“Soon another Feast came around and Jesus was back in Jerusalem. Near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem there was a pool, in Hebrew called Bethesda, with five alcoves. Hundreds of sick people—blind, crippled, paralyzed—were in these alcoves. One man had been an invalid there for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him stretched out by the pool and knew how long he had been there, he said, “Do you want to get well?” The sick man said, “Sir, when the water is stirred, I don’t have anybody to put me in the pool. By the time I get there, somebody else is already in.” Jesus said, “Get up, take your bedroll, start walking.” The man was healed on the spot. He picked up his bedroll and walked off. “ (Mark 5:1-9 The Message Bible)
Years ago, when we lived in small city in Illinois, near Chicago, during the days when families watched TV together as opposed to be on their electronic devices, alienated in their own closed-door rooms, we watched a movie entitled “The Adventures of the Babysitter.” Ironically, the setting for the movie was just 50 miles away from the Windy City and we could identify with many of the sites where the adventures took place. While the babysitter’s job was to watch the children of a family in their suburban home while the parents went to a formal dinner in the city, for some reason they ventured into Chi Town. Without going over the entire movie, let me just tell you about one of their experiences. On the run from some thugs, the babysitter and the children end up in a blues club and standing right in the middle of the stage. Realizing they are in the wrong place they try to exit apologetically and quickly. One of the musician’s tells them, “Nobody leaves here without singing the blues.” Well, they meet the requirement and give a pretty good rendition of an impromptu blues song.
That was fiction, but here is a fact. In this life, whether we want to or not, we will find the musician’s statement to be real and relevant to our experiences: “Nobody leaves here without singing the blues.” Everybody sings the blues. At times, we complain like there is no remedy to pick us up and no prescription to start us on our way, optimistically heading towards better demeanor. In our opening verses we see the man in a shelter for the sick by the sheep gate pool. He is singing the blues, “Sir, when the water is stirred, I don’t have anybody to put me in the pool. By the time I get there, somebody is already there.” Just as a side note, here He was in the presence of a somebody, Jesus, but he is singing the blues about not having anybody. We who know the Lord; we who are in Christ; we who are in the presence of Jesus; we who know He walks with us and talks with us find ourselves acting like we have nobody to help us; we who declare that the Christ lives in us, we have somebody! We have Jesus! Yet, we are included in the number of those who the musicians’ statement applies to at times. Everybody sings, has sung, or will sing the blues. It looks like we need help. So let’s get some help from the account above that will minister to us when we find ourselves singing the blues. First, know that Jesus sees you and He knows all about your troubles. He will help you. Second, stop singing the blues and do not act like the man did after Jesus asked him if he wished to get well. Answer the question, “Yes! I want to get well!” Third, follow the words of Jesus. Fourth, do your part. Arise from your state of mind, make the thing that was holding you in depressing state of “the blues,” get up and experience relief. Fifth, don’t wait, do the getting up right away. (6) Be confident that immediately you will see a difference, as you take your first of many steps toward “better.” (7) Go out with the charge of the Lord to let nothing worse befall you. Seven tips and “seven” represents completeness. So I guess I have completed my assignment this morning and helped you today or provided you with helpful advice for the future. I’m done, but you need to read the rest of the story below. Have a great Wednesday! Be blessed!”
“That day happened to be the Sabbath. The Jews stopped the healed man and said, “It’s the Sabbath. You can’t carry your bedroll around. It’s against the rules.” But he told them, “The man who made me well told me to. He said, ‘Take your bedroll and start walking.’” They asked, “Who gave you the order to take it up and start walking?” But the healed man didn’t know, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd. A little later Jesus found him in the Temple and said, “You look wonderful! You’re well! Don’t return to a sinning life or something worse might happen.” The man went back and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.” (Mark 5:10-15 The Message Bible)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King