Paper Boat
Suffering••3 min read

Seen by Jesus in Long Suffering

John 5:6–8

ESV
When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been in that condition for a long time, He said to him, 'Do you want to be made 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, 'Rise, take up your bed and walk.'

Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version® (NKJV).

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Reflection

  1. Jesus already knew
  • Jesus already knew the condition of the man. Not only his physical sickness, but also his experience — the rejections, the waiting, the disappointment, the story behind the suffering.
  • This man had been sick for 38 years. Long-time suffering is not invisible to Jesus.
  • He sees us through and through; we can’t hide anything from Him. (Psalm 139:2–4 — He knows our sitting down, our rising up, and even our unspoken thoughts.)
  1. Jesus’ compassion
  • Jesus asked the man, “Do you want to be made well?” This question shows two important things:

Jesus exposes the heart of the man through his response. Jesus already knew that the man didn’t only need physical healing, but also spiritual healing. Imagine being sick for 38 years — you would cling to anything that you believe could heal you. In this case, the man put his hope and trust in the pool, believing it would make him well.

Jesus wanted to heal him: not just physically, but spiritually — turning his eyes from the pool to Him, and showing whom he should truly place his rest and trust in.

  1. Jesus’ intentional love
  • Jesus didn’t need to go to the pool — but He did. Just like with the Samaritan woman, Jesus went there intentionally. Jesus did not heal the man because of his faith or righteousness, but out of compassion.

The man’s faith was still in the pool — yet Jesus stepped in anyway.

  • His compassion initiated the healing.
  • His initiation can move even the hardest heart.
  • God works in each person’s heart through circumstances and through encountering Him.

Jesus is compassionate in our misery. He is not heartless. He is loving — even knowing we don’t deserve it.

  1. Jesus’ authority
  • The man reasoned that the only reason he couldn’t be healed was because no one could put him into the pool. Jesus knew this — yet He didn’t carry him and put him into the pool (which might have been what the man expected). Instead, Jesus declared with authority:“Rise, take up your bed and walk.”And the man was healed.

Jesus shows that healing does not depend on methods, places, or systems — but on His word and authority.

Application

  1. Some prayers are answered differently than what we expect.

  • Sometimes Jesus doesn’t do what we want, or doesn’t fix us the way we imagined — not because He wants us to suffer, but because He invites us to move in faith.

  • When things don’t go our way, we can trust that Jesus knows what He is doing. Our part is to trust the process and cling to the faith He has given us.

  1. Obedience can precede understanding.
  • The man did not argue or question Jesus. When Jesus spoke, he obeyed — and he walked.
  • Sometimes we don’t need full explanations first. We just need to obey, trusting that Jesus’authority is far beyond what we can understand.

May all the glory be brought back to Him — as He truly deserves.