The man didn’t know who healed him

John 5:9-13 NLT
Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath, so the Jewish leaders objected. They said to the man who was cured, “You can’t work on the Sabbath! The law doesn’t allow you to carry that sleeping mat!” But he replied, “The man who healed me told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’” “Who said such a thing as that?” they demanded. The man didn’t know, for Jesus had disappeared into the crowd.

Years pass by quickly to the happy and healthy,  but thrifty eight years of disease must have worn a slow and weary path for this helpless man. When Jesus healed him simply by speaking a word to him while he lay beside the pool at Bethesda,  he was delightfully aware of a change.

And don’t we understand that the sinner who has been paralyzed with shame and dispair, and who has wearily hoped for salvation, is very aware of the change when the Lord speaks a word of per,  and gives them joy and peace in believing? The evil being removed is too great for us to not notice, the life gift given to us is to remarkable for us to possess it but remain unchanged or inactive in our faith, the change made on the inside is too marvelous to not be visible on the outside as well.

Yet the poor man was ignorant of the author of his cure; he did not know the sacredness of the person of Jesus, he did not know the heavenly titles that Christ holds,  nor did He understand the errand which had brought God to live amongst man in the flesh. There is much ignorance of Jesus that may remain in the hearts of even those who feel the power of his blood.

We must not be quick to condemn others for their lack of knowledge. Where we can see faith that restores the soul, we must believe that salvation has been granted. The Holy Spirit makes men repentant long before he makes them divine, and those who believe what they know, will so know more clearly what they believe.

Ignorance is,  however, an evil; for this poor man was provoked and taunted by the Pharisees, and was quite unprepared to deal with them. It is good to be able to answer the naysayers, but we can’t do that if we do not know the Lord clearly and have understanding. The cure for his ignorance, soon followed the cute of his infirmity, when he was visited by the Lord in the Temple; and after that gracious manifestation,  he was found testifying “it was Jesus who had made him whole”.

Lord,  if you have saved me,  show yourself to me,  so that I can declare you to the sons of men.

[ Adapted from Charles Spurgeon – Mornings and Evenings – May 8 Morning ]