Wait by the water… (John 5:2-3) 230908
Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes. In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame and withered, [waiting for the moving of the waters;] (John 5:2-3)
I used to go to Pulau Ubin for personal retreat. I would simply set out in the late morning, and by the time I reached Changi Village it would be already lunch time. I would take my lunch there and then do some last minute shopping for the things I would need for my retreat, as I would be staying over there for a night. A short bumboat ride brought me to the island and I would quickly rent a bicycle. I would tour around Pulau Ubin on bike and exploring the beauty of God’s creation. I would end up at a beach where I set up my hammock and little shelter with the ground sheets I brought along. Then I spend some time praying and reading the Bible, inviting Him to join me at where I was. After an hour or two of immensely soaking in God’s presence, I would start to prepare my dinner. And after my dinner, I would sit by the sea and watch the sunset. It was so romantic, but I was always alone.
I was alone with God by the water; I was quiet, God was quiet too. I was waiting, God was also waiting. God was waiting for my heart to be fully in tune with Him, God was waiting for me to yearning and hungering for Him. He leads me beside quiet waters (Ps 23:2b). I was just simply enjoying the sense of peace in the presence of God. I could feel that all my stress and worries and anxieties and troubles and all that I had carried with me were taken off. Jesus was there with me, He was among the whistling of the wind, among the chirping of the birds as they were on their way home to their nests, among the waters rushing in and hitting the shore, and also among the hopelessness of those who were sick, blind, lame and withered.
There was once I was practicing Ignatius Contemplation with this passage, stretching from verse 1 to 9. I was led to be that pallet (in some other translation, it’s the mat). I (the pallet) had been there lying with my master for thirty-eight years (v5), I didn’t even know my master name, he was just a nobody. I had heard the whining of others who were also there, some were so sick; they literally died or withered there. Some were blind and some were lame; they couldn’t see and could walk well, and they kept stumbling over me. But had only one hope: for the waters to move. I had long given up that hope, but my master seemed to be still hanging on. Perhaps that was his only hope; there was nothing much he could do, anyway. I had not shifted a single inch for the past thirty-eight years, the chances for my master would step into the pool first when the ‘angel’ stirred up the water was almost closed to zero. I was just trying to be nice here. Anyway, I would rather him to stay where he was; at least I would have a companion until he passed on, maybe a few more years. By the way, I was not at all confident that he would remember me if he ever get well. I thought that he would simply leave me behind and walk off.
Then one day, this man called Jesus came by. He asked a strange question to my master. He asked if my master wished to get well; what a stupid question! Would anyone like to remain in their state of sickness? I was sneering at Jesus’ question in my heart, and then I was struck. I didn’t want my master to get well, I did not think that I would ever get out of this place; I had lost all my hopes. I was hopeless. Then the next thing I heard Jesus saying to my master, “Arise, take up your pallet, and walk.”(v8) Jesus did not only speak hope to my master, He speaks miracle. My master immediate became well and took me and began to walk (v9). I was amazed, not because Jesus healed my master, I knew that He can heal and had healed many others, I was quite sure that He could heal my master if He wanted to. But I was also being lifted up, I was not being forgotten. Jesus did not leave me there, even I was hopeless. Jesus gave me hope.
Jesus was there when I was waiting at the waters; He was there to give me hope. It was at waters, I could wait for hope, even though I was in a hopeless situation. Jesus is among the hopeless. As I reflect upon the experience of being that pallet in this episode of miracle in the Gospel of John, I am delighted to have time to wait by the waters.
Recently, I went with my pastoral team to a retreat at Telunas Beach. It was again by waiting by the waters, I was refreshed and recharged to ministry. It was waiting by the waters that brought me to realize that I got to step out of my boat in order for me to walk on water.
There will be time we will have to wait by the water, as Jesus will come by in the most unexpected manner and ask the most thought provoking question. Jesus will come by to plant the seed of transformation. He will eradicate our hopelessness and turn it into a life of water-walker.
Maybe you are feeling hard-pressed because of your overwhelming amount of work being thrown to you; you need to wait by the water so that you may be refreshed and strengthened by Jesus to face the giants. Maybe you are stressed up by the coming big event in your life which you have no idea what is going on within you; you need to wait by the water for Jesus to sort out your mixed emotions. Maybe you are simply tired of all the religiosity and your spiritual-dryness which you won’t even dare to admit; you need to simply wait by the water to allow yourself to soak deeply in the presence of God with no agenda, just let Jesus’ love and grace embrace you and to know that you are dearly loved by Him regardless of your spiritual condition.
Let’s take time, to wait by the water. It will be stirred… one day…
HHS…
Abel…
