Today I read John 5. John contains the story of the infirm man at the bath in Bethseda, where the folklore states that an angel will come down and disturb the waters. Whoever is the first person to enter the pool once that happens will be healed of their infirmities, whatever it may be. Jesus was walking by and saw a man who had suffered some infirmity that apparently made it hard to walk, for 38 years. 38 years! That is a very long time, longer than I have been alive. Jesus asked the man if he desired to be healed. The man replied that there was no way he could make it into the waters before someone else because he would need assistance in order to enter the waters and he would never be able to beat those also waiting on his own. So Jesus tells him to take up his bed and walk, which he does.
Now, it was on the Sabbath day and of course the self appointed commandment police of Jerusalem saw him carrying his bed and told him that it was against the commandments for him to carry his bed on the Sabbath. He tells them what has befallen him and they want to know who did this healing on the Sabbath day. He doesn't know but later see's Jesus in the temple. Now this is where it is interesting. Jesus tells the man to sin no more, otherwise a worse infirmity might come on him.
I find this interesting for two reasons. Number 1, it is obvious to me that based on the Savior's language, the man's infirmity for 38 years is because of his own actions, something he did. I really cannot even imagine what the man might have done to make it so he cannot walk on his own, but Jesus' warning leads us to believe that this is indeed what happened. Now this leads us to another thought or conclusion, are there infirmities in our life that are a result of a sinful life? There are obvious infirmities that come from not following the commandments such as sexually transmitted diseases, although it is possible to acquire one of those and not do anything wrong at all, but it is rare. Another obvious one would be health problems from illegal drug usage. But there are other infirmities that can happen to us. Guilt is a powerful thing. Just as it is possible for a person to die from sheer fear, it is possible for a person to make themselves sick just from focusing on it. Therefore I think it is entirely possible for a person to make themselves sick from the guilt of a sinful life. It's just another reason to live a righteous life.
The second thought that comes to me because of the conversation Jesus has with the man, is that Jesus does NOT forgive the man of his sins. Jesus tells the man to go his way and sin no more lest a worse infirmity befall him. But Jesus does not actually forgive the man of his sins. In the past when Jesus has healed someone with an infirmity caused by sins, we assume, He did it by forgiving the person of those sins. This would indicate that of the two infirmities, the man's sins or his physical ailment, the sins were what worried him more. But in this case, Jesus heals him and tells him to sin no more, but never actually forgives the man of his sins. This could be because the man had already recognized his predicament and so had repented of his sins previously, or it could be that the man was not repentant at all and so Jesus felt no cause to forgive him. We don't really know. All we know is that a sinful life was somehow associated with this infirmity.
However, Jesus' advice to the man is something we can all take to heart. If we live a good and sin free life, we are most certainly not guaranteed an easy or trial free life. Health challenges may come to us. But we can be confident of our standing before God and can know that our trials are in no way associated with the way we have conducted our life. Well, at least we can be sure it is not something we caused ourselves, but rather a trial to help us grow because we are doing so well. Trials will come to all of us, it is unavoidable. But some trials we create ourselves. It's just like watching a young child. They are going to fall and get bumps and bruises, but some of the lumps they take are caused by their own actions. They are exploring the world around them and will sometimes do things that no one in their right mind would do, like try and stick a fork in a power outlet! Likewise, there are physical ailments that God does not plan for us to have, but rather are caused by our own actions instead. The way to be sure none of those befall you, is to live a good and righteous life. That way you can be confident that any trials that come your way are not a result of your own actions.
God loves us and wants us to be able to have the type of life we choose for ourselves. But like any parent, He does not want us to suffer needlessly. This is but one of the reasons for the commandments. They are restrictive for our protection. A child might think his/her parents are incredibly mean and don't care for him/her at all because of the rules imposed on him/her such as don't play in the road. But a caring parent knows the consequences of such playing and only wants to protect and ensure the safety of their child. So too is our Heavenly Father trying to warn us and make it so that we are safe from accidents that don't need to befall us if we will just listen. But like most children, we are convinced we know better and are doing it our own way anyway. But if we will just listen, we will not only be protected, but we will be happy also. Until tomorrow.
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