Anchor My Faith

The Unthankful Paralytic

Scripture: John 5:12-15

In our previous lesson, there wasn’t enough space to finish the narrative of the healing of the paralytic man, so we ended at the point where the man, when stopped by the Jews, blamed the one who healed him who commanded him to walk and carry his bedroll. ^{Jn 5:12} [The Jews] asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” ¹³ Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place.”

The Jews saw this man carrying his bed roll and stopped him and reminded him that it was, in their minds, unlawful to do that. The man explained to them that he used to be a paralytic and was healed by someone and that it was he who told him to take his bedroll and go. At this point the perverseness of the Jews became evident because instead of focusing on the miracle and rejoicing with the man, they focused on what they thought to be a violation of the law. These Jews have determined what they believe to be a proper code of conduct and are intolerant toward anyone who violates it. They enjoy the power they experience to control people through their code and care less about helping people in need.  

Once the Jews realized that the man was healed and told to pick up his bed and go, they wanted to know who that person was, so they could go after him, but since Jesus had not identified himself, the man could not tell the Jews. Apparently, the Jews let the man go because ^{Jn 5:14} “Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” ¹⁵ The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.”

It seems that the man went directly to the temple and there he encountered the Jews. He may have gone there because he wanted to give thanks for his healing and or maybe because he had been unable to do so for so long. There Jesus finds him and directs the man’s attention on the fact that he is now well, but then Jesus tells him to sin no more. This seems to imply that he being a former paralytic was the result of a previous sinful lifestyle. We are not told what the man had done, perhaps as a youth, that may have resulted in his affliction. Whatever it was, Jesus said to not repeat that lifestyle. Jesus warned him to be careful how he lived, so that nothing worse would happen to him.

What the man does next, draws a connection back to the statement Jesus made about sinning no more. There was no indication that the man was thankful for having his health restored, but instead resented the fact that Jesus pointed out a previous sinful lifestyle. The man chose to show his resentment by finding the Jews who had stopped him and told them that it was Jesus who had healed him and told him to take up his bed and go.

What happens next will have to wait until the next lesson, which will begin a new section.

Conclusion

Have we not at times acted like the paralytic when being instructed on how to live. It is so easy to focus on the pain of discipline and not on the benefit of what is to be gained by obedience, but in so doing we only cheat ourselves from having a more abundant walk with Jesus.