The message Sunday was about Jesus healing a lame man at the pool. This man had been lame for 38 years. We aren’t told how he became lame or how old he was when he became lame. Perhaps he had been born that way, or maybe it was the result of an accident.
There were a large number of other invalids there, as people came to wait for the waters to be stirred by an angel. They didn’t know when that would happen, but just knew that the first one into the water when the waters were stirred, would be healed.
Jesus was in Jerusalem to attend one of the Jewish feasts but we don’t know why he chose to go by the pool by the sheep gate. Perhaps it was the same situation as when he went through Samaria and ministered to the Samaritan woman. Scripture says he “must needs go through Samaria” (KJV) or “had to go through Samaria” (NIV), Most Jews skirted around Samaria rather than travel through it. But he had to go through Samaria for one needy woman. Whatever the reason was that he stopped by this pool, Jesus singled out one lame man from among all the other people who were waiting for the waters to be stirred and asked him if he wanted to get well.
There is something special about being chosen from a crowd. Jesus seemed to know exactly who he was looking for, and knew he had been lame for a long time. He chose this one, specific man, to ask “Do you want to get well?”
My husband was Dutch. He came to the States from Holland to attend Bible School in Seattle, and that’s where we met. There were a lot of single young ladies in the church, but he chose me to ask for a date. (The rest is history). I used to tease him, that in all of Holland there wasn’t a girl good enough to be his wife; he had to come to America to find me.
Scripture tells us that we are chosen. “You did not choose me, but I chose you to go and bear fruit.” John 15:16. “For he chose us In him before the creation of the world.” Eph. 1:4. “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God.” 1 Pet. 2:9. Every person who responds to the Lord’s call gets added to that chosen number. Even though he created the universe, he was aware of each of us while we were still being formed in our mothers’ wombs. Psa. 139.
Even though he’s the God of the universe, he deigns to have a personal relationship with me!! I have experienced his individual attention many times. He has spoken specific words of encouragement to me exactly when I needed them.
Rejoice that Jesus chose you, knows you by name, and wants to have a personal relationship with you!!
Naomi Brinkman
