Why are you at the Pool?

I love to go to the pool on a nice day. Mostly, I just take my grandkids and watch them splash around. You can learn so much by watching people. The pool is a very interesting place to do some of your best "people-watching".
While I was spending time with my grandchildren at the pool one day I began to really watch people. The Lord brought this example to my mind. The pool has a purpose-for exercise, refreshment and fun. I saw my grandkids having a great time splashing around, playing with toys and making an attempt at what they called swimming. I saw others swimming back and forth getting their workout in. I saw others standing in the water just relaxing and enjoying the coolness. I saw others laying on the furniture sunning themselves.
I was reminded of the story In John chapter 5 of the man that lay at the side of the pool for 38 years. Every year at a certain time, the angel of the Lord would trouble the water and who ever got in first was healed. This man made a habit of just laying there and then making an excuse that someone would always get in before him. Interesting concept-blaming your lack of faith and effort on other people's motivation. Ah,,it still happens today. As I watched a little closer I realized we were all at the pool for different reasons. Some for exercise, others for pleasure sensation of the water, then the others at the side of the pool. Those people are the most interesting really. They have no intention really of using the pool at all. They lay on the side, greasing their skin and trying to look cute in suits that were created to get wet....but no! If water comes near them they go into a panic-mode and become extremely angry. Their goal is to attract someone's gaze.
In life, we can participate or just lie there, acting like we are part of it. The man laid by that pool and made excuses for 38 years! When Jesus came to offer the man what he supposedly wanted, he again made an excuse. Jesus basically said "Look, do you want to get well or not?!!" He is asking us the same question. The pool of life is available to all of us and it has a purpose. Are we motivated to get in and use it or are we satisfied with just laying around the side of it, looking cute but really not doing anything at all with it. Jesus is asking us today "Do you want to get well or not?!! Selah--stop and think about that
Pastor J