Waters of Transformation:
Seeking Wholeness at Bethesda
Seeking Wholeness at Bethesda
In the Gospel of John, we encounter a powerful scene at the pool of Bethesda. A man who had been ill for thirty-eight years lies among many others with various afflictions, all waiting for the stirring of the water that was believed to bring healing. Jesus approaches this particular man and asks him a question, that seems almost obvious: "Do you want to be well?"
This question is far more profound than it first appears. The man doesn't answer with a simple "yes." Instead, he explains why he hasn't been healed yet: "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me." His response reveals how his identity had become intertwined with his condition, and perhaps how he had grown accustomed to his circumstances despite their painful limitations.
Jesus doesn't debate the man's explanation. He simply commands: "Get up, take up your bed, and walk." And immediately the man was healed.
Today's scripture invites us to consider our own need for healing. When CJesus asks, "Do you want to be well?" he's inviting us to honest self-examination. Sometimes, we become so accustomed to our brokenness that it becomes part of our identity. The paralytic had spent nearly four decades in his condition - longer than many of you reading this have been alive. His life had been defined by his limitations.
What healing do we need to ask for today? Perhaps it's an addiction that has quietly taken root in our lives. Addictions can manifest in many forms - substances, behaviors, or thought patterns that we return to compulsively despite their harm to our relationships, our health, or our spiritual lives.
The grip of addiction often tightens so gradually that we hardly notice until we find ourselves unable to break free. It might be alcohol or drugs, pornography, gambling, or even seemingly benign things like excessive social media use, work, or food, which is my weakness and go-to in times of stress. I find food to be my addiction. A difficult battle indeed. These dependencies promise comfort or escape but ultimately leave us more isolated and wounded. That's a big yes for me.
Like the paralytic by the pool, we may have crafted elaborate explanations for why we remain unhealed: "I've tried before," "Nothing works for me," "No one understands what I'm dealing with." Yet Christ's question cuts through these justifications: "Do you want to be well?"
This is a moment for honesty before the Lord. The first step toward healing is acknowledging our need for it. We need not fear this vulnerability, for Jesus approaches not with condemnation but with compassion. He sees beyond our dependencies to the person he created us to be.
Healing rarely happens instantaneously as it did for the man at Bethesda. For most of us, it's a journey that requires persistent prayer, the support of others, and often professional help. But it begins with that moment of honesty before Jesus - admitting both our desire to be healed and our inability to heal ourselves.
In the sacrament of Reconciliation, we find a profound opportunity for this encounter with Jesus Christ's healing presence. Through the ministry of the Church, we hear those words of restoration, "Your sins are forgiven," and receive the grace to begin anew.
Today, can we hear Jesus asking us, "Do you want to be well?" Can we respond not with explanations or excuses, but with a simple, "Yes, Lord"? The same Jesus who commanded the paralytic to rise and walk desires our wholeness too.
The healing at Bethesda reminds us that no condition is beyond Jesus Christ's power to transform - not even addictions that have held us captive for decades. In his presence, we can find the courage to name our dependencies, to surrender them to his healing touch, and to rise and walk in newfound freedom.
©2025 James Dacey Jr.
