4/1/2025 (Tuesday) Today’s Gospel reading: John 5:1-16

1 There was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
2 Now there is in Jerusalem at the Sheep Gate a pool called in Hebrew Bethesda, with five porticoes.
3 In these lay a large number of ill, blind, lame, and crippled.
5 One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.
6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be well?”
7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me.”
8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your mat, and walk.”
9 Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked. Now that day was a sabbath.
10 So the Jews said to the man who was cured, “It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.”
11 He answered them, “The man who made me well told me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.’”
12 They asked him, “Who is the man who told you, ‘Take it up and walk’?”
13 The man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away, since there was a crowd there.
14 After this Jesus found him in the temple area and said to him, “Look, you are well; do not sin any more, so that nothing worse may happen to you.”
15 The man went and told the Jews that Jesus was the one who had made him well.
16 Therefore, the Jews began to persecute Jesus because he did this on a sabbath.

4/1/2025 (Tuesday) Today’s Gospel reflection / homily / sermon: John 5:1-16

Life is full of moments when we feel stuck—paralyzed by fear, doubt, or circumstances beyond our control. Perhaps you have prayed for healing, breakthrough, or a fresh start, only to see time pass without the answer you longed for. In this Gospel narrative, we meet a man who understands that feeling all too well.

For thirty-eight years, this man lay by the pool of Bethesda, waiting for a miracle. He was crippled, unable to move toward the waters that were believed to bring healing when stirred. Day after day, he watched others step in before him, receiving what he could only dream of. He had no one to help him, no strength, no hope left. His condition defined his existence.

Then, one day, Jesus arrived.

Jesus saw him lying there and asked, “Do you want to get well?” (John 5:6). At first, the question may seem unnecessary. Of course, he wanted healing! But Jesus was not just addressing the man’s physical condition; He was reaching into his heart. Sometimes, we grow so accustomed to our struggles that we accept them as part of who we are. We stop believing that change is possible. We settle into a life of waiting instead of stepping into faith.

The man responded with excuses, saying, “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” (John 5:7). How often do we do the same? We focus on what we lack—support, resources, opportunities—rather than the power of Jesus to transform our lives.

But Jesus did not entertain his excuses. He simply said, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” (John 5:8). Immediately, the man was healed. Without touching the water, without waiting for someone else to assist him, he stood up and walked.

This moment teaches us three powerful lessons about faith, healing, and obedience:

1. Jesus Sees You in Your Struggle
No matter how long you have been suffering, Jesus sees you. He knows your pain, your disappointments, and your silent cries for help. Just as He noticed the man at Bethesda, He notices you. Even when others overlook you, Jesus does not.

2. Jesus Calls You to Take a Step of Faith
The healing did not happen when the man explained his situation. It happened when he obeyed Jesus’ command. He had to make a choice: stay on his mat or believe that he could stand. Sometimes, our miracles require action. Jesus calls us to move forward in faith, even when it seems impossible.

3. Your Healing May Challenge Others
After the man was healed, the religious leaders criticized him for carrying his mat on the Sabbath. Instead of celebrating his miracle, they focused on rules and traditions. Sometimes, when God transforms your life, not everyone will understand or support you. But like the man at Bethesda, your testimony is not about pleasing people—it’s about glorifying God.

If you feel stuck today, Jesus is asking you, “Do you want to get well?” He is inviting you to rise, leave behind old limitations, and walk into a new season of faith. Healing—whether physical, emotional, or spiritual—is not found in the things we expect, but in the presence of Jesus.

Take heart. Your breakthrough is near. Rise, take up your mat, and walk.

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