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? – John 5:6
Jesus asked many rhetorical questions. As a master teacher, the Lord seemed to use nearly every occasion not only to glorify God the Father but also to instruct disciples. He did not lecture but rather used life’s many issues to reveal the truth. Thus He used questions to make people (re)examine their motives and perspective.
In John 5, when Jesus asked the lame man if he wanted to be made whole, it is clear that He wanted the man to express his desires and admit what he wanted. Too often we see people who are so accustomed to their situation that they are unwilling to change even when given the opportunity. Maybe it is bitterness or skepticism, but all of us suffer from apathy. Having tried and failed again and again on our own, we grow weary of risking disappointment again even if offered help. Enter Jesus the Good Shepherd and Savior.
Jesus Christ is the Savior. He is Savior for today and eternity. Through Christ, God established a renewed relationship with His people. In this relationship, Jesus lifts us up, challenging our assumptions and attitudes making us remember what we wanted in the first place. Like a puppy raised behind a fence, we often believe the obstacles of our past remain just as insurmountable today. We must remember that “things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (Luke 18:27).
“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before” (Philippians 3:13). I want to be made whole. I want to run. Do you?