Take a Galvanized Tub, Add Water And Prayer - IV

I think the day of the Pool of Bethesda Service was a good day for Jesus. Not that I really know whether Jesus has good days and bad days, but since He is fully man, that is fully human, as well as fully God, perhaps some days are better than others for Him.

I think when old Linwood was contemplating the Pool of Bethesda in John Chapter 5 that Jesus had pleasure – I think when Linwood’s thoughts were drawn to Jesus in Jerusalem that Jesus enjoyed it. And I’m pretty sure that as Linwood contemplated serving the people of his little church the way Jesus served the people when He walked this earth that it evoked pleasure in Jesus Christ.

You see, I think Jesus loves it when He sees faith in people. He loved it when He walked this earth in flesh and blood, and He loves it as He walks among us today.  Why I think when Jesus saw Linwood’s thoughts directed to that old galvanized tub that Jesus was amused; not amused in the sense of being judgmental, not amused in the sense of thinking Linwood’s contemplated actions childish, but amused with a twinkle in His eye – amused with joy and merriment. I think that Jesus smiled as He saw Linwood wash that old tub out and clean it, and I happen to think that as Jesus saw Linwood filling that tub with water that He was thinking, “I’m going to bless those children of my Father tonight in that tub, I’m going to bless my brothers and sisters, this is going to be fun – I haven’t had a Pool of Bethesda Service for 2,000 years.”

Now I’ve seen gimmicks and Linwood’s tub was no gimmick, as far as I know he never had another Pool of Bethesda service. That night he used that tub and that water to evoke Jesus at the Pool of Bethesda within his little church – and that little church took off its shoes and socks and responded – and do you know who else responded? Jesus responded. Jesus was right there in that water with those folks laying His hands on them just as sure as Linwood was placing his own hands on that little flock; Jesus saw a shepherd after His own heart.

Sometimes I wonder if we don’t over intellectualize the Good News of Jesus. I’m certain that if Linwood were to appear at my old seminary with his tub in front of the seminary chapel that he’d have few people, if any, take their shoes and socks off and come forward to step in that tub to be prayed for. Linwood’s appearance would be a thing of beauty for Christ and the angels because I believe Linwood would be unaffected by the atmosphere of academia. The sadness would be in the reaction he’d receive. Sadder yet, I’d likely be in the back row, hiding behind some really tall people so that Linwood wouldn’t recognize me and call out, “Brother Bob, it’s you! Come on down and let’s show these folks what this is all about!” Yep, sad to say, I’d be hoping that Linwood wouldn’t recognize me.

Too much pride, too much self-consciousness. Linwood would be on campus as a man; I’d be there as an adolescent worrying about what people think. I’m sure glad Jesus didn’t worry about what people thought as He touched the lepers and other unclean folks; I’m glad Jesus didn’t care what people would think when He called me to Himself and washed me, and as He keeps washing me…and I sure am glad that I was honored, in a little country church, decades ago, to be a witness to how God could use an old galvanized tub, water from a country well, and a pastor with a heart for people, in a 20th century version of the Pool of Bethesda, right out of John Chapter 5.