(John 5:1-9) At the Pool of Bethesda in John 5, a man crippled for thirty-eight years waits by a superstition for healing—hoping an angel might stir the waters. But when Jesus approaches him and asks, “Do you want to be healed?”, the man responds not with faith but with a narrative of blame and misplaced hope. He believes the problem is that others won’t help him and that healing lies in the water—not in the One standing before him. Yet Jesus doesn’t offer technique or sympathy; He offers Lordship. True healing, the passage shows, doesn’t come through self-diagnosis, cultural remedies, or emotional management, but through surrender to the authority of Christ. This man, like many of us, wants healing without disruption, freedom without obedience. But Jesus heals by commanding—not coddling—because He is not a tool for wellness, but the Lord of wholeness. Only when we relinquish our narratives and submit to Him do we discover a deeper healing—one that outlasts trauma, transcends pain, and restores us to God.