Who got healed?

[B-A-C]

Did you ever notice that when Jesus was on the Earth, He didn't heal everyone.

John 5:2; Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes.
John 5:3; In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, [waiting for the moving of the waters;
John 5:4; for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.]
John 5:5; A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.
John 5:6; When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He *said to him, "Do you wish to get well?"
John 5:7; The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me."
John 5:8; Jesus *said to him, "Get up, pick up your pallet and walk."
John 5:9; Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk. Now it was the Sabbath on that day.

It says in verse 3 here, that there was a "multitude" of people here who were sick, lame, blind and withered. Why didn't Jesus heal them all?
But it seems Jesus had a purpose for healing this particular man (this was discussed in another thread).

Now of course Jesus did heal many people.

Matt 11:5; the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM.

Matt 21:14; And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.

But sometimes Jesus didn't do many miracles. ( Matt 13:58; )

There has been something of a shift of how we perceive disabled people (I myself am partially disabled due to a motorcycle accident a few years back)
But it seems disabled people were always shunned. I am reminded of Mephibosheth. ( 2 Sam 4:4; )

2 Sam 9:6; Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and prostrated himself. And David said, "Mephibosheth." And he said, "Here is your servant!"
2 Sam 9:7; David said to him, "Do not fear, for I will surely show kindness to you for the sake of your father Jonathan, and will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul; and you shall eat at my table regularly."
2 Sam 9:8; Again he prostrated himself and said, "What is your servant, that you should regard a dead dog like me?"

In a way, David is a "type" of Jesus here, restoring what was lost, and giving "a lost sheep" a seat at the kings table. (Just like us) But that isn't my point here.
I notice that Mephibosheth says in verse 8 above.. "a dead dog like me". It's easy to see how some disabled people perceive themselves.
It's as if... I am broken, I have to value to anyone... no value to society, maybe even no value to God. But God doesn't see disabled people that way.

2 Sam 9:10; "You and your sons and your servants shall cultivate the land for him, and you shall bring in the produce so that your master's grandson may have food; nevertheless Mephibosheth your master's grandson shall eat at my table regularly." Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

Jesus tells us to be nice to the lame (crippled). The word "lame" has become a derogatory word in the 80's. (That's so lame man).
But up until the last generation, lame just meant, crippled, partially disabled, or weak.

Luke 14:13; "But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,

We need to include the disabled. Make them feel value in the body (of Christ). They aren't less of a person because they didn't get healed.
They aren't less of a Christian because they didn't get healed. Sometimes they don't get healed no matter how much faith they and people around them have.
Have you ever thought about that? Jesus didn't heal everyone. Even today, not everyone gets healed. We often think... well they have sin in their life (well so do you).
or well, they don't have enough faith. But maybe God has a reason for not healing them.

A disabled man recently shared a testimony about how he never was healed (he is in his 70's). He used to be excluded from Christian get-togethers.
No one invited his to their house, or to pot luck dinners, or even the Bible study at someone's house. But eventually he made some friends, and they often prayed for him
to get healed over the years. (But as of yet, he still isn't healed). But at least he has friends now. People like him. He has value. He is included, he feels like part
of the body of the church. He prays for people, he is even a greeter of Sunday morning in his wheelchair.

So I ask you... who got healed here? Was it the disabled man in the wheelchair... or was it the body of believers that used to shun him?
Was the miracle that the man could now walk (he still can't)... or was the miracle that now the body of believers includes him and values him?

Maybe God had a reason for not healing this man...

 

[KingJ]

One-day in heaven when we don't have any disabilities, God will entrust this man with greater responsibilities then those who excluded him. For all of eternity, he will wear a crown that reads ''remained faithful despite his disability and being shunned by others''. He will be healed in heaven and for all eternity he will have a great reward.

Many do not grasp eternity, the faith required for rewards in heaven and the reality of God testing His people.

 

[Brother-Paul]

Interesting post @B-A-C

The world is quite happy to stick the boot in for disabled and even homeless people in society. There was as you say a stigma in the 1980's regarding disabled people, considered as drop out, not accepted, etc.

I was always a very active person, when I was 17, I was crushed inside a concrete tunnel, incinerator, it too 5-6 big guys to lift the concrete off me, all that was showing was my boots. It was two days before I realised I was in hospital, it took almost six months to get back to work. I was on £11 per week and got a few hundred pounds compensation, equal to loss of wages in that period nothing more. I was told I may have issues later in life but got myself right, remained active and thought it would never happen.

In my 40's I slowed down due to a change in job, also in my early 40's there were issues due to a prescribed overdose of 13 different drugs, I was rushed into an isolation ward, they called the yellow man, and almost died of liver failure. I was told my liver would repair and after seven years I would be alright again. I forgived all involved and never claimed compensation. In my late 40's I became ill, took a prescribed drug and my eyes and skin tinted yellow! Had I been conned, etc all went through my mind, I became very depressed and was in my early 50's retired on medical grounds. This caused us to move home as property was expensive where we were and we had a massive mortgage.

To many changes at once drove me downwards and the darkness of depression took further hold. To many changes at once, I had lost the job I loved, my wife had to pack in her job because of me, then the big one! Man is the provider for the family, I could not provide, my mobility had worsened also which was the damage to my hips and back from when I was 17, plus another accident in my early 40's. I was sinking, the lights were going our all around me, the darkness came upon me and the deep I fell into it. It was following this period that I became more depressed than ever, I never know it could get worse, it was at this point I would not go out of the bungalow, I would not open the door if someone came, I hid away. My wife hadn't picked up on how deep and low I was, it all goes on inside, over and over things go in ones mind till they take hold and nothing else matters, I went deeper into the pit, the light at the end of the tunnel had gone, it was easier to go in that to keep trying to get out. I ordered some timber to go across the loft hatch, I ordered a nylon tow rope, I had candles to rub the wax so the noose slid easy, I cannot walk much, I can only manage small steps but I had even planned to put books on the floor to create small steps. It was that close, it was when my wife suddenly realised, what was the tow rope for etc. Thank you Lord I certainly pray and rejoice now.

I have had to use a wheelchair since my early 50's, it is not easy to adjust the mind and cope, there was always the concerns of the way people view you, 1980's, 1990's. Eventually the mind does adjust, the way people view you remains, I went from a manual wheel chair to a power one, psychotically it helped me adjust, it also meant my wife didn't have to struggle putting a wheel chair in the car, that removed another burden. 20 years on I have learned to cope, being very deaf has not helped, my hearing level is classed as severe, I lip read a lot, self taught as I have been deaf since 5 year old, but it has worsened over the years, I cannot hear in groups and struggle to hear TV due to background sounds/music. So I don't go our much at all, I am very grateful for all the modern aids, strangely I am grateful for my power chair, rise and recline chair and electric bed.

My faith is as strong today as the first day I accepted Jesus, there was the very dark period in the middle but our Lord brought me through, we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us, He says, Trust in me and lean not on your own understanding..., although we cannot understand some things we also know, God works for good for those who believe and are called according to His purpose. PTL.

A day is coming, coming soon, when there will be no more crying, no more weeping, no more pain, no more suffering, but until then, if we go through something we do so for a reason, to God be the Glory always.

Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.

Zechariah 7:10
Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. Let none of you plan evil in his heart against his brother

Luke 14:12-14
Then He [Jesus] also said to him who invited Him, ‘When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you…

There are many scriptures telling us to help the widow, the poor, the less fortunate. I am not a widow, I am not pure, I am right in faith and have been blessed with enough daily, I have learned to cope and in all things Give God the Glory He so deserves.

I have also learned that no matter what we go through in life, there is always someone worse off, if there isn't we are not in a state to know.

Blessings

 

[Dave M]

this is great bible study @B-A-C there is a movement going around that blames the person if they do not get healed because they lack faith, just reading the book now by Costa Henn and this is the type of stuff his unlce teaches, its toxic.

So the other side of the coin is that one guy at least in the bible got healed and he did not even know who Jesus was or Jesus name, so I think its safe to say he no faith at all and was still healed.

John 5--12,13
12“Who is this man who told you to pick it up and walk?” they asked. 13But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while the crowd was there.…


Yes we will all be healed in eternity but now there is no guarantee, yet there are many so called "preachers" preaching we are guaranteed to be healed now, , and they blame a person faith if they are not healed

 

[Sue D.]

Very thought provoking -- God's sovereignty -- He heals whom He will and allows others to continue in their infirmities. God has a plan for each of our lives -- as we get to know others, we Can be an encourager. We can go visit those in hospitals -- mow a lawn for someone who Can't. There are those who Can't get out and we Can go visit with them.

And it's true -- no one should be blaming anyone for their circumstances in life -- and it might be because of something foolhardy that they did. But don't hold it against them -- be ready to be a friend. And it's Probably more accurate that they didn't do Anything bad to deserve their situation. 'life' happens.

And sometimes we learn things about ourselves that we wouldn't learn Otherwise. Things we Need to learn. Like Being closer to God. And That's kind of Me at this time. Some unwanted adjustments this past year. I'd just as soon go from point A to B Without the 'process' of 'getting there'. I'm struggling with the process. And I struggle with the shorter and shorter days -- it's kind of easy to feel sorry for myself. At small group yesterday -- all the people who have so many problems. In reality , I Wasn't really all that bad off. And Everyone has Someone in their families with problems of some kind. Healing? well -- we pray for them. And just Maybe it helps us realize that there IS heaven waiting for us. We forget that This world Is temporary.

Inner healing takes time

Good point brought up -- at the pool -- we only are told of the one man who'd been lame since birth. He was asked if he wanted to be healed -- or was he content to just 'sit / lay there'. And Maybe those others Were healed at some point. We don't know.

When I was in high school there was a pastor who had a daughter who had contracted polio as a teenager. His daughter was blessed with a Beautiful voice. The two of them would go around to various churches -- she was in a wheelchair and apparently very bodily disfigured -- but she would Stand up to sing. She Could have sang sitting down. But she was Determined To Stand Up to sing in churches. Her personality // you'd have never known she was disabled.

 

[Brother-Paul]

So true Sue, we are all given talents.

What we go through strengthens us and helps us see another side, so we can help others in some way, we never know when but these opportunities do come up.

I have learnt, never feel sorry for yourself, that is what the devil.

Never say why me, because in effect you are saying it should be someone else.

The last one I said to a specialist nurse recently, I also said, no matter what I go through, I will never go though as much as Jesus went through for me, went through for us.

Her expression to the comments was 'totally blank', the only response visible was a frown.

I still Praised the Lord, because I had shared this with her. To God be the Glory, Jesus is Lord.

In all things, Praise the Lord. If we can Praise Him when we are down, how much more we can Praise Him when things are good, or better.

I love Psalm 100 a small Psalm full of Praise and Thanksgiving.

Psalm 100:1-5 (NKJV)
1 Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!
2 Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.
3 Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
5 For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.

 

[Dave M]

The last one I said to a specialist nurse recently, I also said, no matter what I go through, I will never go though as much as Jesus went through for me, went through for us.

AMEN BROTHER and thanks for sharing !!