38 YEARS IS A LONG, LONG TIME
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily is, “38 Years Is A Long, Long Time.”
When we first hear that the man in today’s gospel was sick for 38 years,
it can get us to pause. 38 years is a
long, long time. 38 years is long time to be begging and to be crippled -
finding myself inside or outside of the temple and not getting any help or healing.
BRUCE MALINA AND
RICHARD ROHRBAUGH
Bruce Malina and Richard Rohrbaugh in their book, Social-Science Commentary on the Gospel of John, in talking about
today’s gospel wrote, “Sick persons lying beside the pool would have been
there, not only to see healing, but also to beg. Such beggars were among the socially
expendables, the unclean ‘throwaway’ people who frequented every preindustrial
city. In this same category were prostitutes, the poorest day laborers, tanners
(forced to live outside the cities because they smelled), peddlers, bandits,
sailors, hustlers (for example gamblers,
usurers), ass drivers, dung collectors, and even some merchants.” [Cf. page 111.]
So the man in today’s gospel is one of the many in the temple area who would be begging - and wanting to be healed.
Did you hear today’s first reading and it’s beautiful description of the
temple as an oasis, a place of healing, with flowing water, lots of flowing water as well as various fruit trees.
When Mitzi was doing our first reading this morning I could hear the water
flowing. I can picture the beautiful fruit trees lined up along the marble
alcoves and steps. [Cf. Ezechiel 47: 1-9, 12.]
So too as I hear about this man in today’s gospel, who was sick for 38
years, I can picture the scene. [Cf. John 5: 1-16.]
FIRST REACTION
My first reaction is this: 38 years is too long to be sick and crippled.
Reading Malina and Rohrbaugh, I said to myself, "In Annapolis and in
this church and in our lives - there are are all sorts of people. We might not
have any tanners - we might not have any people who think their lives stink.
But we certainly have people who have hurts sitting there with them, on their
back, in their mind, all through the years."
For 38 years? Some.
And then we notice them from time to time. A gospel like today’s gospel
can trigger personal realities - our inner stuff. They show up on the doorstep of their memory - from
time to time.
And we all have memories - long term memories. And as you know, our long
term memory brings us our best and worst stories.
A personal question: Does anyone here today in this temple have a hurt that is at least 38
years of age?
Examples: a guy was dating this wonderful woman. Surprise, out of the blue, she tells him, "That’s it." It wipes him out. Then he walks with that hurt for the next 38 years.
Example: someone in the family says something taken as a nasty. Then someone holds onto that hurtful comment for the next 38 years.
Example someone makes a mistake. They steal something. They get caught.
The family name is in the paper. Then they
have that on the front page of their mind for the next 38 years.
Example: someone has an operation on their ankle and the doctor makes a
mistake. As a result, they have to walk around with a limp for the next 38 years of their life.
TODAY’S GOSPEL
Today’s gospel has a great question:
Jesus asks us “Do you want to get
well?”
Today we can answer: "Yes!" But who and how can we be healed?
Answer: Jesus - it’s not the Sabbath but he can do it today - this Tuesday morning. Jesus can wash us clean with his cleansing
water as we heard in today’s gospel.
Picture that.
O O O O O O O O O O
Painting on top: Paul Aeretsen, The Healing of the Cripple at Bethesda
