The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1954-01-30
ny RALPH ROGERS
Doing The works Of God. John

Doing The works Of Ged. John
4:43 SAL
Jesus was Always doing the
works Of his Father - God. On
this visit TO Jerusalem 10 attend
a feast of the Jews we would ma
turally expect Jesus to go to the
temple. Instead we find him ming
ling with the pathetic crowd of
broken humanity on the Bethzatha
porches. Apparently not the proper
place for q great religious festival.
Once IN such a group It is noted
that Jesus was true TO character
and sought to relieve suffering
humanity. He found a man who
had been III for thirty-eight years,
a mighty long time. It might be that
the man enjoyed being the subject
of pity and sympathy and really
didn't want to get we'll. Others had
hurried TO the pool when the angel
disturbed the waters and were
cured. This man either didn't have
any relatives or friends to put him
lin the pool - or more likely he
didn't want to be healed. For that
reason Jesus asks him 'sWilt thou
be made whole?" Do you really
want TO get well?
This seems like a foolish ques-
ton, yet it is the key 70 recovery.
LIE one really wants to get well he
lis likely to do something about it.
The thirty -eight years had made a
wilmer out of what was once a
young man. It was easier to lie in
the shade and receive the coins OF
sympathizers rather than labor and
toll in the hot sun. This long siege
had worn down the spirit of the
man and he had become cynical
and lazy which is a disease hard
to cure.
We are expected to make this
q temperance lesson and this sick
man was not drunkard. His d.
sease is something like alcoholism
however, and we might well ask
/ the alcoholic if he really wants to
Ibe cured. A man may know that
Ibis indulgence is expensive, that
lt is demoralizing and harmful to
Ibis health, that it impairs his eff
cheney but he just doesn't have the
courage to be healed It's easier
| 10 take another shot and quiet the
nerves temporarily rather than ac-
cept the remedy by Gods help and
Ibe permanently cured. Do you
want to be healed is the key ques-
ton.
A passenger ON a river boat be-
came sea-sick. The ships officer
suggested q glass of champagne as
the best remedy he knew for sea-
sickness. II was Abraham Lincoln
who said, ''No, I don't think III
try that. I've seen many a man
lin my time seaSick ashore from
drinking champagne"
Further evidence Of what tenn
lperance VIII do for q community
lis shown in the record On Prince
Edward Island in Canada In 1900
| they passed their prohibition law
and in this community of $4,000
people there is no unemployment
and very little poverty II permits
divorce but there has been but one
divorce in sixty years. There are
mo highwaymen, no gangSters, no
commercialized vice, no peniten.
Itiary. While they have about TO-
Zoo motor cars and winding crook
| ed roads they have had as low as
two motor car accidents a year.
Apparently they wanted to be heal
led from the disease alcohol and
they are enjoying il.
/ We should give another thought
of Jesus selection of his patient.
He selected man of little worth
or consequence. Jesus was always
doing that. He might have chosen
for his patient some rich neurotic
woman who could have made him
. grand donation and helped to
spread bis fame abroad. He select.
ed one VINO needed 10 be aroused
from his Ierhargy and his hopeless
plight. Most people need hope, a
bore that viii arouse them from