THE DAY MY JOY CAME BACK - A Short Story

After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed.One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’ ” They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. (‭John‬ ‭5‬:‭1-3, 5-15‬ ESV)

THE DAY MY JOY CAME BACK - A Short Story

My name is Yaacov, born and raised in Nazareth. I was just like any boy - curious, mischievous, and into a lot of things.  I loved to play and explore and I got into a fair amount of trouble.  I enjoyed life and couldn't wait for every day to come about to get up and see what adventures that would come my way.  

My parents were strict religious Jews. Every morning and evening we would recite the "SHEMA" prayer "Hear, O Israel: The LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might..."

Every day, except for the Sabbath, I attended a Jewish school for boys and was taught the scriptures and the basics of life.  My parents had great hopes for me and my Abba was expecting me to take over his business of making candles.

When I was 12, I began to prepare for my Bar Mitzvah after my 13th birthday.  This is when I was to become a man.

But then everything changed.  That dreadful day is still etched on my mind.  I came home from school and my Ima (mother) told me to do my chores.  Being the boy I was, I ended up going down at the creek and climbed an olive tree with my friends.  On a dare, I went further than I should and the limb broke.

That's when life for me changed.

I landed on my neck and immediately heard a crack.  I couldn't move anything below my neck.  I was forever a cripple - an invalid.  I would no longer be able to walk or run or play.  I would forever be dependent on other people for my survival.

My friends ran to the house and got my Ima.  Upon seeing me she sent one of my friends to my Abba's workplace that he might help.  When Abba arrived, he lifted me up and carried me to the house.  I could see the terror in his eyes and in my Ima's as they looked at me and my condition.  They called the village doctor but there was little he could do.

That began the day of routines.  People had to bath me, clean me, feed me and help me with everything about life.  I could see, hear and talk - but that was about it.  I had no life anymore.  My life was filled with despondency and despair. My parents tried everything they could - remedies, medications and even prayers.  When I wanted or needed to go somewhere - I had to be carried on a stretcher by four different people - each holding one of the ends of the poles that held my bed together.

It was humiliating.  It was worst feeling to see my friends going to school and playing and all I could do is lay there and watch.

That's when we heard about this pool in Jerusalem called Bethsaida. Supposedly, an angel, unannounced would come and stir the waters.  The first person to touch the waters after the angel was healed.

Desperate for me to be healed, my Abba and Ima packed up their business and house and moved to Jerusalem to take me to the Pool of Bethsaida.  

Everyday, on the way to work, my father and brothers would carry me to the pool and I would lay there.  Blind people, deaf people, sick people and even other invalids - we all laid under the portals, hoping to experience an angel's touch of the water.

I laid there everyday for 38 years.  Hopeless, depressed, lifeless and empty. When anyone thought that the waters had been stirred - people would hobble down, drag themselves down (as I did) to touch the waters.

This is how life went day after day after day.

But then he showed up - Jesus.  I didn't know him but he acted as if he knew me and my situation. 

He came through the crowd and came straight toward me.  He looked at me and said, "Yaacov, do you want to be healed?" I told him, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” 

Jesus looked at me and said, "Yaacov, Get up, take up your bed, and walk.”

I did just that.  I got up and started walking and running and screaming.  People were asking me who did this - and to be honest - I wasn't really sure at that point who he was and where he was from. I later found out that He was from my hometown of Nazareth and was much younger than I.  I didn't know much about him other than the fact that his family were carpenters in Nazareth.

Some of the religious leaders came over to me and declared that I couldn't be healed on the Sabbath day.  I just looked at them and just laughed and laughed.  

And, I've been laughing ever since.  I get up everyday with much joy  and say, "Thank you God.  I once was an invalid and now I'm am healed. I once had no life but now I am healed."

I don't think the laughter will ever go away.  People can criticize me all they want but I know what took place that day - the day that my joy came back!