I Have No Man

'After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

² Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.

³ In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.

⁴ For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

⁵ And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

⁶ When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

⁷ The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.

⁸ Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

⁹ And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath'. 

John 5:1-9 (KJV)

                    

‘I have no man’ - those where the words of the infirm man at the pool of Bethesda in our passage. The question was will you be made whole? But obviously the fact that this man had no “man “no helper, no family member or friend that was willing to keep watch with him had become the issue. So much so that he passed the opportunity he should have jumped at to say yes! I want to be made whole! Probably for the first time a ‘man’ was asking if he needed help. Exactly what he had prayed and hoped for, but his circumstances made him think defeat, all he was thinking was I have no man.  For thirty eight years he had been sick.  The bible doesn’t  tell us if he had been at the pool for that long no matter how long the fact was he had no one to help him get into the pool when the angel stirred the water.

I have often wondered where his family, friends or neighbors were, couldn’t they have taken turns to be with him.  They probably loved him but unfortunately not enough to stay among blind, lame and sick people just to help him get into the water and get healed. And so this man became discouraged.  He was in a bad state physically and emotionally. Was it true that he had no man? After all we get to meet him when there was a man asking, 'will you be made whole'?

Beloved as a widow you can identify with this man because you have ‘no man’.  Your man has been taken away from you and you are alone without the cover of a man. When I lost my husband, I wrote down what I lost in losing him in other words what a husband represents.  Provider, security, friend, confidant, leader, counselor, pastor etc there are certain things that are traditionally a man’s role in the family and my loss would be intensified when such situations came up. It may be as simple as changing a light bulb or as major as which University or Secondary school the children should attend.

I remember people then quoting from Isaiah 54:5 telling me I am blessed to have God as my husband.  They would say things like He is the husband that can’t die, he has all the resources, power and whatever else I need.  This was true but not what I wanted to hear. I didn’t want God as a husband, I wanted a man, a human man, I wanted Tunbosun, a physical man I could see, touch, talk to, and hear his voice audibly, a man who would answer immediately I spoke. (At the time God seemed so silent). I wanted answers needed him to speak but all I got was silence.  In frustration I would tell God it may be really cool and nice having you as a husband, but honesty I’ll pass. I am fine, blessed and privileged to have you as my God, saviour and father. But this husband thing….. I don’t want it. I went as far as asking which kind of marriage this was thus supposed to be, I was not informed and had no input in it.  As for the well wishers mostly women who were emphasizing how good a husband Jehovah God was in my mind I would be thinking it’s easy for you to say that when it’s not you sitting where I am sitting. How would you like for us to trade places?  I honestly wouldn’t mind.  If being God’s wife is so cool why not opt to be his wife.  I am sure many of them would cringe at the thought of it.  I know these kind people were just being nice and encouraging. Besides what they said was true but hard to accept, a case of the truth being bitter.  However in my opinion such statements shouldn’t be said over and over and over again to newly bereaved widow. In those earlier hours, days, weeks and months they are still trying to process their loss and to come to grips with what has happened to them.

The question is, is that statement true.  Like the man at the pool you are so overcome and discouraged by the loss of your man and like him you don’t see the man standing before you asking will you be made whole?  The man you so desperately seek is right there.  Jesus was the answer to the man’s infirmity problem but in the presence of the ‘answer’ the man was still looking for a man to help him. Contrary to what the man in today’s passage thought and contrary to what you think you do have a man, open your eyes, look beyond the pain and the ‘missing’, the loneliness and vulnerability of not having a man and embrace the greatest of all men, the Man Jesus.  When that man encountered him the problem of 38 years vanished within a moment, now tell me how many men can do that? 

He went from being the infirm man to the man Jesus Healed. His status, destiny and life changed by one divine encounter. So much so that the religious leaders of the day were offended they had condemned him to a life of begging and sickness. May be there are people like that around you who think you can’t make it without your man. Hold on to the man Jesus he can do what a physical man can’t.

I don’t know how many times you and I have told the Lord the same thing in different ways i.e.  Lord I have no man, no covering, no best friend, no lover, no provider, no leader, no mentor, and no father for my children etc. Daughter of Zion I announce to you today that you do have a man, the Prince of Peace is His name, He is your husband, lover, friend, maker and husband all in one. He promises to be with you always, an ever present help, comforter, guide and sufficiency. He promises to establish your borders with precious stones, ensure you get justice, rebuild your foundation and lay it with sapphires; establish you in righteousness and be Father and Teacher to your children. He has established His covenant of peace with you, He is your Redeemer fully God and fully Man - Sis, you are Precious! The Lord is writing the script of your life and He is not finished with it yet. God is at work in you, may you be a sweet fragrance to His world!