Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent - Divine Initiative and Intervention

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When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be well?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your mat, and walk.” Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked. John 5:6–8

Let us begin by imagining the overwhelming joy of this man, who was healed after he had been ill for thirty-eight years. He lay on a mat near the Pool of Bethesda, a place where tradition held that the first to enter the water after it was stirred would be healed. Some later traditions associated the stirring of the waters with the Archangel Raphael, whose name means ‘healing of God.’ While Scripture does not link Raphael to this story, his healing nature from other biblical traditions makes the association meaningful for reflection.

When Jesus approaches the paralyzed man and asks, “Do you want to be well?” the question seems almost unnecessary. Who wouldn’t desire healing after suffering for so long? Yet this question points to a deeper reality—one that transcends physical illness. The man’s condition and Jesus’ question symbolize the spiritual paralysis that can afflict any soul trapped in habitual sin. Just as the man could not heal himself, so too are we unable to free ourselves from the weight of sin without divine intervention. Jesus asks us the same question today: Do we truly want to be freed from our spiritual paralysis?

The man’s response to Jesus also reveals an important truth. He says, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me.” This admission reflects a deep hopelessness that those who struggle with habitual sin often experience. Years of failure to overcome sin can lead to discouragement, even resignation. But this very discouragement is where grace begins to work. In acknowledging our inability to heal ourselves, we open the door to Christ’s healing power.

Perhaps Jesus chose this man precisely because he had lost all hope. After thirty-eight years of suffering, he had no one to help him and no expectation of healing. Yet Jesus, in His mercy, intervened. This is a powerful message for all who struggle with sin and despair of overcoming it: There is always hope in Christ. He takes the initiative when we cannot, bringing healing where we least expect it. Picture Christ coming to you today, asking, “Do you want to be well?” Our response should mirror the man’s humility: Lord, I am powerless to free myself from my sin. In this admission of weakness, we allow Christ to work in us. It is through our humility that we prepare to receive His grace. Reflect today on any sin—whether venial or grave—that has become a habitual part of your life. Have you grown resigned to these sins, thinking they are impossible to overcome? Are there sins you have become so accustomed to that you no longer recognize their spiritual harm? Christ asks you today: Do you want to be healed? Acknowledge your weakness, confess your inability to heal yourself, and wait on the Lord. Be attentive, and you will see He is already taking divine initiative, working in ways you might not yet realize. My attentive Lord, You are fully aware of my sin and the burden it imposes upon me. You come to me night and day, asking if I want to be well. Please help me to be attentive to You and Your gentle invitations. Help me to have hope that I can change, grow closer to You, and become the saint You want me to become. Jesus, I trust in You.

Image: Christ Healing the Paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda by Bartolome Esteban Murillo

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