Word to the Wise
Tuesday, March 13, 2018 - 4th Week of Lent - Tues
[Ezek 47:1-9, 12 and John 5:1-3a, 5-16]When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be well?" [John]
The story of the healing of the crippled beggar, like so many in the Gospel According to John, works on a number of levels. Some preachers have called attention to the fact that Jesus heals the man without any expression of faith on the part of the man. In fact, the man may have made a decent living begging by that pool!. Furthermore, once the man figures out who it is that healed him, he goes and tattles to the religious authorities who had criticized him for violating the sabbath by carrying the mat he had used for begging. They, in turn, criticize Jesus for healing on the sabbath. We are not told that the beggar ever does come to faith. As the ironic saying puts it: No good deed goes unpunished!
What captures my attention, however, is Jesus' question to the beggar, "Do you want to get well?" This is a question I find myself asking people who mention behavior in confession that is highly addictive. They know that what they are doing is objectively wrong, but they lack the courage to get the help they need to conquer the addiction. They come, instead, to the sacrament of reconciliation for "guilt-relief." This is not the purpose of the sacrament and does nothing to address the root problem of the addiction which is an illness. So, I ask them, "Do you want to be well?" The old phrase from the catechism which mentions "a firm purpose of amendment" comes into play. More prayers will not address the addiction whether it be alcohol, internet porn, gambling, spending, etc.. Firm steps need to take place. Jesus' question remains: " Do you want to be well?"
Anyone who has participated in an "intervention" knows it is a very difficult experience but it results in a person taking steps to get well. When we ignore addictive behavior in our loved-ones we are "enabling" the disease. We must ask Jesus' question: Do you want to be well? and realize that the person who takes our advice may not thank us for it. AMEN
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