I
have seen many pictures of the sky reflected on still waters, but
this one is a bit different. What is causing that zig-zag pattern
below the boat? It doesn’t look like its coming from either the sky
or a reflection of the boat, so, what is it? Frankly, I just can’t
figure it out and that bothers me some. But, you know, there are some
things we just never can understand, so I guess this “troubled
waters” picture will just be added to the long list of things I
don’t know.
BUT,
it did remind me of a passage from the Bible in the book of John….
John
5 ( World English
Bible )
Joh 5:1, After these things, there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus
went up to Jerusalem.
Joh 5:2, Now in Jerusalem by the sheep gate, there is a pool, which
is called in Hebrew, “Bethesda,” having five porches.
Joh 5:3, In these lay a great multitude of those who were sick,
blind, lame, or paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water;
Joh 5:4, for an angel of the Lord went down at certain times
into the pool, and stirred up the water. Whoever stepped in first
after the stirring of the water was made whole of whatever disease he
had.
Joh 5:5, A certain man was there, who had been sick for thirty-eight
years.
Joh 5:6, When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had been
sick for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to be made well?”
Joh 5:7, The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me
into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I’m coming,
another steps down before me.”
Joh 5:8, Jesus said to him, “Arise, take up your mat, and walk.”
Joh 5:9, Immediately, the man was made well, and took up his mat and
walked. Now it was the Sabbath on that day.
Joh 5:10, So the Jews said to him who was cured, “It is the
Sabbath. It is not lawful for you to carry the mat.”
Joh 5:11, He answered them, “He who made me well, the same said to
me, ‘Take up your mat, and walk.’”
Joh 5:12, Then they asked him, “Who is the man who said to you,
‘Take up your mat, and walk’?”
Joh 5:13, But he who was healed didn’t know who it was, for Jesus
had withdrawn, a crowd being in the place.
Joh 5:14, Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to
him, “Behold, you are made well. Sin no more, so that nothing worse
happens to you.”
Joh 5:15, The man went away, and told the Jews that it was
Jesus who had made him well.
Joh 5:16, For this cause the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought
to kill him, because he did these things on the Sabbath.
On
that list I mentioned earlier, would be the question; how was the
angel who came to the pool able to heal people? Also, was there a
link between the lame man’s crippled life and sin? That Jesus
healed him there is no doubt, but exactly how Jesus did it is beyond
me. While I am at it, how could the Jews be so upset that the healed
one was carrying his mat and yet fail to rejoice over his healing.
And to hate Jesus for doing this good deed…?
Part
of experiencing the human condition we call life is to encounter
things we do not or perhaps will not ever understand. Yet, even in
our lack of understanding we find goodness, for looking at the water
in the picture and wondering how the pool was used by an angel to
heal makes us think and then ponder and that is good. If we do the
same things concerning Jesus we are well on our way to growing
spiritually and that is a GREAT THING!