A Life of Shalom
“Do you wish to be well?” John 5:6 NASB
To be well – Yeshua is making his way through the crowd at the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem. To do so he has to pass by a pool. Today, just like every day, it is surrounded by those who cling to life by a thread of hope, for this pool sometimes becomes the channel of God’s grace. Legend has it that the first one to enter the water after an angel stirs it up will be cured. So the square is full. There are blind, lame, diseased, dumb, paralytics, amputees. The vestiges of an occupied society. The outcasts, the homeless, the beggars. All of them waiting for a chance at new life, to be freed of their special form of imprisonment.
Suddenly the Master stops. There is no particular reason to stop; in fact, there is every reason to get through this jumble of decrepit people as quickly as possible. Yeshua stops in front of a man who has been waiting for thirty-nine years. He asks perhaps the most ludicrous question imaginable. “Do you wish to be well?” If we stood in the crowd, we probably would have laughed. Why else would this man be lying here every day for more than thirty years?
But there is more to Yeshua’s question than a qualification of willingness. The Greek makes it clear that Yeshua does not ask simply if the man wants to be healed. The question really says, “Are you willing to be generated whole?” The word translated “be generated” means “to begin to be” or “to come into existence.” It is the Greek word genesthai. We recognize it from its transliteration – genesis. Are you completely willing to begin to be? Are you totally committed to a new existence – a genesis – a new start right now? And that’s not all. The Greek word that we translate “well” is hugies. It means “healthy, sound and whole.” Although the New Testament does not place the same emphasis on health that the Greek world did, the fact that Yeshua brought wholeness to many as a sign of God’s grace and power underlines His role as the liberator of a new life that embraces the whole man. Yeshua asks this man about his motives, his passion and his commitment to restoration. But Yeshua may well have intended more than the obvious recovery of this man’s health for the question reaches far below the surface. Yeshua is asking him if he is ready to be reborn into a whole person, the person God intended him to be. He is asking if this man wants shalom in all of its nuances.
Just how ready are we to do whatever is required to be generated whole? This man was ready. The encounter with Yeshua changed everything about his life. The most absurd question was exactly the one that needed to be asked. But God often shows up in the absurd. Are you willing? Well, are you?
Topical Index: to be well, genesthai, genesis, hugies, shalom, heal, John 5:6
To be, or not to be,
that is the question:
Hamlet
Om is where the Heart is
Willingness to leave the old and begin something new — maybe that was what Abraham and Rahab had in common?
Interesting I seem to be in that place in my life. Trying to get restored.
Have not been on here because I have not had resources….hope to have more
consistency.
Shalom, Janet
After close to the same number of years being (spiritually) crippled I am “completely willing to begin to be” and “totally committed to a new existence – a genesis – a new start right now”. YEa, YES, YES. Send the angles to stir the water Lord. Michael
Get ready for one Christian’s view.
I think He stopped straight in front of that man, just like He one day stopped straight in front of us. The man had–perhaps for years and years,– been looking to the WATER for healing. Yeshua/Jesus wanted Him to see beyond the temporal means, to look at Him, to look TO HIM.
Mercy and pity made Him stop, without Jesus speaking directly to the man, no doubt, the man would have eventually died in his sickness, eyes on the wrong thing– except that Yeshua/Jesus had mercy and compassion. We’d all die with eyes and hopes on the wrong thing except for His specific stopping in our faces, personally.
It is very interesting to look at all the Gospels accounts of healing. [ a handful below.]
From Luke 4: 40, “all they that had any sick with divers diseases they brought unto Him. He laid hands on every one of them, and healed them.”
I can read this verse in seconds, but it took a long time to do!
The word “every one” proves the great mercy that left fatigue unable to hamper His humanness during this wonderful ministry of pure LOVE.
Tho the sun set, the sky became bright with stars, and still he moved among them laying hands on them. That is all He did.
He imposed no conditions upon them. Didn’t ask about their family life, didn’t say faith was a condition, if you have enough faith you will be healed, didn’t speak of their past history.
He healed them without any reference to anything but their need.
His healing ministry isn’t gone, it continues today.
All a surgeon can do is cut a patient open and remove a bad part, but the surgeon can do absolutely nothing about making the incision
grow back together. God makes that happen. God heals every paper cut that gets healed, mends every broken bone that does heal.
As Matthew says, quoting from Isaiah 53: 4 “Surely He has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows.”
He bore them sympathetically.
Peter says He bare our sins.
Paul says “bear one another’s burdens”
He gets under them with us, in love, sympathy, and help. He has help for any situation, be it physical, mental, sin, or broken hearts,– by virtue of His infinite compassion and Almighty power.
There was another man He healed by telling him his sin was forgiven. So sickness can be because of immorality or be surface/physical.
Face to face with Jesus takes care of any sort of need we have.
We need to submit and let it be HIS WILL tho, whatever we bring to Him, or whatever He faces us with.
There was a leper who asked Him, “If you will, you can heal me”. That ought to be in all our prayers, faith & knowledge that He is God Almighty and can do anything, but be in submission to His will —
Thy will be done, O Lord. You know best. You don’t have to prove you love me, Blessed Savior,
I know it!
But in response Jesus said “I will.” and reached out.
He didn’t touch a leper. He reached out and healed while reaching, and touched a cleansed man!
“been looking to the WATER for healing”
Hmmm
The man had been looking to the water (Mem) but needed the door (Da-leth)
The first thing that comes to mind is the Messiah ben David (the warrior king)
But the new messiah is more like a Medical Doctor, whose purpose is healing
Than a warrior king
Now as much as I like David, it doesn’t make any sense to me
That with the history of the Jews as our sacred text
Which begins with Cain killing Abel and ends with the Crucifixion of Christ
And a vision of getting back to the garden before all the killing started
And a choice between modeling the behavior of two contrasting messiahs
And Paul as a model of the new man, coming toward the end of the story
That God would want us to behave like David
On the other hand, we have music like that of Pharoah Sanders
The Creator Has a Master Plan (peace and happiness for every man)
There was a time, when peace was on the earth,
And joy and happiness did reign and each man knew his worth.
In my heart how I yearn for that spirit’s return
And I cry, as time flies,
Om, Om.
There is a place where love forever shines
And rainbows are the shadows of a presence so divine
And the glow of that love lights the heavens above
And it’s free, can’t you see, come with me,
The creator has a master plan,
peace and happiness for every man
The creator has a working plan,
peace and happiness for every man
The creator makes but one demand,
happiness through all the land
Jesus saves, (completely). Body-soul-mind-and heart. The whole man may be made whole. ~ Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for You are the ONE I praise ~
(Jeremiah 17.14)
Begin to praise God and watch what happens next. Jesus saves- (completely). Wholeness of mind, wholeness of heart, relationships restored and renewed, -a new attitude, a new mindset, just as He said, “all things new.” A new lease on life- and a new heart that overflows with gratefulness to God. A daily recognition and realization- God is not only with us- He IS for us. An incarnation- a fleshing out of ~ He that spared not His own Son but delivered Him up for us all- how shall He not with Him freely give us all things? ~ (Romans 8.32)
If only we would start to see God, not only in the big things – “I see the stars- I hear the rolling thunder,” but look for Him in all the tiniest details of life- for He knows when the sparrow falls, the very hairs of our heads are all numbered -and talk about diversity!- no two snowflakes are the same design. He is the God of the macro AND the micro. LORD of Heaven AND of earth. LORD of the dead and LORD of the living. LORD of the Jew and LORD of the gentile. And lest we fail to remember, (as Adam did) His word is crucial, ~ for we walk by faith and NOT by sight ~
“What do the scriptures say?” should be tatooed into our brain. We should ask ourselves constantly- What does God have to say about this? Faith is our right-response to what God says, and what is our ‘only’ right-response? ~ Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of rams ~ (1 Samuel 15.22) We are His by right of creation and His again by right of Calvary. Once born and once bought. And what father or mother among us would not delight in obedient children? And Who was the most obedient Man ( ~ and He that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please Him ~) ever to have lived?
~ And He said, “If you will give earnest heed (listen carefully) to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, AM your Healer ~ (Exodus 15.26) Rumor(?) has it, “this Man” can even raise the dead!
YHWH Rapha: become fresh, completely healed, heal, healed, healer, healing, heals, physician, physicians, purified, reappeared, repaired, take care.
and…
The Great Physician now is near,
The sympathizing Jesus;
He speaks the drooping heart to cheer,
Oh, hear the voice of Jesus!
Sweetest note in seraph song;
Sweetest Name on mortal tongue;
Sweetest carol ever sung:
Jesus, blessed Jesus!
Your many sins are all forgiv’n,
Oh, hear the voice of Jesus;
The veil ‘twixt you and God is riven,
Redemption wrought by Jesus.
All glory to the dying Lamb!
I now believe in Jesus;
I love the blessed Savior’s Name,
I love the Name of Jesus.
His Name dispels my guilt and fear,
No other Name but Jesus;
Oh, how my soul delights to hear
The precious Name of Jesus!
Sweetest note in seraph song;
Sweetest Name on mortal tongue;
Sweetest carol ever sung:
Jesus, blessed Jesus!
~ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other Name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved ~ (Acts 4.12)
Ye·shu′a‛ or Yehoh·shu′a‛ – “Jehovah Is Salvation”
~ and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the tslav, the execution stake, the cross of Calvary ~ (Colossians 1.20)
Kneel at the cross,
Christ will meet you there,
Come while He waits for you;
List to His voice,
Leave with Him your care
And begin life anew.
Kneel at the cross,
Leave every care
Kneel at the cross,
Jesus will meet you there.
Kneel at the cross,
There is room for all
Who would His glory share;
Bliss there awaits,
Harm can ne’er befall
Those who are anchored there.
Kneel at the cross, (at the cross)
Leave (ev’ry care) ev’ry care;
Kneel at the cross
Jesus will meet you there.
Kneel at the cross
Give your idols up,
Look unto realms above;
Turn not away
To Life’s sparkling cup,
Trust only in His Love.
Kneel at the cross,
Leave every care;
Kneel at the cross
Jesus will meet you there.
When I’d read the last word of your song, another soared awake in my heart!
There’s room at the cross for you
There’s room at the cross for you
Though millions have come, there’s still room for one
Yes, there’s room at the cross for you.
Though millions have found him a friend
And have turned from the sins they have sinned;
The Savior still waits to open the gates
And welcome a sinner before it’s too late.
There’s room at the cross for you
There’s room at the cross for you
Though millions have come, there’s still room for one
Yes, there’s room at the cross for you.
I also for MANY years has been sitting by the pool.
But in this pass year the living water Yeshua has come to my
rescue.. He has cause me to begin to be or come into existence,
to be well, happy, and healthy.
A GENESIS. PRAISE HIM…….. AMEN
Thank you Skip for so a wonderful input.