“Do You Want to Be Well?”

Note: On Tuesdays and some Sundays, you can find me at Your Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.

“Do you want to be well?” Jesus asks the sick man in today’s Gospel reading from John 5. Pretty simple question, right? Pretty obvious answer, right?

But the man’s answer has nothing to do with the question. Instead he provides excuses for the reasons he hasn’t gone to the pool, excuses having to do with a lack of support and consideration.

Yes,...