Word for the day by Christian Educator Forum

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Just Keep Standing!!!
St. John 5: 1-9 
Dr. Rick Rigsby, a motivational speaker shares how his Dad, a third grade dropout and a cook who inspired him all his life especially during the death of his beloved wife due to breast cancer. He comes to him when he was stranded near the casket with three words, “Son!, Just keep standing!” . Our Savior mentions to us this morning that whoever are, stuck, struck, stranded and saturated in certain painful/miserable circumstances to “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” It could be abandonment, bitterness, betrayal, depression, disappointments, frustrations and many such as these.
 In this beautiful miracle narrative, A paralytic man was waiting near the pool as a disabled person for the last 38 years, looking out for able people to help him to have an experience in the pool of healing formulated by blind beliefs and attachments. The name of the pool is said to be derived from the Hebrew language  Beth hesda , meaning either house of mercy or house of grace. In both Hebrew and Aramaic the word could also mean "shame, disgrace". This dual meaning may have been thought appropriate, since the location was seen as a place of disgrace due to the presence of invalids, and as a place of grace due to the granting of healing.[1]. Jesus urges himself out of compassion to initiate and intervene so as to bring meaning to the place and person.
 The intervention of Jesus turns the atmosphere of blind faith into real faith encounter with God and the journey of resentment into restoration. Our real faith in Jesus according to the will of God removes all mediations towards our physical, mental and spiritual needs. Ignorance of our own abilities is a disability in itself and as restored people, we need to extend and share the wellness to needy and neglected. We live in a world that everything and everyone does not revolve around the term, “All is Well”. There are so many who need our empathetic initiative and graceful intervention, just like our Master reflected when he was with us. 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Are we standing or stranded???

PRAYER
Lord, strengthen me to turn life journeys of resentment into restoration.

Rev. Thomas Kurian, Mar Thoma Church of Oklahoma.

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