The Healing Power of Water
The two passages of Scripture for today are both from the hand of the disciple known as the beloved disciple – John. In his Gospel, we have a picture of human suffering that is relieved by the intervention of Jesus and in his Revelation we have a vivid image of a time in the future when all suffering will be past and the only water available will bring healing to all the nations.
The pool of Bethzatha was long believed to be a fictitious place invented by John to tell a story of a miraculous healing by Jesus but archaeological work in the 19th century revealed that not only did it exist but that indeed it was recognized by more than the Jewish people as a place of healing. It is located in what today is the Muslim quarter of Jerusalem in the northern part of the city. At the time that the pool was established it was in a new part of the city and so the area came to be known as Bethzatha. The pool was seen as a place of grace and mercy for those who felt the shame and disgrace of the various disabilities and illnesses that brought them there.
It is clear from the text that many miracles of healing had taken place at this pool. It is also clear that the movement of the water which preceded any healing was not a regular or frequent event and that only the first one to enter the water received a healing. People would come each day expectantly hoping to be the one that the waters would heal. It also appears that people other than those seeking physical healing visited the pool and it is clear that this was not the first time that Jesus had come to this place.
I find it interesting that the lame, blind and paralyzed would visit the pool even on a Sabbath. Obviously they did not believe that God could heal only on 6 days of the week; they were expectant of a miracle regardless of the day. On this particular day when Jesus comes, he sees a man whom he has seen before. We are aware that he has great difficulty moving and that obviously it has taken great effort for him to get there. We are also aware that he has come on his own and has no friends who will stay with him and watch for the movement of the water. The question Jesus asks sounds harsh in a way. Does the man come faithfully to the pool with no expectation of healing? The answer is no. He desperately wants to be healed but his disability makes it impossible for him to get to the water before another; and yet he never loses hope. He consistently and faithfully comes. Jesus has compassion for him and heals him. The man has never given up hope. He has remained optimistic that he will be healed in spite of the challenges he faces. Jesus sees his optimism and hope and gives him the gift he seeks. The man takes up his pallet and walks. The waters of the pool haven’t moved but the living water of Jesus has flowed into the man and he is made well.
In his vision of the future Jerusalem, John sees a river that is the water of life. He describes the water as bright and clear as crystal. One can imagine the water glistening and shimmering in the light. There is a clarity to the water that one could never imagine in this world. This living water flows not from an underground spring of undetermined origin but comes directly from the throne of God. This river runs through the middle of the main street of the city and its water brings life to the tree of life. The living water from the throne of God nourishes the tree of life and enables it to bear the fruit appropriate to each season. It is unclear whether there is one tree of life or many trees of life. I have always pictured a boulevard with a river running through its middle. The boulevard is lined on both sides with the trees of life and they are filled with fruit to nourish the bodies of those who have come to dwell in that place. But there is not just one kind of fruit; there is variety – 12 different kinds of fruit. It is a fruit of the month club but not one that you would ever tire of for the fruit brings not just nourishment of body and mind but also brings peace to the spirit.
And the trees are not just for nourishment. They are also for the healing of the nations. The leaves themselves possess qualities that will heal the peoples of all nations. John is given a vision of a time when all the nations of the world will find what they need to heal themselves in mind, body and spirit.
Perhaps we believe that we are living in a troubled time filled with an uncertain future; John lived in a world that was troubled as well. In fact no generation has truly lived in a world without trouble. We will ever struggle in this world to find total peace until that day when Jesus comes again and ushers in that new heaven and new earth.
But while this is our future we can still strive for peace in the present. We may not be able to eradicate hatred or war or prejudice or suffering from our lives but we can do what we can to relieve it. We can make the decision to make a difference where we are. And so the light of God can shine in the world even be it dimly if we let that light shine through us!