A common Wollof adage affirms that if you fall into a well, however long it takes, a well-bucket (bailer) is sure to find you there.
Jesus was in Jerusalem for one of the Jewish feasts and He visited the Pool of Bethesda where among the great number of disabled people, an invalid who had been there for the past 38 years waiting for a miracle, was singled out for Jesus' attention.
Jesus went directly towards him and asked: "Do you want to get healed?" (v.6b) It became an opportunity for the man to begin to enumerate his woes. "Someone else goes down ahead of me," he complained. (v.7b)
Jesus said to him. "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." (Jn.5:8) Suddenly, his night turned into day. He picked up his mat and started walking away. In spite of the reason for this man's joy, he received a query from the Jews that it was the Sabbath and that it was forbidden to carry any load, - in this instance his mat.
Instead of being jubilant with him , the Jews were trying to pick a quarrel not with him, but indirectly with Jesus.
Do not think everybody is happy when we scale over our problems. Not everyone will celebrate with us over our victories and successes or on occasions when we triumph over adversity. Not so!
This incident confirms that the degree of compassion Jesus displayed for the underprivileged, the downtrodden and the hurting is unparalleled.
Through these acts of kindness Jesus is setting an example and a standard for His followers to 'go and do likewise'.
How ready and willing are we to follow in His footsteps?