Do You Really Want to Be Well?

Jesus never asked a stupid question in His entire ministry, so when He asks something that seems obvious, we better pay attention. Today we're looking at what might be the most penetrating question Jesus ever asked a hurting person.

John 5:6 "When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, he said to him, 'Do you wish to get well?'"

If you were standing there watching this scene unfold, you might be thinking, "Bro, read the room. Obviously this guy wants to be well!" Nobody goes into a cancer ward and asks, "Do you wish you'd be better?" Of course they do! So what's Jesus doing here?

I think there are a couple of reasons why Jesus asks this question. First, when people have been taken care of their entire life, sometimes it's easier to continue receiving the care they're getting than to try and find work midway through their life. Think about it – this guy's been lying at this pool, he's in the shade, watching everyone else out there in the sun hustling and bustling, carrying their load. The prospect of getting better meant he'd have to get to work.

I remember talking with a guy who works in the LA prison system, and he told me that sometimes people get out and immediately rob a store, then wait for the cops to show up. They'd rather go back to a place where they have their own bed, three meals a day, can work out, and don't have to work than face the uncertainty of freedom.

If we apply this spiritually, there are many people who claim they want to be made right with God, but when the Great Physician presses and probes, the real question emerges: Do you really want to give up your sin? Do you really want to get rid of your pride, your reputation? Do you really?

Second, Jesus was forcing this man to articulate that he couldn't heal himself. The healing this man needed was entirely a work of God. Jesus always asks questions because it solicits self-examination, and when the person responds, it forces them to magnify their needs so that in the aftermath there's a magnification of the glory and grace and power of God.

The man essentially says, "I cannot heal myself. I'm desperate." And that's exactly where Jesus wants him – and us.

You see, many of us want the benefits of knowing Jesus without the cost. We want the peace without surrender. We want the forgiveness without repentance. We want the salvation without the Savior being Lord. But that's not how it works.

Jesus is asking you the same question today: Do you really want to be well? Not just forgiven, but transformed? Not just saved from hell, but saved from yourself? Not just your sins dealt with, but your heart changed?

This question cuts to the heart of authentic faith versus convenient religion. It's the difference between wanting Jesus as Savior versus Jesus as both Savior and Lord.