Fifth Sunday of the Holy Lent

from Weekly Bulletin 26th March 2023

Healing the Paralysed

John 5: 1 – 18

Today Sunday 26th March is the fifth Sunday of the Holy Lent. We read today about the the sick man of Bethsaida. He was lying there under a banner of “I have no man”, indicating his helplessness and despair. It is a hard feeling to feel lost, helpless and giving in for a state of sickness or a specific sin or a problem. The Lord is here today calling everyone in such state “you are not alone. you are not neglected and forgotten” The Lord still remembers you stretching His hands to help you. It is a message for all those who are lying there on the shores of Bethsaida watching the Angel of healing with no hope or following the rituals of offerings and sacrifices unable to share or benefit. O you paralysed, lonely handicapped, here is the Lord by your side calling you in the fullness of His Love do you really want to be healed. Do you really want to get well or you just given up or may be enjoying your laziness? It is time to respond and say yes lord I do want to be healed please support my weakness and forgive of slackness. No more excuses for not repent and forsake your bad habits. Be assured He is calling you.

+ About this miracle: This miracle happened at the Sheep Gate at Jerusalem. It has been rebuilt by Nehemiah (Neh 3:1). Sheep used to pass through this Gate on the way to be offered on the Altar. In the Pool of Bethesda sacrifices used to be washed to prepared for offerings. This was a symbol of Christ the real lamb who died for us on the Cross. He carried our sins. “By His wounds, we are healed” Isa 53:5. Here the Lord stands by the pool to offer His mercy to the paralysed man who has been lying there for thirty-eight years. The five porches point to the five sacrifices of the Old Testament and also to the human five senses which are the entrance to human body. They can fill you with blessings or defile your whole body. Here we see a wonderful image of Lord the real Lamb in the fullness of times meeting the lambs offered as a symbol of Him.

+ Let us ask?

Does not the Lord know that this man want to be healed?? He has been sick for thirty-eight years! In fact, the Lord’s question was to clarify important points. The Lord wanted to revive the man’s hopes again. He may have given up after this long time. He may have no more hope of being healed as he said: “I have no man”. The Lord wanted to rekindle the hope in his cold heart. The Lord also wanted this man to feel his need to be healed freely. St Augustine once said: “God Who created you cannot save you without yourself”. A Christian philosopher said: “Thank You Lord for You have given me the freedom that I can disobey you and still live”. The Lord in His tender mercies do not want to force open your closed heart. He wants you to open (Rev 3:20). One of the saint said: The Lord does not fill a filled person nor make a rich person rich” Those who are filled or rich in their own eyes the do need God’s help. The think they are filled and satisfies by this world temporal things.

Do you want to be healed?

The Lord at the sheep Gate ask same question every day. He says I am standing at the door knocking. DO you allow me to enter? I cannot change you without your will. Like the doctor who cannot proceed to do the lifesaving operation without your consent. My son do not be afraid He is the real doctor Who created you on His own image and He is ready to restore you back to your original glory. The Lord will feed your veins with His own blood to cleanse you. One day David the Prophet fall into terrible sin. He was in a great trouble. The Lord sent to him Nathan the prophet to offer him new life through repentance and tears wetting his bed every night (Psalm 50). The Prodigal son has wasted all his livelihood away in the land of corruption, mud and wild beasts. But he was ready and willing to rise from his misery. The Lord hold him and carried him back to safety and life. So many went through this path of willingness

Like Sant Augustine and also St Paesia who was living in sin and sold her body to the devil. The wilderness fathers sent to her St John the short who led her to repentance leading her a new life in Christ. Many similar stories in our church history who has been healed by the true physician.

+ Do you want to be healed:

Come forward. Do not hesitate. The Lord is offering you full free healing through His Precious Blood. Do not say I have no man to throw me into the pool. No need any more for this type man. The Lord is helper for those has none, the hope for those who are helpless. The Lord is not going to expose your weakness. The Lord just want you to restore your freedom which you lost when you went astray to live in the valley of darkness and shadows of death. Would you allow the Lord to heal you?

+ Do not blame me my son

Are you blaming the Lord for He left you for many years in your suffering? Actually, you did not ask for help. You asked the people. You were disappointed for you have no man. You were not waiting for the Lord but for a man to throw you in the pool to be healed when the Angel stirs the water. The Lord came to you when you gave up. Do not lose your hope. The Lord today is saying to you “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.” )Isaiah 43:1,2).

+ Rise, take up your bed and walk

It is an invitation for a new start. To be an ambassador for the Lord, to be a light for the world, to be able to move freely like a bird singing every day to glorify God. You have been cleaned and robed with the Lord’s Righteousness. Now Rise, Take up your bed and walk.

The Pool of Bethesda - First Century Jerusalem

The Pool of the Sheepmarket was just below the Fortress of Antonia.

BETHES’DA (beth-ez’da; Gk. from Aram. Beth hesda, “house of grace”). A springfed pool with five porches where invalids waited their turn to step into the mysteriously troubled waters that were supposed to possess healing virtue (John 5:2-4). The last part of v. 3 and all of v. 4, which mention a periodic disturbance of the water by an angel, are placed in brackets in the NASB because there is not sufficient attestation by early texts. Here Jesus healed the man who was lame for thirty-eight years (5:59). The place is now thought to be the pool found during the repairs in 1888 near St. Anne’s Church in the Bezetha quarter of Jerusalem not far from the Sheep’s Gate and Tower of Antonia. It is below the crypt of the ruined fourth-century church and has a five-arch portico with faded frescoes of the miracle of Christ’s healing.

Pool Of Bethesda

BETHES’DA Heb. “beth Chesda” (house of mercy) Gk. from Aram. Beth hesda, “house of grace”(. A spring-fed pool with five porches where invalids waited their turn to step into the mysteriously troubled waters that were supposed to possess healing virtue (Jn 5:2-4). The disturbance of the water by an angel, are placed in brackets in the NASB because there is not sufficient attestation by early texts. Here Jesus healed the man who was lame for thirty-eight years. The historicity of this site was once in question. Scholars like Dr. Alfred Loisy, claimed the detail of the five porticoes was invented. They said John made it up to represent the five books of Moses, which Jesus came to fulfill. But recent archaeological discoveries have once again confirmed the Biblical account. In 1956, digging at the ancient Biblical site of Bethesda, archaeologists unearthed a rectangular pool with a portico on each side and a fifth one dividing the pool into 2 separate compartments. The place is now thought to be the pool found during the repairs in 1888 near St. Anne’s Church in the Bezetha quarter of Jerusalem not far from the Sheep’s Gate and Tower of Antonia. It is below the crypt of the ruined fourth-century church and has a five-arch portico with faded frescoes of the miracle of Christ’s healing.

Who burnt the car?

By Fr Luka Maher

Prepared by Mrs Mervet Eskander

In 2011 in Egypt, it was a car burning on 6th of October Bridge. People in Egypt saw this scene on TV, however, everyone interpreted it according to his own belief. If he/she believes that no way would any Egyptian person do that but it is the doing of the terrorists; he/she will believe that the terrorists did it even if he hears the news saying that the terrorists didn’t do it. Others say that the free revolutionaries did burn the car even if the terrorists admitted that they were the ones who did it but still believe that the revolutionaries did it. Others accused the army and others accused the police. So everyone interpreted the incident depending on what he/she believes. Therefore, belief is stronger than seeing.

Another example, if you know that a specific type of a car is very popular and you know a friend who bought it and he is very happy with it and assured that this car is the best car he got in his entire life. Because you trust you friend too much, if anyone else comes and tells you that the car causes accidents and it is not that good, you wouldn’t believe him and you would believe your friend more. On the other hand, if you see a great enticing advertisement on TV about another car, but your friend tells you that car is not good. You will not buy the car as your friend’s words to you were more important than that enticing advertisement. Your belief and trust in your friend are more important than what you see. Why we say that? Because we have this question; why we can’t see God as long as He exists? Why He doesn’t make us see Him to believe in Him? But the faith is more important than seeing.

St Mary’s apparition at St Mary’s church in Al Zeitoun suburb in Cairo 1968, how many people saw her? How many people from different religions saw her? And how many people from different dogmas saw her? Miracles happened to many of them. Did their beliefs change? NO. So seeing doesn’t make difference to people but the faith.

There is another reason that faith “belief” is more important than seeing; that question, why God doesn’t show Himself to believe in Him? In fact He showed us Himself, but people didn’t believe in Him. God incarnated in the flesh as Jesus Christ the Son of man, He resurrected Lazarus from death after 4 days, the result was; people wanted to kill Lazarus so no one follows Jesus Christ and believes in Him. Jesus Christ resurrected after 3 days as He said but the result was; the Jews gave money to the Roman soldiers to deny His resurrection although they knew that He resurrected because they bribed the soldiers otherwise they wouldn’t bribe them. Well, they didn’t believe, faith is internal persuasion so the person who really search for the truth and ready to believe; God reveals Himself to him not necessarily through seeing, but within the heart and faith. Now did you realize that faith is more important than seeing?!

New Building progress at St Mary’s Church.