"Do you want to get well?" This is an important question. The man did not ask Jesus for help, a beggar of that time. Could lose sometimes profitable income if he was cured; or perhaps he had simply lost the will to be cured. The man did not see Jesus as a potential healer but his mind was set on the supposed curative powers of the water. In spite of not seeing the cure as a response to faith, Jesus still healed him.

However, this was not pleasing to the Pharisees who had very strict regulation on keeping the Sabbath. For them the eternal consequences of sin are more serious than any physical ailment. (5:14)

Do we sometimes like the Jews place importance on the externals? Are we enslaved by the external forces and submit to them even if it means forgoing the gospel values. We need to go beyond mere adherence to rules and examine the deeper meaning of what is going on around us.

During this Lenten season, let us take time to examine our relationship with God that is reflected in our daily lives. Is there some area(s) in our lives that need healing?

In the first reading, as in verse 8 wherein states that when water empties into the sea, it becomes 'fresh'.

In Hebrew, it means 'it becomes healed'. When we are open to be healed by Jesus, we will become 'fresh' in the spirit of Jesus.