Do you want to be well?

In John’s Gospel, the signs refer to the miracles performed by Jesus.

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There are seven signs in John. The third of these, which today’s Gospel passage narrates, is the healing of the lame man at the pool of Bethesda. We may reflect on Jesus’ question as he approaches the lame man: “Do you want to be well?” (v.6). We wonder why Jesus would be asking such a question. Isn’t it obvious that the man suffering from a serious disability for 38 years would surely want to be healed?

The man answers Jesus indirectly. He tells Jesus about his seemingly helpless condition of having no one to help him to get into the pool right after its water is stirred up by an angel.