Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.”
– John 5:8 (NIV)

In the opening of Chapter 5 of the Gospel of John, Jesus heals a man who had “been an invalid for thirty-eight years” (5:5). The big deal to the Jews that were present for this event was that Jesus healed this man on the Sabbath. In Jewish tradition, the Sabbath was created for resting – not working, so this was a big no-no. However, Jesus healing on the Sabbath is not what draws me to write about this scene. What draws me to write about it is what I have learned from Jesus’ interaction with the sick man.

Jesus first asks the sick man if he wants to be made well (5:6b). The sick man’s response to Jesus is not really an answer to that question, but a list of excuses: “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me” (5:7). Without skipping a beat, Jesus says to the sick man: “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk” (5:8).

Since I consider myself a Christ Follower, and that means doing all that I can to live my life the way Jesus lived His life, I spend a lot of my time paying attention to the way Jesus talked to people and the way He interacted with people. What I have learned from this interaction are two very important character traits of Jesus’ that I am afraid are often overlooked, by others and myself.

The first is that Jesus was not going to help those who did not want His help. He did not assume that, just because He was Jesus, everyone would want to receive healing or advice from Him, or to follow Him. Jesus knew that He could only help those who wanted His help – who were willing to be helped. For me, this is a hugely important lesson. I must always remember that just because I think I know what might be best for someone else does not automatically mean that they want my advice on the matter. Furthermore, just because something has worked in my own life does not mean that it will work for someone else. Unless someone asks me for advice, suggestions, or to share my experience, it is probably best to remain silent. If I really feel the need to share with someone what I think they should be doing, it is always best to open with a question like: “Would you like some advice?” or “Do you want to hear my experience with that?”

The second thing I love about this scene is Jesus’ complete lack of negative enabling. When the sick man responds to Him with excuses, Jesus simply tells him to “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk” (5:8). Jesus does not bend over, pick the guy up, and carry him over to the water. He does not treat the man like an invalid. He tells him what to do and the guy is healed. It is this second half of the lesson that is probably most important for me. Once I have done what I can to help someone, I need to stand back and allow that person the dignity to pick up their mat and walk. It is not my job to carry anyone to healing or to making better life decisions. In this scene, Jesus clearly showed me that it does not work that way.

Finally, the scene reveals to me a truth about myself when I am sitting in self-pity. I hate to admit this, but just like the invalid, I have often listed excuses for why I am not succeeding in life or why I am unhappy. This scene demonstrates for me that Jesus will help me, but I must be a willing participant in my own healing. I must pick up my own mat and walk when He tells me to.