"Do you want to be healed?"

 

I'm going to start this post with a bit of a disclaimer; I typically do not like Christian movies.  I find that most of them make a caricature of Jesus and the Bible and do not present Jesus as someone that people would be drawn to.  Having said that; I have enjoyed the series The Chosen.   

The above scene is from Season 2 and the full episode can be watched on Youtube.  The Scripture it follows is John 5:1-17, when Jesus heals a man at the pool of Bethesda.  Jesus first asks the man "Do you want to be healed? (vs 6).  We may see this as an odd question and think "of course he wants to be healed, who wants to be a cripple?"  but here's the thing; Jesus knows us, He knew this man.  We can become so stuck in the things that cripple us that they become our identity.  Our sins and limitations become how we define our lives; and we find a false sense of comfort in that. The familiar, no matter how messed up, can become comfortable because it is easier to stay stuck in what we know than to face what we never have before.  Did this man want to be healed?  It would change his life, he wouldn't be languishing by a pool all day and would have new responsibilities.  Jesus was also offering this man spiritual healing; He was "knocking" on this man's heart (Revelation 3:20) and was asking to be invited in; to enter into relationship with this man as his Savior and THAT healing would change everything!

I was so touched by this episode because it made me think.  Am I placing my trust in things that can never bring healing? Change? Hope?  Am I stuck defining myself by my own limitations and sinful habits rather than making the tough choice to truly let Jesus change me to follow His purposes for me?  All throughout His life Jesus kept teaching that the only thing that we need is to keep our focus on Him.  HE is all we need and HE is the only One who can bring true hope and healing.  

So, "Do you want to be healed?" If you haven't already, are you willing to open the door of your heart to Jesus and let Him heal all the broken parts of your life?  To be your Savior?  To bring hope to places where you are feeling hopeless?  I pray you will.