“We Didn’t Even Know Who He Was”

 “Behold, I make all things new.” (Rev. 21:5) I remember this verse in the movie, The Passion of the Christ; Jesus speaking to his mother on the way to the cross….. a powerful moment. In truth I guess this statement can be applied to every word uttered from the mouth of the God. Jesus always makes all things new. When the Holy Spirit inspires any word or action…. He is making all things new. There’s no old or stale or passé words coming from the mouth of God…. they are always new, and powerful. 

Today as I read the passage from John 5 about Jesus healing the man crippled for 38 years, it was new to me. This passage, that I’ve read many times, was new and fresh to me. The Holy Spirit helped me to see with new eyes. I read a meditation by Bishop Colacicco that noted, “ the crippled man did not even know who Jesus was, but Jesus knew who he was”. Wow, that is a powerful thought.  

But, isn’t this true for all of us. At one point in our life, we didn’t even know who Jesus was, yet he knew us…. and he loved us. His love for us precedes our response to that love; He knows us before we come to know Him. His love for us enables us to love him. Recall the passage from John’s first letter: “in this is love, not that we loved God but that he first loved us and sent his son as an expiation for our sin”. (1John 4:10) 

“No one seemed to know or care about this crippled man enough to help him… for 38 years”. This man was invisible. Did anyone even know his name? Well one person knew his name and knew about his suffering…Jesus knew. Isn’t that a wonderful thought as we apply it to our life and to the lives of all those suffering in this world. Jesus knows each one by name and he’s reaching out and offering his healing hand of love….”do you want to be well?” 

We pray for many people to come to know the loving gaze of our savior, yet they don’t know him…they don’t know his name. But the good news is that the Lord knows them. Jesus knows their name and is reaching out to them , asking…. “do you want to be well?” (John 5:1-16) It’s been the same from the beginning…..we didn’t know the Lord, we didn’t know him….but he knew us, he knew our name….and was waiting to envelop us with his healing love. 

So, let’s open our eyes and look around; the Lord is making all things new…. let’s pay attention. And this is certainly good news.

• Ref. “Beneath The Cross”, Bishop Colacicco, (Magnificat Lenten Companion, pg. 43)