came alive. Nerve endings started tingling. The muscles started twitching. For the first time, he saw his big toe wiggle. He blinked, looking back and forth from the man to his legs. Could it be real? Could he really be healed? Was he whole again?
He giggled in disbelief. The man bent down and held out his hand. He grabbed it and pulled himself up. He was standing on both of his feet! The man and his friends stood by, smiling. He stood there for a minute, relishing the feeling of the soil underneath his naked feet. He bent down and rolled up his mat and stood up once again.
The man nodded, and he turned around and saw the path up to Jerusalem from the pool. That’s where he was going to go. He took a first step, and then a second, and then a third. Before he knew it, he was walking! He grinned and turned back to look at the man, but he had already disappeared in the crowd at the pool.
At an instant, thirty-eight years of pain had been forgotten and buried. He looked back from the pool to Jerusalem and started walking faster and faster, and before he knew it, he was running, the wind blowing through his hair, feet pounding against the ground, tears forming in his eyes. He was no longer broken.
After thirty-eight years of brokenness, thanks to a mysterious stranger, he was healed, made whole.
Completely.
(Adapted from John 5:1-14)
– Matt
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