John 5:2-7
Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie–the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”
“Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”
Reflection
One of the ways we connect to people is by taking the time to understand their story. In this passage, Jesus understood the nature, length and struggles associated with the man’s disability. He also understood the man’s great desire for assistance. When we learn someone else’s story, we are better able to identify and meet their needs through Christ.
Take the time to learn someone else’s story:
What experiences have they had?
What struggles are they experiencing?
What or who is the center of their world?
(money, success, relationships, hobbies, etc.)
(money, success, relationships, hobbies, etc.)
