Fifth Sunday of Great Lent – Sermon by Pope Tawadros II

John (5:1 – 18). Do you want to be made well? For this fifth Sunday the question is basically to the point: the whole gospel text discusses one question: a plain, direct and brief one. The narrative tells about the pool of Bethesda; which is like the palm of a hand in shape. This is its design indeed. That the five fingers of the hand are the five porches where people were lying. Found in-between the fingers is water. Therefore Bethesda is called, “the House of Mercy”. This gospel text shows us that there were many people at Bethesda; but the Lord Christ came to one man, and asked him this essential question. He did not mean to ask the paralytic – the impotent – the lonesome – the sick of the pool of Bethesda… But such a question is directed to us all. As you all know, the Fourth Sunday was that of “the Samaritan Woman”, the Sixth is “Sunday of the Man Born Blind”; and the three Sundays are in contact with waters. For Christ met with the Samaritan woman at the well; He met with the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda; and the Blind man from birth goes to be washed in the pool of Siloam. Now as Great Lent is the time of making a program for preparing the preached, we find that the “Sunday of the Man Born Blind” is called, “Sunday of the Nazarenes” – on which they receive the grace of Baptism. Therefore the church has put those three Sundays in a consecutive order, being attributed to the theme of water. Then, do not imagine the question that the Lord Christ has asked as having nothing to do with you, even if it was not directed to you. When God created Man, he gave him will and freedom. He granted freedom to us to use, but in the right way. The first commandment He gave was a commandment of fasting. For God, having spoken to Adam, commanded him to eat of all the trees of the garden, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But he could not; he did eat, breaking the commandment. Weak willed he was. The weak will is that which destroys Man. At the beginning, God does not interfere in human will. You are free. But, is your will existent and manifest along with your spiritual path? 

When the Lord Christ met with this man, He asked him: “’Do you want to be made well?’” A logical, but strange question! But if we thought of this question, we could discover that he may have thought of other things which he would have seen as better for him. He may have liked committing sin, rather having reached a certain degree of slackness. He may have cared about some matters other than his own health: perhaps he had been happy with the simple gifts of people. Such gifts may have brought him joy. Also, he may have lost hope of being cured; or had rather fallen in the pit of despair. Note and think of the question and also of the length of the time of this man’s sickness; the 38 years; a period that equals about the half of an age. So are you still desiring – in spite of such a long time of sinfulness– to receive your health, whether physically or spiritually? However, this sick man replied with a very humane answer; as he said, “’I have no man to put me into the pool’”; a scene that embodied the condition of humanity. For the man who lay at the pool did not have anyone like relatives, neighbors, acquaintances, family members, nor even one of his same area… Here comes a contradiction between two matters: the place where he was, named “the House of Mercy”, and the people who were there; those unmerciful. The utmost needs of his were just simple. Thus were human hearts possessed with stiffness! You should know that we do not only talk of this sick man; but also of all those who were at the pool. Here, a very clear image of the human nature is shown out. You are to see a man who had a 38 year sickness, in need of anyone to put him into the pool. Ah! Had mercy so died in the hearts of Men? Do you want to be made well? Are you in need of being cured? I would like to grasp your attention to a very important matter: whenever we visit a sick person, we likely talk to him about diseases, not about recovery! Then you must remember that Bethesda, this House of Mercy, was void of mercy! Therein was the spirit of selfishness. That is the first point. Secondly, that time was the time of a feast. At the time of that feast Christ went up to Jerusalem, and met with the man after having passed 38 years of no healing nor joy. Thus that time was firstly described as void of mercy; but at this time, the people were coming out of the pool with great joy by reason of being healed as a result of the angel who was stirring up the waters, giving it a power of healing – as shown through the Chapter. Thirdly, rather grave, is that this sick man was left with no companionship. We possibly fall into the sin of carelessness about the distant or the sinner. So the church calls him, “the Lonesome”. Thus this man was: with no hope, no companion; sick for 38 years, yet expressing out his desire and will for being healed and restoring health. We can say that he is similar to the prodigal son, who came to himself. Through this passage: what did this impotent man need as being in such a painful condition? He was in need of the sinless God to take away his sin. Now I have previously mentioned that there was an Old Testament connection between sin and sickness. Thus the greater the sin of Man was, the more serious the disease he would receive; and the lighter the sin he committed, the simpler the sickness he would have. This is to be a sign of the time when Man lived in sin. 

+Important lessons of the life of the impotent: – 

He had the desire and determination: he was willing, but lacking opportunity. Therefore the Lord Christ made him the miracle. This miracle was known as the trifold in deed: “’Rise, take up… and walk.’” He had the desire! An important matter of human life is to have the will of getting better and better all the time. This is what we read through the books as “the desire of change”. I think you have heard of the wise saying of the Greek philosophers: “If you want to amend the world, start with yourself first.” Repentance is the change of the soul. This image must be clear to you continually. Christ says, “’I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.’” (John 10:10). So a human being must be willing for life change. There is the one who is always being renewed; willing to be better and better. This is the reason why the church gives us fasting periods; that they prepare Man for change, and give an opportunity for human will to be strengthened. This is our church’s wisdom behind the long periods of fasting; even behind the weekly fasts: they bear the same significance. Wednesday is to remind of the very sinful sin; and Friday is to overshadow the need of the salvation of Christ. 

He acted in obedience and subjection: he was living with such a bad condition, then, to him came He who says, “’Rise, take up your bed and walk.’” Here, the bed is not that which we all use, but it was just like a cloth that could be spread on the ground, wrapped up and carried. Imagine to what state this man turned when the Lord Christ said to him, “’Rise, take up your bed and walk.’” The lying man for these many years – can walk now? Thus was the impotent man obedient. He could have apologized and refused. But he immediately heard the Divine command. He arose, took up his bed, and walked! Rise: that is the thought of resurrection. Every day we pray, saying, “Arise, O you children of the light” Take up: pointing to the perfectness of health. Walk: he who had been lying for long years, walks. So this impotent man had a character of obedience and subjection. 

He was a grateful man: truly he was thankful despite his status. We have not heard that he was complainant, or that he lamented his miserable state and the hardness of the world to him! Nonetheless we find him, so gently saying, “’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.’” (John 5:7). Thus was this man; satisfied; uncomplaining. Yet a satisfied and grateful person may not have an easy life, and face much more hardships than those of the complainant. But we should know that life is an association of two things: the grace of God from above, and the human, internal will. Our lives are a partnership of the grace of God, poured upon us, with our own, internal human will. This human will is like a vessel in which the grace of God is poured. But if you did not have such a will, you would never enjoy the grace of our Lord. The will is that vessel in which we receive God’s grace. Therefore we say: “Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done” (Luke 11:2). O Lord, I need Your grace! I am ready for receiving the great blessings. In all matters of life there should be an association of God’s grace from above, poured out upon us every morning, and the will of Man. Whenever we stand for prayer, we lift up our hands, waiting for what is to be given of the gifts of God; which accounts for founding two lighthouses in our churches: as these are the entity of prayer. For the nature of the church’s work is prayer, for the same it is built. So lifting our hands up at the time of prayer is a sign of our receiving life and power; and that all we want to have is grace to come down upon us every morning. Christ our God is so compassionate on Man; just as He was on that sick man. Thus had He compassion on him and made him the miracle, though it was the Sabbath when he made it. However, the Jews, those narrow-minded, left this miracle and the man who was healed, forgot about the length of the time of his sickness, and his being placed at the pool hopelessly, and went on remarking at the healing which was made on the Sabbath day! Such a narrow-mindedness and hard-heartedness would cause trouble to mankind. The scribes and Pharisees were the leaders of the people, but were terribly narrow-minded. Here comes a big question mark about those men: How come about their vision of matters to be in such an inverted image, so bearing no good for this sick man? Whereas we see the Lord Christ in person meeting with this sick man and soon responding! Rather, He answers us once we tell Him of our need of anything, whatever it is. As an evidence, when the Impotent said to Him, “’I have no man…’” (John 5:7), He answered him, saying: “’Rise, take up your bed and walk.’” (John 5:8). So, God responds to us in a due time. 

Synopsis: – the Old Testament was the era when the water was stirred up by the angel; it was the age of the Law of Moses and priesthood of Aaron; when people were ungrateful. As for the New Testament, it is the age of the Lord Christ, whose coming has offered grace, salvation, and sufficiency for all needs. For He is the Savior, who is capable of giving healing and health to Man. Then the question that ought to be recited in our minds is: “Do you want to be made well?” It is put for each one of us: particularly when one is possessed by a certain sin. Year by year the question is renewed. Now, stand up before God and say to Him, “Lord, I want to be made well; I really do! I wholeheartedly want my life to be renewed; I want it to have change.” Go away from sickness and infirmities. If anyone lifts up the heart with a true and sincere desire, God will answer in the due time. Our Christ give us the will and help it to be truly attendant, so that we may, with all our hearts, be able to reform our souls; the will with which we shall give God glory. May this will be always manifest in our lives and spiritual path. To our God be all glory and honor, forever. Amen.