Can you imagine what it must have been like for the man at the pool? Day in and day out for thirty-eight years, the same old thing. Then one day out of nowhere comes a man, who with the sound of his voice, turns this man’s world upside down. Just think about that for a minute. The sound of a voice asking what seems like a ridiculous question “Do you want to be well?” I might have been a little sassy in my reply. Do I want to be well? Is this a joke? Of course I want to be well. I not just hanging around here for the view.
So, what is it about that voice that makes this so different? It’s the voice of truth, the great “I Am” speaking. The man in this gospel was not calling out to God for help, he was not begging for anything. He was just there, and Jesus went to him. He really didn’t answer Jesus’ question. He came up with all the reasons he could not get to the water to be healed without answering the question he was asked. And yet the voice of the unknown man tells him to “Rise, take up your mat, and walk” and he does.
God is always seeking us out even when we are not asking for him. He is always right there waiting for us. He sees when we need his help and waits for us to hear his voice. Just like the man at the pool, Jesus knows all the excuses we will come up with before we even say them and yet he is still right there calling out to us. Just like the man at the pool, who did nothing to earn God’s mercy but be, we too are given God’s mercy freely. Let’s just pray that when we hear the voice of truth calling out to us, we will get up and respond to his call.