Who Needs Healing?

Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Today’s gospel reading is the story of Jesus’ healing of the man who had been ill for 38 years, laying at the pool of Bethesda when Jesus spotted him. Can you imagine being ill for 38 years? It seems that Jesus is often healing those who have been ill for many years. Recall the man born blind, or the woman who was bleeding for 12 years, or the woman bent over for 18 years. It is hard to imagine the pain and suffering, not just physically, but emotionally. For a man to be unable to provide for a family, or a woman unable to care for others, both of which would be expectations of this culture, would be a hardship in addition to the physical illness. They would be social outcasts due to being ‘unclean’ according to the religious standards of the day

This statement by Jesus to the healed man is baffling, “Look, you are well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse may happen to you.” It is hard to imagine anything worse than being ill for 38 years! And he implies that the misfortunes and ailments that befall us are a result of our own sin (which he denies when healing the man born blind.) Today we use the term “blaming the victim” for this kind of thinking. But there is some truth here: perhaps the results of our sin are worse than any illness.  Thinking too much of ourselves, as well as thinking too little of ourselves – both have tragic consequences.

Sin keeps us self-reliant, confident in the identity we make for ourselves. We are disconnected from God and the life we enjoy as the Beloved. The results of sin have disastrous effects for us, our communities and our world. Greed leads to poverty, intolerance and hatred lead to war, selfishness prevents hospitality and the welcoming of others. Not believing in our value and worth deprives the world of the generosity, creativity and hope needed to heal.

As caregivers, we try to understand the suffering of those we love, and we do what we can to relieve it. There are times when we wish Jesus would raise up our loved ones as he did in today’s reading.
We have control of so little, but it matters that we are faithful in our calling. As we are midway through Lent, somehow, I had hoped that I would be “better” somehow after this extra effort in prayer, gratitude, and service. Maybe caregiving is as much for us as it is for our loved one. I realize I am the one who continues to need healing.

Diane Jorgensen