Bible News: Looking Away From Bethesda [Overcoming Selfishness]

November 12, 2015

The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” – John 5:7

A christian rapper once commented “patiently you turned my heart away from selfishness” This statement goes to confirm something I know about us humans. We think of ourselves first before anyone else and only the spirit of love, which is of God can turn our hearts away form that.

The man at the pool of Bethesda commented that he had been at the pool for 38 years because every time he tries to get into the stirred water, somebody else get in to the water before him.

Should we say those people do not need healing too? Or should they have allowed him and keep their suffering for another year when they had the chance to get saved from it?

The bible says my people perish for the lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6), if that blind man knew who Jesus was and had heard that he is in town, I bet he would have crawled if he had to, so as to get to where Jesus was instead of waiting an extra year for a water that will be stirred once in the year which he might miss due to the number of people trying to get in first.

So we see that the knowledge of where his healing lies could have saved him the trouble of waiting for another year and the ‘water-stirring angel’ to come. He could have just gone to Jesus, even if he had to crawl and be healed. What is more is that if this man had that knowledge and then got healed, he wouldn’t have kept it to himself (like we saw in the chapter) but also tell someone else about it, reason being that, there is more from where the healing came from and you don’t have to wait for a year and the ‘water-stirring angel’. –

So you see knowledge of our abundant life and the blessings that follows are very important tools which God uses to turn our heart away from selfishness. A person who lacks the knowledge and the blessings is bound to envy those who do (Gen 26:13-14) and most times such envy is not righteous like the way God is jealous for us.

Please note that you may be experiencing a phase in your life when it feels like you are not blessed nor living the abundant life, I want you to know that this life does not equate material riches. It is much more that your bank account and properties. It is the joy that keeps you going, the assurance of hope even in the vicissitudes of life. Such joy turns your heart away from being selfish because you are assured of the hope which you believe.

There is a saying that the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, the 2nd best time is now, therefore receive the Lord Jesus today and watch as He gradually change your heart from selfishness through the blessings and the abundant life He alone can give.

By Alex Amos