John 5:1-18

Cathy Manzer

Cathy Manzer was a remarkable lady. I first met her back in the mid 1970’s. She was a musician and song writer. When I became the Youth Pastor at The Lord’s Chapel she used to lead worship for us with her guitar. When I became the Pastor at First Assembly of God in Smyrna (as Springhouse Worship and Arts Center was then called) she called and asked if we needed some to play piano. Had she not shown up that first Sunday we would not have had anyone.

She was also remarkable because of the stuff she went through physically. She was born blind but after a touch from the Lord she had a little bit of sight. Her glass lens were thick as a magnifying glass. She also had trouble with her kidneys and several serious bouts with cancer. More than once they told her she wouldn’t make it. More than once she mystified the doctors. She was scared, but she did have faith and she went through more than anyone else I’ve ever known.

When Jesus came to this guys at the pool and asked him if he wanted to get well we all know that the guy didn’t give Jesus a straight answer. Instead he started making excuses for why he hadn’t, or couldn’t, be healed.

Some of our Christian friends would visit Cathy and talk to her about healing. She believed in healing, and she cheated death several times in ways that could only be explained as “a miracle.” But that wasn’t enough for some of these friends. She needed to claim that healing and if she really had faith she could just walk out of that hospital. I had to encourage her several times after such visits. It is so easy to have “faith” and quote formulas when you are not the one sick. They did mean well.

Jesus didn’t have this attitude. Jesus saw that behind the excuses the answer was, “Yes! I want to be well.” Jesus didn’t lecture this guy about his seeming lack of candor (much less faith). He simply said, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.”

He also did that for Cathy on many occasions right up until the time He said, “Get up! Pick up your mat. We’re going home.”