On this 4th Sunday of Pascha, we remember the healing of the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda.  The story relayed in the Gospel, though has much deeper meaning than the simple glory of the miracle performed. It is easy to read the Gospel account and praise the action, or even to ponder on what miracles we may witness in our present time. But to do so is to miss the bigger point.

God does not simply shower miracles upon us, which we receive as passive beneficiaries of his gifts. In Bethesda lay a man, infirm for 38 years, and unable to receive the healing gifts of the springs, because no man would carry him to the pool. When Christ heals him, he demands something of him - that he arise, take up his bed and walk. His action is necessary to his healing. We see this in many of Christ's miracles. The man blind from birth is sent to wash the clay from his eyes, the lepers to show themselves to the priests. God calls us to cooperate with him in his plan for our healing unto salvation.