The Troubling of the Waters

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The Troubling of the Waters
September 06, 2000

by Rose Murdock

John 5:1-9:

After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

These sick people who had all sorts of different physical problems laid by this pool. Periodically an angel would come and move the waters. When they saw the waters moving, the first one in got healed. This one man had been sick for 38 years. He couldn’t get to the water fast enough. Someone else would beat him to it. Jesus asked him if he wanted to be made whole. He answered by saying he had no one to help him get to the waters fast enough after the angel stirred up the waters.

He may have been hoping Jesus would stay there with him and help him get into the water first. It doesn’t say how often the waters were stirred. But maybe he was hoping Jesus would stick around for a while and maybe if He happened to be there when the waters were stirred he could get healed. Jesus said something different then what he expected. He said, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk.’ Jesus was saying to do it now. Be healed now. You don’t have to wait, healing has come to you today. Quit looking at the waters, look at Me.

Sometimes we need to get our eyes off the way God has moved in the past and receive from the present-day ministry of Jesus. Are we looking for the troubling of the waters when God wants us to look to Him? If we keep our eyes focused on Him we won’t miss the way He’s moving today. It’s important we keep in step with how the Spirit of God is moving today. He just may do something in a different way. He just might say something you don’t expect.

How did the people react?

John 5:10-16:

The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.
He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.
Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?
And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.
Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.
And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.

The religious people of that day--the ones who knew the law--the ones who were supposed to lead people to God and to keep the people up to date with what God was doing--those people had a problem with Jesus healing this man on the Sabbath Day and telling him to take up his bed and walk. They said to this man, ‘you’re not supposed to be carrying your bed, it’s the Sabbath.’ Now what do you think this man who had been sick for 38 years was going to do? Do you think he would say, ‘ Oh, O.K. I’ll lay back down and be sick until tomorrow. Send Jesus back by tomorrow so I can be healed O.K.?’ No way! He had been sick for 38 years, he wasn’t going to lay down another minute. Wouldn’t you think they would rejoice? He told them, ‘this guy healed me and He told me to take up my bed and walk so that’s what I’m doing.’ He knew there was power to the words of Jesus because he was walking. Do you think he would take the chance of not doing what Jesus said and missing an opportunity to be healed? He saw for years possibly how that when the angel moved the waters you had to be quick to instantly jump in or you missed out. He wasn’t about to hesitate and take the chance of missing out on his healing.

Now I’m sure these religious people thought they were doing the right thing. Their reasoning was probably something like, ‘you know, anyone who disobeys the law is not of God because God gave the law.’ Which is probably why on other occasions Jesus gave them examples like taking the ox to go get water on the Sabbath:

Luke 13:10-17:

And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.
And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.
And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.
And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.
The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?
And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?
And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

They got wrapped up in the letter of the law and missed the intent of the law. The letter (of the law) kills but the spirit (of the law) gives life, (2 Corinthians 3:6). Jesus came to set people free. He came to deliver them from the bondage of the enemy. Would He not help a person to be free from bondage just because it’s the Sabbath? The intent of the law is what matters to God.

We can’t allow religious traditions to keep us in the same place of bondage we’ve been in. We need to move when God says move! The religious spirit operating through those religious leaders wanted that man that was healed to stay a little longer in the place of bondage where he had been in order to satisfy their understanding of the law. Instead of being open to the present move of the Spirit they wanted to stay in their comfort zone. Not only did they want to stay in their comfort zone but they wanted others to stay where they were also. They wanted to keep everything familiar to them. They wanted to kill Jesus because of what He did. A religious spirit operating through people will want to kill the move of God. It disregards and downplays the good--the miracles, the healings, the blessings and deliverance of God-- and puts doctrine and tradition above all that.

God is about helping people. That’s what He cares about. We can’t stagnate the waters by trying to figure Him out and limiting Him to how He’s moved in the past. Look to Him now. See how He desires to move today. Don’t look to past experiences, teachings, doctrines and opinions of others. Someone said, ‘the written Word of God should lead us to the Living Word of God--Jesus Christ.’ If we pick apart the Word with our doctrine and theology too much we will take the life right out of it.

It’s time to move on and go forward! Get out of the place of bondage and go on with the Lord into the place of deliverance and freedom that He has made available for us!

God Bless you and have a great day!

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