Waiting at Bethesda

SO MANY THINGS I want to and could cover here. But alas, if I did, this post would become a book. For the sake of all reading, I will have to condense. It will still be long. But please, please, please go study these miracles and the life of the Savior for yourself! I think you will be surprised at all you gain.

If you want to study as I have done, check out "The Miracles of Jesus" by Eric Huntsman. He has so many ideas that have spurred directions for my personal study. Many of the things I discuss are thoughts generated by his book.

Since I'm a nurse, I've been a little more drawn to the accounts of Christ's miracles healing the sick and physically infirm. The account of the man at the pool of Bethesda is probably one of my favorites.

Carl Bloch portrayed this event so beautifully.

To give a little background, Bethesda was a pool in Jerusalem that was believed to have healing/medicinal properties whenever an angel came to "trouble" the water. Bethesda means House of mercy or House of grace in Hebrew. 

This even is recounted in John 5:

"Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.

In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.

For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he ahd.

And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me in to the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. 

Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. 

And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath."

Here is a depiction of the real pool of Bethesda. The wall to the left is the northern wall of the temple. Today, the remains are found under and around churches still in the area that were built to commemorate this event.

First of all, I want to explore the element of water that is in this pool. I'm going to jump back a bit into history and visit some accounts of the Creation.

Remember that Christ is also the Living Water, and water a part of the initial Creation and part of Christ's creative process. 

Moses 2:6 (this probably my all-time favorite verse describing the Creation...just close your eyes and imagine water coming to Earth as this verse describes) "But I, the Lord God, spake, and there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground."

This verse in particular is important in context of the pool of Bethesda. Genesis 1:2 states "And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters" (emphasis added).

A "great multitude" was at the pool, witnesses that the man was healed by Christ without even entering the water, because the Living Water had come to him. 

This lame man and those gathered at the pool in a way symbolize all of us, fallen and broken, and in need of the Savior to redeem us from the physical and spiritual infirmities we each carry. 

It is even more symbolic to me that the Savior commanded this man to rise without waiting for his declaration of faith; the man is healed immediately. To me, it seems appropriately named Bethesda, House of grace. The story also provides very little as to detail - who the man was, who else was there, what it looked like, etc. - providing greatest focus on the Savior and the miracle He performs. 

"...and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities."

Now, to tie some things together. Watch the video again, and look for something this time that you did not notice before. (Hint: Look beyond the man that was healed). 

The scriptures say that this man suffered from his infirmity for 38 years. That's a long time to wait for healing. Think also of Abraham and Sarah and Hannah waiting for children, of Jacob waiting for Rachel, of Alma waiting for the return of a wayward son. What joy and gratitude they must have felt from the mercy of the Savior. So many of us are waiting for similar blessings in our lives...for marriage, for children, for jobs, for a home, for family, or any other number of things. 

Think of those at the pool of Bethesda whom the Savior didn't heal...who sat at the poolside and watched this miraculous event take place as they themselves lay invalid. I don't know what they were feeling or thinking, but I wouldn't be surprised if at some point after the fact they sorrowed at the thought that the Savior didn't heal them at that point too. It states there was a "great multitude" at the pool, many who were seeking relief from the troubled waters. 

How often do we ourselves feel ungrateful as we watch others receive those things we so desperately long for...the job, the spouse, the children, the house...and wonder why we can't have those things as well. After all, we have been waiting and faithful too.

Of that Elder Holland teaches using the parable of the laborers in the vineyard. He says "Brothers and sisters, there are going to be times in our lives when someone gets an unexpected blessing or receives some special recognition. May I plead with us not to be hurt - and certainly not to feel envious - when good fortune comes to another person? We are not diminished when someone else is added upon. We are not in a race against each other to see who is the wealthiest or the most talented or the most beautiful or even the most blessed."

I had a wise bishop who once told me to use those instances as an opportunity to see how the Lord works in the lives of others.

Elder Bednar spoke once of having the faith not to be healed ("That We Might Not Shrink"). Having faith that maybe the things we want won't happen, at least not here on the Earth. Maybe we won't get the job, or the spouse, or the children we've prayed for. But the question is...will we trust in the Lord anyway? 

Brad Wilcox gave a FANTASTIC talk on "grace" at BYU a few years ago. He starts with a quote from Elder Hafen:

Elder Bruce C. Hafen wrote, "The Savior's gift of grace to us is not necessarily limited in time to 'after' all we can do. We may receive his grace before, during and after the time when we expend our own efforts." So grace is not a booster engine that kicks in once our fuel supply is exhausted. Rather, it is our constant energy source. It is not the light at the end of the tunnel but the light that moves us through the tunnel. Grace is not achieved somewhere down the road. It is received right here and right now. It is not a finished touch; it is the Finisher's touch. 

So...what's the main take-away of this whole story here? Waiting at the pool of Besthesda taught me about the importance of faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ. To trust as it says in Philippians 4:7- "And the peace of God, which passeth understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."