As preached by Sister Cecelia
Holy Wisdom Church
May 3, 2026
1 John 3:16-24; Acts 3:1-16; John 5:1-15 (Pool of Bethzatha)
Χριστὸς
ἀνέστη! (Khristós
anésti! Христос Воскресе! (Khristos Voskrese!)
This morning’s gospel was about the third miracle that Jesus
did after coming from Judea to Galilee in his public ministry. The first was
changing water into wine. The second was healing the royal official’s son from
afar. Early on, Jesus show us his attitude towards those in need as well as to those
he befriended.
Was Jesus alone when he saw the man in one of the porticoes
near the pool? No mention is made of anyone with him, only that he was on
his way to Jerusalem, keeping the law that on three of the major Jewish feasts,
all men within a certain distance from the temple had to worship in and pay
tribute to the temple.
Jesus asked the man if he really wanted to be cured,
knowing that some invalids can get quite comfortable being cared for. The man’s
answer was immediately -- yes. He explained that others could make it into the
waters before him, since it took him so long to drag himself there. Since he
had been there for 38 years, it seems that miraculous (looking) cures had taken
place during those years. According to history, people of those generations
believed in the miraculous powers of water. Wouldn’t you hold that belief, if
for no apparent reason the still waters of that deep pool bubbled up?
In the gospel account, the man believed that Jesus could
heal him. So strong was his belief that he picked up his pallet when directed
by Jesus and started on his way, only to be challenged by others who saw him
disregarding the Sabbath laws. When Jesus saw him later in the temple, he
counseled him to not make the same mistakes as he had before, as even worse
things might happen to him. (I don’t think Jesus was saying that all diseases
and misfortunes are due to our mistakes, or sins, but in this case the man had
caused his misfortune by what he had done.)
When we have no thought of God, I see a miracle in how God so often seeks us.
No other religion or belief system has the vision of a seeking God. When we are
approached by God, do we open the door of our hearts? In the letters of
St John verse 20 the Risen Christ says: “I am standing at the door and
knocking.”
St Bernard, back in the 12th century, often said this
in his discourses to the monastics: “However early they might wake and rise for
prayer on a cold morning, or even in the dead of night, they would find God…
waiting for them.”
Can we learn to translate the day-to-day happenings in our
journey through life as Christ knocking at our door? Difficulties in our
lives are often seen as obstacles to faith or punishment or disapproval by God.
Yet, so often, they can help us realize our dependence on God when we find we
cannot control everything around us, when we find the strength needed to endure
pain and hardship, when we learn to enjoy all creation and our life.
Besides the miracle of realizing Christ is knocking
at our door, do we see happenings in our own lives or in others as miracles?
Like the paralytic, may we believe in the miracle of Jesus Christ being with us
to help us love one another by truly wishing the well-being of our neighbor.
Christ is Risen!
