Focus: It's Been Long!

Text: Jh.5:6

"When Jesus saw him being lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?"

This life is so short and life's suffering so long. The troubles of life often persist. Our text relates the case of a man who's been down for so long. The Lord Jesus looking at his case discovered that it had lingered for so long. It is a chronic condition of paralysis. He's been an invalid for 38 years and in his neighborhood everyone is sick of some sort, and no one is able to help another.

We have several cases of a chronic condition in Scripture - all kinds of pains lasting for long.

In Mark we read of Jesus Christ asking a father, "How LONG is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, OF A CHILD" (Mk.9:21). This young man has been suffering from childhood.

In Luke we read, "And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils LONG TIME, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs all" (Lk.8:27). This is a long time demonic case - an acute case that seemed incurable.

Here's another story from Luke, "And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry DAY AND NIGHT unto him, though he bear LONG with them?" (Lk.18:7). These are victimized saints crying out to God for vengeance and it has taken eternity for God to respond.

We read again in Luke, "And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried SO LONG in the temple" (Lk.1:21). This was an unusually prolonged worship service. The people kept waiting for the man of God to come out and dismiss them with the benediction of Numbers 6:22-27. They were totally ignorant of what was going on in the holy place - the age of grace was being inaugurated in the spirit.

Luke carries another story, "And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of A LONG SEASON, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him" (Lk.23:8). Herod waited for so long to see Jesus Christ and watch Him perform miracles. And he saw Jesus at last.

Luke tells us yet another story, and this time it is about the owner of a vineyard who traveled out of the country for a long time. We read, "A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for A LONG TIME" (Lk.20:9). It didn't seem like he was going to come back. It was a trip longer than anticipated. In a similar fashion, Mark tells us that "after A LONG TIME the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them" (Mt.25:19). 

In the two separate stories told by Luke and Mark, the Master finally returned and took care of business. In the same vein, the Lord Jesus Christ has been gone for so long, but He's not gone forever. He is coming back again to take care of business. 

He will then dismantle anti-God structures and systems in this world. He will set things right in the universe. He will change our vile bodies and restore creation to its pristine glory.

Things will not continue as they are now forever. He will stop all nonsense and unmess all the moral and material mess in this world.

The Lord Jesus Christ knows how to deal with and bring to an end all lingering issues or crises of life. He knows how to and He has all the ability and authority of God at His disposal. He ended a 38-year old impotence. He delivered different people from long lasting situations. He showed up in the lives of certain individuals and ended their pain. He took care of long standing diseases and impossible cases. He cured the incurable and set free the afflicted. 

The finger with which God lifts a feather is the same one with which He lifts a mountain from its place. He is never alarmed by the sort or size of your problem, not even by how long it has lasted. With Him there is no impossibility. Trust Him! Look up to Him! Pray to God and trust Him to keep His word! Lingering issues in your life will bow to the power of your God in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen!

by Bishop Moses E. Peter