The Process

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?” 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.” Jesus *said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.”
(John 5:6-8)

Jesus comes upon a man by a miraculous pool waiting to be healed when an angel stirs it. He asks the man if he wants to be well and then heals him.

Doesn’t it seem a little cruel that God would send an angel just at a certain season to stir the waters and then only heal the first person in the pool? Just one person! It’s kind of like a spiritual lotto!? But these circumstances produce desperateness for the man. It creates greater need. He had been in his condition for 38 long years. And to put a cherry on top of this hot miserable sundae, Jesus asks this question, “Do you wish to get well?” Can you feel the tension in the air? Do you hear these circumstances coming to a crescendo? God has a plan. The plan often takes time for the situations to develop to create the perfect environment for God to receive all the glory. Our job is to be patient and persistent in the process. Both require unwavering faith. The answer is often found in the process not the results. As I have been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, I realize that first; God did not spare me from this disease. Second; He did not heal me immediately when I prayed for it. And third; My MS is a process that will ultimately bring Him glory. My job is to trust Him and respond appropriately.

I believe that part of our job as Disciplemakers is to help followers of Jesus develop a good theology of suffering. No one avoids the trials and tribulations of this life. It’s not a matter of “if” but “when.” And how we respond to suffering will determine how we relate to the Father and others. Here’s an illustration I developed in order to communicate our response to suffering. FJ62

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