First Reading - Ezekiel 47:1-9,12
Gospel - John 5:1-3,5-16
In the first reading, the prophet Ezekiel depicts the symbolism of hope for the people of Israel in Exile. The imagery of perennial stream, issuing from under the threshold of the temple and falling into the Dead Sea, is depicted as the source of life and nourishment for trees and plants along the sides and aquatic animals in the stream. The imagery of the river even transforms the nature of the Dead Sea by giving a fresh life to it. The vision of the prophet is replete with profound meaning of hope and encouragement. The people are encouraged by the prophet to remain steadfast in their hope because it's through God life and hope comes forth. The prophet means to press this point down that it's God who is the source of life and hope just as the river running through the land gives life to the trees, plants and aquatic animals so is the God who is the source of life, just as the river brings a fresh life in the Dead Sea, which seems impossible, so is the God who makes impossible things possible.
The gospel passage gives us a sense of hope and gratitude to God. The episode of the man lying at the pool of Bethesda (It means house of mercy) for thirty eight years. This shows hopelessness of man. This hopelessness is seen when Jesus asks him: "Do you want to be healed?" The reply of the man is replete with blame on his fate and helplessness as no one assisted him when the water of pool got disturbed by the descent of the angel of the Lord. The command of Jesus to take up the mat and walk seems a bit surprising for him but he does it. Consequently, He receives God's mercy and gets healed.
The second part of the scene shows the Sabbath controversy at the picking of the mat by the paralytic. The paralytic is interrupted by the Jews for such an act on the Sabbath but the answer of the man suprises us as he still does not recognize the divine grace but puts the blame on the healer for carrying his mat. At the second meeting, Jesus warns him that he should recognise that his cure is a divine favour and that must be acknowledged by conversion; forgetting to do so may risk something worse than the disease ("Now you are well again, do not sin any more, or something worse may happen to you".).
Dear friends, God nevers deserts us in our hopelessness or helplessness. He comes to assist and give us hope. The prophet Ezekiel witnesses this through the symbolism of running stream from the threshold of the temple and Jesus demonstrates it by curing the paralytic lying at the pool of Bethesda for thirty eight years filled with negativity and helplessness. God continues to give us hope in our desperate situations and hopelessness, provided we are ready to perceive and accept it. Regarding the paralytic, he accepted the command of Jesus and found himself healed. We also need to perceive divine favours we receive through different events, people, and circumstances and acknowledge them. This will help us overcome our hopelessness or negativity.
We also need to avoid putting blames on others for our miserable state of life or any kind of state of life we are in. Many times, we hear people say - I am like this because of such and such situations or I am like that because of such such people. They are noway can justify their situations but we have to find a way improve it. The improvement must be initiated by oneself rather than somebody outside. This is what Jesus also taught the paralytic when he asked him take up the mat and walk. It was an invitation given to him to take upon himself a change. It's to say we are responsible for the change of our life.
Let's pray that we may never be disheartened by hopeless situations of life but always may find hope in God.
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