Do You Want To Be Well

A man sits on the ground in Jerusalem while the city surges around him, and one detail stops everything cold: an open, untreated wound presented to strangers for spare change. We share Kay Arthur’s modern story because it grabs the heart fast and refuses to let go. It is raw, visual, and uncomfortably relatable, especially if you have ever realized that what hurts you can also become what you depend on.
From there, we connect the moment to John 5 at the Pool of Bethesda, where Jesus asks a man who has suffered for decades a question that sounds simple but changes everything: “Do you want to be made well?” That question is not just about physical healing. It reaches into emotional healing, spiritual growth, and the quiet bargains we make with our “normal” habits. Sometimes the most frightening part of healing is not the pain we have, but the life we would have to leave behind to become whole.
We also lean into hope, not hype. When change feels scary, Scripture reminds us we are not doing it alone. Second Corinthians 5:17 frames the invitation clearly: anyone who belongs to Christ becomes new, the old life is gone, and a new life begins. We talk about what it looks like to embrace that newness in real life, even when it costs comfort, excuses, or control.

Transcript

Welcome And The Five-Minute Focus

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Good morning and welcome to Starting Right with Danny Mack. I'm going to be here every Monday to Friday to help you get a great five-minute start to your day. So grab your cup of coffee, sit back, relax, and let me help you start your day right. Good morning

A Modern Story With John 5 Echoes

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everyone. Today we have a story for you from Kay Arthur. Now this story is set in modern times, but I am certain that you'll recognize its connection to Jesus ministry as recorded in John chapter five. Here's how Kay tells the story.

The Beggar Who Profits From Pain

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As I recently came out of the old city into the noise of the lumbering buses jammed to the doors with Arabs, into the honking of irate impassioned cab drivers, as I felt the bright sunshine which had been shielded by the walled, crowded, narrow streets of the old city, a man sitting on the ground caught my attention. He was happily conversing with other beggars until a foreign tourist came by, and at that point all conversation ceased, and a hand was lifted as dark eyes silently pled for coins. The other hand pulled up a pant leg to make sure that the already exposed ulcer, bright pink glazed over with white purulent patches glistening in the sun, was not missed. She said my nurse's heart brought my feet to a halt. I wanted to bend down and shield the open wound from the dust sent flying by the traffic scurrying through the gate. His leg needed tending. It should be washed, medicated, and dressed by someone who cared. Unattended, it would only eat away until it reached the bone, and then he could lose the leg. Arrested by this plight, I stopped to gaze at his leg and to look into the darkness of his eyes, until my friend gently took me by my elbow and propelled me toward our destination. I was a tourist, you see, and did not know about these things. She then proceeded to tell me that this man did not wish to be made well. He made his living from his wound. No need to confront the complexities of responsibility as a citizen of Israel, when one could merely sit down in the dust and dirt of Jerusalem and receive pity along with a few shekels. My wounded beggar could have been healed. The hospital doors were open to him, and medicine was available. But he did not wish to get well. As I looked back in curious fascination, I caught one last glimpse of someone less than what he could have been.

Jesus Question That Demands A Choice

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The man in John V had been sick for thirty-eight years. We do not know how long he had been laying beside the pool of Bethesda. All we know is that when Jesus passed by and asked him if he wished to be made well, he had to make a choice. Either he could continue in his normal habit of life or he could relinquish it for healing. So this morning, suppose, just suppose for a moment that Jesus asked you if you wanted to be made well, to be healed emotionally, physically, spiritually, to have tremendous changes be made in your life by the grace and power of God. What would you answer? Would you openly embrace the changes he made for you and be willing to leave behind all of the things that held you back? Even if they have become normal to you? What would you choose?

Embracing Change And A New Life

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And if making changes sounds scary to you, it shouldn't be. The Bible reminds us that God is with us and that He's creating something new in each one of us. Second Corinthians chapter five and verse 17, it says, Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone and a new life has begun. Are you ready to embrace all of the things that God has for you? Are you wanting and willing to be well in every area of your life? Even if it means you have to let go of some of the things that you are currently hanging on to. So my friends, let's finish with the question we started with. Do you want to be well? Well in every area of your life. God has the answers for it all, and He loves you, and He is with you right now, and He will guide you.

Final Question And Daily Invitation

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I hope you have a wonderful day, my friends. Take care, keep the faith, and we will talk again tomorrow. Thank you for joining us today, and I invite you to join us every Monday to Friday, right here at Starting Right with Danny Mack.