After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches.  In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.  For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition 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.”  And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath. The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.” He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’ “Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place.  Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. John 5:1-15 (NKJV)

 

The man who was healed had a long testimony of suffering, suffering, and more suffering for a period of 38 years is quite a long while. This man had sought all means and manner of healing but all in vain. His kith and kin had given up on him. He was somebody without a hope; this man was ready to try anything to get well. He was desperate for healing and ready to try any means possible including myths.

 

Myth because there is no testimony any person that was healed in the pool of Bethesda this healing was only a misplaced believe. This man was drowning and ready to cling to any straw of hope. He believed that if only he could get to the pool being the first he would get well but he was always over taken

 

This man always sought to be first in his life even though he was a cripple he never lost the hope of being the first. This is a common phenomenon with human beings that they have to be number ONE. He fought to be number one but always was beaten to it by someone else. This is the life of a person who felt that he had to do everything very well and become the best there is. This truly tells us that no matter how well we struggle to become the first or the best in everything we are always bound to fail. We don’t have to prove anything to anybody in this life by our efforts.

 

This man was willing to be listening to all kinds of people and their advices; all kinds of voices including his own for the sake of it. We see that this man was in an “audience” being subjected to many voices at once. Let us therefore examine these voices one by one.

 

Voice number one

 

• The situation, the situation in itself was very discouraging and piteous and this man was subject of pity to who came by the gate into the pool.
• The man had already succumbed to this voice and had given up hope of getting well through any other means.
• He only depended on the goodwill of his relatives to be taken to the gate by the pool.
• He was also used to hearing that he should struggle to be number one after the water was stirred in order to be healed.

 

 

Voice number two

• The voice of his parents and relatives that our son is crippled and nothing can be done for him.
• They should have sought every kind of treatment for their beloved son in vain.
• The voice of relatives that nothing could be done for him.
• They had given up hope on him and rested his case as impotent and beyond help in other words he is good for nothing.

 

Voice number three

• The voice of myth that if only you could be number one into the stirred pool you would be healed.
• I am calling this a myth because there was no one with a testimony of having been healed through the pool.
• The voice of self, that I should be number one into the stirred pool.

 

Voice number four

• The voice of Jesus Christ ‘do you want to get well?
• The man voices the futility of his previous efforts to receive healing.
• He exhorted his efforts to be number one in the pool.
• He wanted to impress Jesus with his efforts and at the same time seek His sympathy.
• Jesus voice again said “rise, take your bed and walk.”

 

Voice number five

• The voice of the religious that it is on a Sabbath and nothing should be done.
• This voice never appreciates anything done by somebody else, they will readily criticize.
• People who have nothing good to say about everything good coming to somebody else.
• Doubting Thomas’s willing to put you where you belong, according to them you should not rise above your current situation in life.
• People who are willing to tell you are not good enough to be where you are;
• They don’t have good to say about the good thing that is happening in your life.
• The know it all who have a burning jealousy for those who God has touched positively.

 

Brethren I want to tell you today that there are many voices we are struggling with in this life we are living in, the ‘million dollar’ question that begs to be answered. Which one will you hear? Which one are you going to ignore? Which one are you going to believe? Which voice are you going to act on? All of them are struggling for the attention.

 

In this life we only listen to the voice of Jesus Christ because it is the only voice that speaks good things about your life, the only voice that is after your welfare, the only voice that is speaking of your blessing and no other voice has a good report for you but the voice of Jesus Christ, this is the voice to look for. None other to be sought but the voice of Christ and your life will never be the same again.

God bless you all.

This devotional was written by Bishop Joseph Koburu Mukiira of Maximum Victory Centre ~ Nairobi Kenya and brought to you courtesy of Journey 2 Joy International Ministries USA.