12月3日

標　　題：希望被醫治

經　　節：耶穌看見他躺著，知道他病了許久，就問他說：「你要痊癒嗎？」（約翰福音五章6節）

耶穌問了一個男人，一個不用問就知道答案的問題！耶穌遇見一個瘸了三十八年的病人，他坐在畢士大池邊等待得醫治。耶穌為何明知故問呢？也許答案不像我們想像那麼簡單。巴底買是瞎子，當他對耶穌呼喊，求耶穌可憐自己的時候，耶穌問他說：[要我為你做什麼？]（馬可福音十：51）對一個瞎子來說，得見光明顯然是他最關心的事。有時候，耶穌認為讓人們以言語表達出自己的需要，以及明確地求醫治，是很重要的。

僅僅因為我們的靈病了，或者僅僅因為靠近一個醫治的場所，並不能代表我們想被醫好。我們可能固定去教會，卻仍然選擇過罪惡的生活。這世代認為，聖經中許多的罪行只不過是上了癮、性格的瑕疵、或成長過程被虐待的結果。我們的言行就好像認為上癮是可被接納的理由，不需順服神。身為一個基督徒，我們不再需要成為罪行的受害者。沒有任何一項罪行或惡習，是超越主醫治大能所不能及的。

你是否年復一年地，任憑屬靈的疾病未得醫治？神能夠釋放你，但是，你可能安於自己的罪行，可能不想被治癒。如果你真想得到靈性的健康，神今日就可以治癒你。祂要你求告祂。

Wishing to Be Healed

When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?" (John 5:6)

Jesus asked a man a question that appears to have had an obvious answer! He came upon a man who had been lame for thirty-eight years and who was sitting beside a pool of healing. Jesus asked him if he wanted to be healed. Why would Jesus ask such an obvious question? Perhaps the answer was not so clear. Bartimaeus was blind, yet when he cried out for Jesus to have mercy on him, Jesus asked what he wanted Him to do (Mark 10:51). It would have seemed apparent that the foremost concern of a blind person would be to receive sight. There were times, however, when Jesus considered it important for people to verbalize their need and specifically ask Him to heal them.

Just because we are spiritually sick, or just because we are near a place of healing, does not necessarily mean we want to be made well. We may attend church regularly, but choose to remain sinful. Our generation has taken many of the activities that the Bible identifies as sin and has labeled them as addictions or character flaws or the result of an abusive upbringing. We act as if having an addiction is sufficient excuse for disobeying God’s commands. As Christians, we are no longer helpless victims of our sin. There is no sinful habit or past hurt that is beyond the healing touch of our Lord.

Have you gone year after year without receiving spiritual healing? God is capable of freeing you, but you may have become comfortable in your sin. You may not want to be healed. If you really want to receive spiritual health, God can give it today. He wants you to ask Him.