By the Pool of Bethsaida

1 After this there was a Jewish feast, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool called Bethzatha in Aramaic, which has five covered walkways. 3 A great number of sick, blind, lame, and paralyzed people were lying in these walkways. 4 For an angel  went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had 5 Now a man was there who had been disabled for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and when he realized that the man had been disabled a long time already, he said to him, “Do you want to become 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 trying to get into the water, someone else goes down there before me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Stand up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 Immediately the man was healed, and he picked up his mat and started walking. (Now that day was a Sabbath.)
John 5:1-9


Bethsaida, a hebrew word, is translated - the house of kindness. The man sat at the pool of Bethsaida for 38 years. Not only were his legs jammed, his faith had also jammed right there at the edge of the pool. He'd become more of a constant fixture at the pool where he'd set himself up. At first, it was faith & hope, perhaps, that led him there. But now, all strength was drained as even his efforts to get into the pool, were half-hearted.


The story was that once a day, an angel touched the water, and whosoever jumped in first, was healed. In 38 years, this man had not had the opportunity to jump in.

While I considered this, I saw something beautiful. I saw the gates of heaven, like the gates of a King's palace. Each day, the gates opened once, and whoever ran in first, got his healing. The King saw everyday this man waiting outside the gates, waiting to come inside but not coming.

Then one day, a man called Jesus of Nazareth, walked to this man by the pool, and asked him if he wanted to be healed. Though the man explained his hopelessness - 'I have no one to take me to the pool.' For 38 years, the man had seen hope & disappointment, strength & weakness. There may have been times when he tried his very best, but before he could, someone else jumped into the waters. There may have been times when he may have deliberately not tried, either in disappointment or hopelessness, seeing others had their friends & relatives with them to help them on.

That day, when the gates of heaven opened, it was not for anyone else to walk in. They opened only for him. The gates opened but he didn't still walk in. God walked out to him, and asked if he would like to come in. The Father of all walked out and asked if his child suffering from 38 years would enter His healing. The Creator and King of all walked out to him and asked if this man would now come and live inside the King's palace.

Jesus saw that he'd been suffering a long time already. He saw what others did not; He saw his wait of 38 long years, where each day started in hope and ended in disappointment. He saw the despondency of his eyes that saw a lost chance everyday. He saw the grieving heart that was broken.

Father of grace and mercy decided to let him suffer no more. Then this man by the pool heard the words of life - 'Get up and walk'.

New strength was found rushing to his limbs as he picked himself off the place he'd been sitting for 38 years. That constant fixture cemented by the pool was washed off by the waters of grace. The man didn't reach the water, but the water reached out to meet him.

Why was Jesus passing by the man that day? Why was this seen & recorded in the scripture? Though the man hid behind his despondency and hopelessness, grace reached out to him. Such is the exceedingly abundant grace of the Father; the love of the Creator for His child. He saw his son outside the gates for 38 years, and then went out to bring him in.

So many of us are sitting by the pool that is the seeming answer to all our misery. Few jump into the pool at opportunity. But Jesus Christ died so that whosoever would believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. That heavenly house of kindness does not open once a day; that pool is not available once only. It is now an everlasting and continuous flow of grace that has sufficient provision even for a robber hanging on a cross, who in his dying breath, acknowledges Jesus as Lord.

His grace is greater than our efforts & excuses; His love is all-seeing & all-sufficient.