Rise, take up your bed and walk

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, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?" The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me." Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk." And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.

And that day was the Sabbath. The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, "It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed." He answered them, "He who made me well said to me, 'Take up your bed and walk.'" Then they asked him, "Who is the Man who said to you, 'Take up your bed and walk'?" But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you." The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working."

Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.

- John 5:1-18

In yesterday's reading, we read the second of Jesus' seven signs in the Book of John. A sign, we recall, tells us of the presence of God. It points to something beyond itself. Once again, Jesus is in Cana of Galilee, where the water was turned to wine in the first of these signs of this Gospel. John tells us that Jesus Himself testified that a prophet is without honor in his own country - and here Jesus is in Galilee, His own country. The Galileans are only impressed with the signs Jesus has done earlier at the Passover feast in Jerusalem. A nobleman comes to Jesus to find Him, and he tells Jesus that his son, who is in Capernaum, is dying. Jesus said, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe." The nobleman said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies!" Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives." The Gospel tells us that this nobleman believed Jesus at His word. He went to his home in Capernaum, and found the son was healed at the time that Jesus spoke these words. We are told that not only he believed, but also his whole household.

After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Here is yet another feast Jesus attends, as a dutiful Jew obedient to the Law. This festival is assumed by Church Fathers to have been the Feast of Weeks or the Jewish Feast of Pentecost, because of references to the Law of Moses later in the chapter. This feast centers around the theme of the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai -- and we will see the important references to the Law as the story unfolds.

Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. My study bible explains that archaeologists have found such a pool by the Sheep Gate, about 100 yards north of the temple area. It was a high-ground double-basin pool -- its water came from underground springs. This water was used to wash down the sacrificial lambs before they were slain. The image that we get here is of multitudes of people, waiting for healing. We recall, also, the living water of which Christ spoke to the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. Only one at a time may go into this pool -- and that must be at the right time! In this, the image is similar to the issues raised in that story: there is only one time and one place for this healing to happen. But Christ has said the Father is looking for those who will worship in spirit and truth -- not bound by place or time.

Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?" The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me." Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk." And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. What we note is that in fact Jesus has chosen out this man among the multitudes. Jesus "knows" him, and knows that he has already been in this condition a long time. This man has been waiting, like those waiting a long time for the light of Israel, the Messiah, figures such as Simeon. We see the sadness of his condition: another always steps into the pool before him. This time, Jesus asks, "Do you want to be made well?" Once again, as in yesterday's reading, Jesus heals merely by word. There is no special time or place, only the meeting of the grace and presence of Christ.

And that day was the Sabbath. The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, "It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed." He answered them, "He who made me well said to me, 'Take up your bed and walk.'" Then they asked him, "Who is the Man who said to you, 'Take up your bed and walk'?" But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. We remember here that when John's gospel refers to "the Jews" it is speaking of the religious leadership at the temple, not the Jewish people. Everybody present, including both the healed man and Jesus, is a Jew. But the leadership think of themselves as the guardians of the Law. My study bible notes, "Although the law of the Sabbath does not specifically prohibit the carrying of burdens, this activity is mentioned in Jer. 17:21 and Neh. 13:19 and was explicitly forbidden by rabbinical regulations." We note that it is first the healed man who is confronted -- from him the leadership learn about Jesus.

Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you." Jesus comes to the man again. Let us note how faith works: Jesus came to him midst the multitude waiting to be healed. Here He finds the man in the crowd in the temple. But it's still far away, private in the middle of a crowd, the tumult of the festival, from the authorities. Privately Jesus tells him that he must seek to live a good life, to stay in the "healed" way Jesus has set him. This is a spiritual reality with which the man is presented; all of life is inseparable from Creator. While it was a common belief that illness and misfortune were divine retribution for sin, my study bible points out that Jesus doesn't ratify this as an absolute principle -- rather, "the paralytic's cure is to lead to conversion and a righteous life."

The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working." What is Christ's work? What is the Father's work? What is the "work" of the Sabbath? Perhaps we should ask the more pointed question: What is the "rest" of the Sabbath? We "rest" in the Father's and Christ's work of healing and restoring, in all ways. We note that it is always present: in the original, this is in a continuous present -- "until now, my Father works and I work." This is the work of the Sabbath, in which we take rest. Jesus openly declares Himself here to the leadership, and it is merely an outrage of their sensibilities and understanding; they are the guardians of the Law and He is in blatant violation of their territory, in so many ways. John tells us: Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.

What does it mean that Jesus has declared Himself openly here at the temple? We will go on to read His words to the leadership in the following passages, in tomorrow's reading. This Gospel (unlike the others) starts us off with the cleansing of the temple, Jesus' immediate declaration of authority in one act, right at the beginning of His ministry. Here, the paralytic was healed privately, and again, Jesus comes to him privately though they are in the crowd at the festival. This is the way that we can relate this to our faith, and how, so often, it works. But Jesus is a man of great courage -- openly stating Himself first in the act of cleansing, and now here when confronted by the authorities who are outraged that there has been work done on the Sabbath. They are further outraged by Jesus' open declaration that the Father is working, and He is working -- moreover, He refers to the Father as "My Father" and thereby declares Himself Son, united to the Father in this work. While we have this tremendous courageous figure of Christ who has come into the world for the life of the world, for all of us, we also have the Christ in this story who is here for each and every one of us, the experience of our faith. This Christ may come in the midst of all the tumultuous moments of life, when we are surround by those who do not know nor care, who may be jostling and competing with us for what we think we need in life. This Christ comes to us no matter what else may be happening, and speaks to us personally, in private, even in a secret place. He is the Christ of this bold declaration, the One who will be raised up for the life of the world, but He is also the One who is not barred by time nor space, but who is with us in spirit and in truth. Let us recall all of Him, everything we are given, for God so loved the world. Let us not forget, no matter where we are or what we are doing. Let us take our rest in God, in Christ, and remember His work!