Suffering. This word has ceased to be an abstract concept for Ukrainians. It has a smell, color, and sound. It suppresses, oppresses, strikes suddenly and mercilessly. And it seems that darkness is winning, and despair is becoming a new reality. Is there any consolation in suffering when there is war all around? Where is God in this suffering? Is it worth relying on the One Who seems to be silent?
For many Ukrainians, these questions are not philosophical. Going through the trials of war, people pray and seek answers. And the media project of the NGO “We Can!” TBN UA channel is designed to respond to the current demands of society. And this time, one of the leading speakers, Bishop Mykola Savchuk, offered an unusual look at a well-known biblical story. And the unusualness lies not in asking God, but in focusing on the questions that the Lord asks a person who is suffering.
So, a brief summary of the biblical story (John, 5:1-15): in Jerusalem, near the Sheep Gate, there was a pool, to which the sick and infirm came to be healed. For an angel of the Lord would descend at times into the pool, stirring up the water, and whoever first managed to step into the water would be made well. Among the other sick people, a man who had suffered from an illness for 38 years was waiting for his miracle. He could not walk, so there was always someone who was ahead of him and was the first to dip into the “healing” water. Jesus Christ saw this sick man, asked him a few questions, and instantly healed him.
The story is short and has a depth that is worth understanding. But first, it should be noted that during the period covered by this story, the Jewish people were under Roman occupation. These were difficult times for the Jews, who worshiped the living God and tried to follow their traditions in defiance of the conquerors. There is a version that the bathhouse near the Sheep Gate was used to wash the sheep, which were then led to the temple for sacrifices. Probably, by stirring the water in the bathhouse, God wanted to show that He honored these sacrifices. The Lord saw that the Jews, finding themselves in captivity, hardship and suffering, continued to worship Him. And, perhaps, as a symbol of His appreciation, the very place where the sheep were washed, for some rare moment became a place of healing. A place of liberation from suffering.
So, the people lay there waiting for the angel to come down, but suddenly the Lord Jesus Christ Himself walked in. He approached the cripple, learned his story, and asked him a few questions. To change things, we must allow God to ask each of us the same question.
The first question: what is happening to you? What are you going through? What is the state of your body, your soul? Maybe it is emotional wounds that you cannot overcome? Maybe it is feelings for someone from your family who is currently at the front, or under occupation, or in captivity. Or the pain of loss that does not subside. Therefore, it is important to remember that God knows about it, God sees it. When Jesus entered the pool and paid attention to the weak, He did not pass by him. Likewise, Jesus will not pass by anyone’s pain. All that is needed is to enter into a dialogue with Him. To release your pain in sincere prayer.
The second question: what do we rely on? We will always have some alternative ways to solve our problem. But let the main hope, the main focus of our attention be Christ. Because, as a rule, we have already tried other options. We need to learn to shift our gaze from the problem to Christ, despite what is happening around. This will give us hope that will not fail and will not falter in the most difficult times.
And the third, perhaps the key one: do you want to be healthy? Do you want this situation to change? How strong is your desire? Very often, when we tell God why something won’t work out, why we can’t, it looks absurd and illogical. The Lord is Almighty. He doesn’t need everything to turn out the way it should. Jesus Christ is looking for one thing – your inner decision to change the state of things.
Sometimes suffering is so unbearable that people see the only way out in death. But a person experiencing despair sometimes confuses the desire to die with the desire to change something. He doesn’t really want to die, he just doesn’t want to live like this. God doesn’t want us to live in despair either. Hopelessness was never His plan for our lives. And when Jesus Christ comes to us, every time it’s a chance. When we feel His touch, hear His voice in our hearts, it’s a chance to get out of the state of despair.
The sick man at the pool responded to the request of Jesus Christ, made an inner decision, and this changed absolutely everything. Perhaps someone today finds himself in a similar state, when there is nothing to hope for, nothing to rely on, no one to call on. Know that the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, is always near. He is at the distance of sincere prayer from us. For every person in suffering, Christ has something to say. We just need to listen and receive comfort and hope from Him. After all, with God there are no hopeless situations.