Pools of Bethesda: Part 3

Photo taken of flower on top of the Mount Precipice, May 2010

"because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised." John 4: 16-20

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This scripture tells us who Jesus was sent to preach the gospel to: The poor, the brokenhearted, the captives, the blind, and the bruised.... the people found at the Pools of Bethesda.

I recently spoke to a friend on the phone who is a therapist. She said that she was asked to do some volunteer work at a addiction/abuse clinic. At first, she was hestitant to go, since she thought it would be difficult to work with people described as being at the "bottom of the pool". However, after working with some of this people.. "the captives, the bruised",.. she realized that many of them where finding ways to rise back to the "surface". One patient asked her, "Is it okay to pray to God all the time during the day?.. (since she was worried that she would be bothering God.) She continued on to say that praying to God is the only thing that get her through another day. Only if we who might find ourselve above water to be as reliant on God, as we should be.. instead of being prideful to think we can do things ourselves and don't need His help.

We find ourselves on all different levels in the pool of life.. Some floating easily on the surface.. maybe on floating devices (possibly with some of the air starting to escape and they beginning to sinking). Others without a device are in physical shape to tread water day after day. The weaker ones seem to swallow water and are sinking. Some have already hit the bottom of the pool. While some stay at the bottom of the pool, others are finding ways to rise back up to the surface.

What is our role as disciples of Christ? Is it not our role to help those at the bottom of the pool to rise back up to the surface?

I chose this photograph to close my thoughts on the lessons I learned from the Pool of Bethesda. and use the photo of a flower from ontop the Mount Precipice?
Why the significance of Mount Precipice? In John chapter 4, tells the story about how angry Jewish worshippers drove Jesus away from the Synagogue, attempted to throw him off the cliffs, and he disappeared before their eyes "in the midst of them". This photo is taken of a flower on top of that cliff mountain.. known as Mount Precipice (meaning a very steep cliff)

We read, "And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong."

This flower is very symbolic for me. It is an example of a juxtapostion. High on the cliff, this flower rises and blooms out of little to no water, thorns, weeds, and rocks. It was here on these cliffs that Christ was supposedly cast down by his enemies, yet He rises above. Using this example of this flower, we have the choice to either stay down (where we were pushed down or jumped ourselve).. or rise up..despite our circumstances.

We also have a responsibility as followers of Christ to help those found at the "depths of the pools of Bethseda".. the downtrodden, to rise up... and walk.