TUESDAY MARCH 12, 2024
TUESDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF LENT B
Ezekiel 47:1-9,12
John 5: 1-16
LEARNING THE VIRTUES OF PATIENCE, ENDURANCE AND FAITH.
People have allegiances and objects of worship. As life is flouted with different types of sorrows, challenges and difficulties, people have different ways of calming themselves, resolving their difficulties and attending to their needs. But the best and ultimate way is recognizing our creator and going back and reclining onto our creator.
The gospel passage of today recalls for us Jesus’ encounter and healing on the sabbath of this crippled man who had waited patiently for thirty eight years beside the pool. The situating of the man is one of pity, compassion because the man has witnessed suffering, agony and strife for so long, over thirty eight years.
But his persistence and expectant faith, long suffering and endurance kept him wishing, and at last there comes the help without much labour. This crippled man reveals the same condition of man on earth. Sometimes we experience same sufferings, agony and human sorrow. It comes in diverse intensity and length of time. For the man, his was being crippled which kept him out of circulation, made him stranded, brought him face to face with sorrow and agony and despair.
Our earthly situation treats us differently but with almost the same experiences. Notwithstanding, we must learn the discipline of endurance and patience from this crippled man. We also learn the virtue of faith, of endurance, never giving up, hoping for the best and trying to overcome.
The best part of this story is the recognition of our challenges, difficulties and agonies by our Saviour and God who watches over us. Jesus not minding all other people in this pool walked up to this cripple, recognizing his peculiar situation, having observed and known his patience, endurance and faith, and requested from the man what he desired.
Not minding the complaint of this man but taking his request and desire, Jesus restores him to good health. Jesus, by words of mouth made the man well again. He only uttered the words, “Rise, take up your pallet, and walk.” And so it was that the man was healed completely.
Jesus never allowed any obstacle to come between him and the man. Not even the sabbath laws stopped him from administering healing to the man. This is the much our God cares for us.
The prophet Ezekiel talks about the water that flows from the temple, the house of God. It makes the trees bear fruits in and out of season and makes their leaves medicinal. That is our God also. His goodness spreads throughout the world.
As we continue our Lenten observances, we are called to embrace the healing powers of Christ and to know that nothing can come between us and our God. All we need do is stay on, endure, have faith in our redeemer and stay tuned to him. He will surely attend to our situations no matter how bad it may have been. God lives and cares for us much more than we think.
God our Father, we continue to witness your love and kindness in providing for our sustenance, protecting our lives, and attending to our needs. As you healed the crippled man, help us to learn the virtues of patience endurance and trust in your ability and power to provide for our sustenance and wellbeing. May we never despair in life or become hopeless. Rather may our hopes be alive and sustained as we overcome all difficulties in this journey of life Through Christ our Lord.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
