Do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse may happen to you

12 MARCH (Jn 5,1-16)

In the Old Testament the only case of healing immersion in the Jordan River waters is that of Naaman the Syrian. However, this happened through the word of Elisha. It is not the water that holds therapeutic qualities, but obedience to the word of the prophet of the living God. For Naaman it was a test of true faith.

When Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his garments, he sent word to the king: “Why have you torn your garments? Let him come to me and find out that there is a prophet in Israel.” Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. The prophet sent him the message: “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will heal, and you will be clean.” But Naaman went away angry, saying, “I thought that he would surely come out and stand there to invoke the Lord his God, and would move his hand over the spot, and thus cure the leprosy. Are not the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be cleansed?” With this, he turned about in anger and left. But his servants came up and reasoned with him. “My father,” they said, “if the prophet had told you to do something extraordinary, would you not have done it? All the more now, since he said to you, ‘Wash and be clean,’ should you do as he said.” So Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times at the word of the man of God. His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. (2Kings 5,8-14).

Not even the water in the pool of Bethesda has therapeutic virtues. According to an ancient belief it was thought that an angel came from heaven to agitate the water. The first that went down into it, after the shaking of the angel, was healed. The paralytic cannot move. He needs help. No one offered it to him. Everyone thinks of his illness and his recovery. Jesus sees this man and takes pity on him. He heals him not leading him into the water, but merely by ordering him to get up, take his stretcher and walk. As soon as the order was given, the paralytic immediately gets up and starts walking, carrying his stretcher with him. But, that day was a Saturday.

After this, there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem at the Sheep (Gate) a pool called in Hebrew Bethesda, with five porticoes. In these lay a large number of ill, blind, lame, and crippled. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be well?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your mat, and walk.” Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked. Now that day was a Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who was cured, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.” He answered them, “The man who made me well told me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.'” They asked him, “Who is the man who told you, ‘Take it up and walk’?” The man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away, since there was a crowd there. After this Jesus found him in the temple area and said to him, “Look, you are well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse may happen to you.” The man went and told the Jews that Jesus was the one who had made him well. Therefore, the Jews began to persecute Jesus because he did this on a Sabbath.

Read allegorically, today’s Gospel teaches us a great truth. Man does not think about the other man. He does not have the capacity by nature. A paralyzed man cannot help another paralytic and what might a poor ever give to another poor? However, it is not only due to reasons of will. It is a matter of true impossibility of nature, essence. Man is a poor, miserable and helpless substance. He lies in front of the pool and he remains there for many years. This is the condition of our human nature.

For us to be able to do the good, always, to all; the transformation, healing and restoration of our nature is necessary. This is the work of Jesus Christ and his Holy Spirit alone. If Christ does not pass next to us and does not heal us; if the Spirit of God does not enter our heart and does not change it, none of us might do real good. We have the desire of doing it, but not the ability. Christ today must be brought, carried. Who must carry is the Christian. Today, he is the only true bearer of Christ.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints transform us in our nature.