Poolside with the Blind, Lame and Paralyzed
Based on John 5.1-9
If you put together two atoms of Hydrogen and one of Oxygen and what do you get? Water. It is simple, yet powerful and both life giving and healing. Water provides far-reaching benefits to the body and mind. Just ask Penny Linder, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) 26 years ago and has been using aquatics, or water exercise, to help relieve chronic pain caused by the neurological disease.
Although Linder may not be able to jump freely into the pool like she did as a child, she values aquatics for what it can provide her both physically and mentally — a chance to feel healthy despite a disability that has gradually curbed her energy. “I don’t feel disabled in the water,” she said. “I feel stronger and more healthy in the pool because I can do things there that I couldn’t dream of dong on land.”
Because water eliminates the effects of gravity on the body, pain and stress on muscles and joints are greatly reduced. As result, Linder and others like her, can stretch and strengthen weakened arms and legs within their full range of motion. While standing in a pool, they can also use the weight of water to help correct problems in gait and balance with less effort than on land. Therapists often supplement a patient’s rehabilitation program with aquatic therapy because warm water has been shown to help increase flexibility, decrease pain, relieve muscle spasms, and improve circulation. (WebMD Health News July 19, 2000 — http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20000719/aquatic-therapy-people-disabilities )
Rewind 2000 years. Jesus had been travelling around the countryside where he met the Samaritan woman at the well and healed the son of a royal official. So having extended his grace to people outside of the religious community, Jesus travels back to Jerusalem and the Temple. As he approaches the courtyard, he encounters a group of people.
We don’t know much about these people. We don’t even know their names. All that we know, which is that they are blind, lame and paralyzed. As is too often the case, they are identified, described, defined and known only by their disability. You have heard it before, like when people describe “that group of disabled people in the group home.”
Well, that group of disabled people—blind, lame and paralyzed—all without names, was hanging out at the poolside, that day when Jesus met them. Why were they poolside, instead of going to Temple? Aside from the fact that only those without “blemish” or infirmity could enter the Temple, they were poolside for healing. See, according to an old legend, the Bethzatha Pool was supposed to have healing powers whenever its waters were troubled and agitated, presumably by an angel. So, many people with disabilities were lying around down by the poolside waiting for a chance to get in the pool when the waters were agitated so they could be healed. Apparently, the blind, lame and paralyzed knew about aquatic therapy 2000 years ago.
Then the story zeroes in on one of those individuals—a man who had been ill for 38 years. What were you doing 38 years ago? What have you done for the last 38 years? This man had been going to pool for relief from his disability. And here’s what the text says. Listen again. “When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him “Do you want to get well?”” Now, given the cultural anxiety over talking with people who have disabilities, I don’t know if Jesus felt nervous as he approached the man, because the text doesn’t tell us. But what we do hear in the text is that whether or not he felt nervous, he took the time to see the man and talk with him.
I imagine the man was shocked! Sure, Jesus often talked with those who were treated as less than fully human in his day. But this was a bit different, because Jesus asked him what he wanted! Instead of assuming he knew what the man needed or wanted, which is what many of us often do when it comes to persons with disabilities, Jesus asked. He gave the man a voice and a say.
So the man replies. He tells Jesus “Sir, I don’t have anyone to put me in the pool when the water is agitated, and if I try to get in by myself, someone else beats me to it.” Think about the concern the man raises. It is as if he is saying “I don’t have anyone to help me when I need it. And when I am trying to do it myself, as society expects me to, other people who are worried only about themselves, rush by me, preventing me from accessing the healing water.” And if you listen, really listen closely to his words; you can hear the frustration of his painful experience as he shares it with Jesus.
A couple of years ago I heard a phrase which has stuck with me: “The Kingdom of God has always been ADA compliant.” Unfortunately, the frustration the man expressed to Jesus that day, still exists today. Although we tend to think that the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, made life better for individuals, accessibility barriers still exist today. We may overlook or be unaware of the obstacles, but they are still there. And being involved with Disabilities Ministries I have had the blessing of hearing many stories of pain and frustration, stories which gave people their voice and helped me to understand better the challenges around us, both in and out of the church.
For example: I recently announced a fall study on the book The Bible, Disabilities and the Church. In my announcement, I assumed that people would be reading the book, after it was ordered and purchased, and then we would discuss it. I thought everything was fine, until I received a message from my friend Bill. I was gently reminded that I might let people know the book is available electronically through Amazon, which provides text to speech. This would allow those with vision difficulties to access and participate in the book study. And I had to admit, that in my desire to make a difference, I rushed right on by the needs of my friend, so that he couldn’t get to the pool. I have also learned that I still make mistakes, but am thankful for my friends who help me learn.
How do we act when we are outside of church? Let’s say we are going to a restaurant and there is a person in a scooter, walker or wheelchair about to enter. Do we rush by or acknowledge the person? Do we assume they need help—or don’t need help—or do we ask if we can be helpful? When the person at the table next to us makes a comment that the print on the menu is too small and hard to see, do we ask if he or she would like help? In other words, do we overlook or help overcome the barriers to accessibility for persons with disabilities?
“Do you want to be well?” Jesus asked. It is a question for all of us to answer. We are all at the pool in need of the one who can take us to that holy and healing place. Sometimes that healing and holy place is here in the church—and sometimes, it is outside in the courtyard of the church. That’s exactly where Jesus went—to the poolside with the blind, lame and paralyzed. And that’s exactly where the man found healing through Jesus that day. Jesus met the man where he was and didn’t pass him by. He took the time to acknowledge and talk with the person who had disability. Jesus asked the man what he needed and wanted, without assuming. And I think we can go and do likewise.
I wonder what it would look like if we all started hanging out poolside with the blind, lame and paralyzed. Imagine we are on our way to church on a Sunday morning and there is a gathering of folk on the bank of the river, just a stone’s throw from the front entrance to the church. What would it be like for us to stop and talk? What would it be like to ask how we could help support them with a Christ-like care? What would it be like to listen to their frustrations and painful stories? What would it be like to be a part of a life changing experience for them?
I think that would be like the Kingdom of God.
revgunnar 