"Do you wish to get well?"

 In John 5, Jesus encounters a man who has been sick for 38 years lying near the pool of Bethesda.  We are told that, when an angel of the Lord stirred the waters, the first one into the pool was healed.  The man had been there 38 years, though.  In verse 6 we are told, "When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, "Do you wish to get well?""  This seems like an odd question.  When we are sick, of course we want to get well.  Or do we?  It is amazing how much we wallow in our sicknesses, whether sickness of the body, mind, or spirit.  Sometimes, when I have a headache, my husband will say to me, "did you take anything?"  In my stubbornness, the answer is often "no."  I don't want to take the medicine that I know will make my head stop hurting.  It seems silly, but that is what happens.  Here Jesus gets to the heart of the matter for many of us.  Do we want to get well?  Do we see how our sin is making us sick - spiritually, mentally, and physically?  Do we want to get well?  Often the answer, if we are honest with ourselves, is "no."  We want to wallow in our sin.  We think the momentary, fleeting pleasure will outweigh all the sickness it causes.  We want to decide for ourselves, be in control.  The problem is, that is part of our sickness.  Do we want to get well?  That will require taking the medicine required - surrendering our lives to the Lordship of Jesus because we believe He is who He says He is and He has paid the price for us.  Do we want to get well?  We have to answer that question first.