John 5 unveils an historical event and an important truth that should not go unnoticed by pastors and small group leaders. Verses 2 through 6 reads, “Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralysed. One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?”
Clarity is important in the healing process. There are people in your church and in your small group who would lead you to believe that they want to be emotionally whole, that they want to go on a journey with you and overcome the inner turmoil that is haunting them. But oftentimes you need to get clarity from them. You may need to ask them one or more of the questions below.
Do you want to be healed or do you want to be validated?
Do you want to be healed or do you want to be heard?
Do you want to be healed or do you want attention?
Do you want to be healed or do you want to vent?
Do you want to be healed or do you want to be accepted by the community?
Do you want to be healed or do you want to be recognized as someone with leadership potential?
Do you want to be healed or do you want to know that you are loved?