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  But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place.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 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

Yesterday, we read that after two days He departed from Samaria and went to Galilee.  For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.  So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they also had gone to the feast.  So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine.  And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum.  When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.  Then 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."  So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.  And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, "Your son lives!"  Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better.  And they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."  So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives."  And he himself believed, and his whole household.  This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.

  After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  My study bible tells us that the Fathers teach this feast is the Old Testament Pentecost -- also called the "Feast of Weeks."  It celebrates the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai.  There are later references in this chapter to the Law of Moses, which corroborate this interpretation.  Interestingly, it's also a "firstfruits" festival celebrating the spring wheat harvest.  We recall Jesus' words in the town of Samaria, when the townspeople were coming toward Him (in Tuesday's reading), "Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!" alluding to the wheat harvest.

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 this double-basin pool, which was believed to have curative powers, has been discovered about 100 yards north of the temple area, near the Sheep Gate.   It says, "The water for this high-ground pool came from underground springs and was used to wash down the sacrificial lambs before they were slain.  The pool functions as a type of Christian baptism.  Under the old covenant, a great multitude waited to enter the water for physical healing after an angel touched it.  The waters were special in that they were a way of indirectly participating in the animal sacrifices of the temple, since the animals were washed in the same water.  Yet the grace was limited to the first person to enter.  Under the new covenant, baptism is given to all nations as a direct participation in Christ's own sacrificial death (Romans 6:3-6) without the mediation of the angels.  Baptism thus grants healing of the soul and the promise of eternal resurrection of the body, and its grace is inexhaustible."

Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.   My study bible cites St. John Chrysostom's commentary here, suggesting that Jesus singled out this man who had waited for thirty-eight years in order to teach us to have perseverance, and as a judgment against those who lose hope or patience in much lesser troubles lasting a far shorter time.  It also seems plausible that there is analogy here to the Old Covenant, in which the people of God awaited their Messiah, under all kinds of suffering.  The thirty-eight years is just two short of the time Israel wandered looking toward the promised land, the time in which the Law was given; the time in which Moses led, but did not survive to see the land itself.

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.  My study bible comments on Jesus' question to the man, "Do you want to be made well?"  It says that Jesus' question is relevant for many reasons.  First, it makes public the fact that the sick man kept his faith even in a seemingly hopeless situation.  How could a paralytic ever be the first to enter the water?  Second, the Lord takes away attention from the water and toward the need we have for a man (a person) to help us.  This is fulfilled in Christ Himself, who became human to heal all.  Third, not everyone who is ill actually desires healing.  Sadly, my study bible notes, some may prefer to remain infirm in order to have license to complain, to avoid responsibility for their lives, or to continue exciting the pity of others.   What we also see here is an initiation of the One who is the Son Incarnate, who comes to us out of love, "for God so loved the world," as John's Gospel has earlier told us.  Just as with the Samaritan woman at the well, it is Jesus who takes the  direct action in encounter with a needy humanity.  But, we could also say, it is God who is responding to the thirty-eight year petition of this man.

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.   My study bible says that although the Law itself does not specifically forbid the carrying of burdens on the Sabbath, this is prohibited in Jeremiah 17:21-27 and is explicitly forbidden in rabbinical teachings.    It suggests the fact that Christ is Lord over the Sabbath is made clear by His command and by the man's obedience.  My study bible also notes that as is often the case in John's Gospel, the term Jews here refers to the leaders and not to the people in general.    We notice the malice involved -- they're focused only on the Sabbath violation, asking the man who told him to take up your bed and walk, but ignoring his miraculous healing.

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."   This man has gone to the temple after his healing, which shows a great faith.  My study bible suggests that he had gone there directly to thank God for his cure rather than departing to someone's home or the marketplace.   It adds, regarding Jesus' remark to "sin no more," that while there is a general connection between sin and suffering (Romans 6:23), this connection isn't always one-to-one.  The innocent often suffer, and the guilty are often spared earthly sufferings (see 9:1-3).  My study bible says that nevertheless, sometimes our sins directly lead to our own suffering.  According to Chrysostom, this was the case with the paralytic.  However, Christ's warning here is that the sins that destroy the soul lead to a far worse result than an affliction of the body.  One must flee from sin altogether.  We also presume that having been visited by such a great gift of grace, and the presence of Christ, to sin deliberately following this is to turn one's back on a much greater gift and understanding than the man had previously had available to him.

The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who made him well.  My study bible tells us that this man doesn't report Jesus to the authorities maliciously, but rather as a witness to the goodness of Christ.  Even though the leadership is only interested in the violation of the Sabbath, this man emphasizes that it was Jesus who made him well, saying nothing about carrying his bed (the literal violation).

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.  My study bible says that when Jesus declares God to be "My Father" these authorities clearly understand that the implication is absolute equality.  Tomorrow's reading will give us the further revelations of Jesus' statement to them here.

In today's reading we have a miraculous healing, something instantaneous that happens even after thirty-eight years of waiting on the part of the man who's a paralytic.  We really get a picture of his suffering, given that his only chance was to make it to the pool when the waters were stirred up -- at times which were unpredictable -- and be the first into the water.  An impossible task.  The only way is with God's help.  But with God present, in the form of Christ, it's not necessary to get into the water.  He's the one with the "rivers of living water" (see again His statements to the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well) that open up for people.  He is the healing, the One who confers the gifts of grace and power and truth.  He's the One who's come in the cause of love, "for God so loved the world."  We picture this man waiting, and waiting, and waiting.  Thirty-eight years!  We imagine his life, waiting, needing help from others that didn't come.  How did he survive but possibly by the kindness of strangers or family?  Out of this crowd comes Christ, who singles him out, and asks him directly the question, "Do you want to be made well?"  One might ask, thinking it's possible that he's used to this life he's led for so long by now!  But what the story seems to suggest to us is that God breaks in on us suddenly.  The power of God isn't given by measure - we recall these words of John the Baptist about Christ as Messiah:  "God does not give the Spirit by measure."  When God breaks into our world, or our lives, it's not something that works in a "worldly way."  It's not like taking a class and getting a hint of something that builds on what's familiar.  God's impact is different, startling, a quality that remains different although the journey itself to God gains in its fullness and the depth to which we give ourselves to God.  But the quality of love is something distinctive.  We may immaturely look at this story and suggest to ourselves that love is about a kind of indulgence of our fondest wishes.  But love is really so much more than that.  Love is wanting what is truly best for us.  Love is about true health and wholeness.  When Jesus tells this man, "Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you," it may strike our modern ears as something strange.  How does this fit in with the Man who just healed this paralytic, a man who'd been suffering for thirty-eight years already!?  If we think of love as mere answering of our whims or wishes, or indulging whatever we deeply hope for, then we're missing the mark, as is taught by Christ.  What God wants, in that love, is really whatever is truly best for us.  By warning this man about future sin, Jesus is taking care to see that this wholeness, and thereby true health of the whole human being, remains with the man.  We must take it quite literally that Jesus doesn't want a worse thing to come upon this man.  He wants his healing and wholeness to be a part of something big, that grows, a start, a journey toward God and the good that grows more full through time, and the man's compliance with that grace.  This paralytic shows how he takes his healing by first going to the temple, giving thanks to God.  It's not a sort of lottery prize, in which he's just lucky and has struck it big.  (Indeed, any windfall in our own lives offers us the same sorts of temptations to "sin" and not to understand what a gift is, as we can see from some of the sad histories of real life present day lottery winners.)   It's in this valuing and preservation of the understanding of the gift that a great secret lies, the great key to this love and to our healing and wholeness.  How do we value the love? Do we take it in a selfish way, or do we accept it as it is given, with the grace as something that invites us in and asks us to journey forward, to learn more in relationship to the presence of God?  This is the real key to the passage, as there is good and evil mixed in here, as with so much that happens with Jesus.  There's the malice of the authorities who suffer with envy of Christ, and can't see the good that has come.  And there is the testimony of the healed man, who's taking his gift appropriately, and gone to the temple in worship and prayer and thankfulness for the grace of God.  Let's ask ourselves about the good and the bad in our own lives, and how we take them.  Is the grace of God there for you?  How do you pursue it, encourage it, value it?  What can you say about it?  If you give love to others, how do you want it to be valued?  And what does it mean to truly want what is best?  What is really whole and healing, the start of the journey to God?   The whole question of the Sabbath rests on this understanding, on what is best and what God's love asks.  Carrying burdens in the command in Jeremiah quite obviously seems to be indicative of doing trade, making business and profit happen -- that's what seems to be set aside in order to make time for God and keep the Sabbath holy.  But what of healing and wholeness on this day (and any day), and what of God's love?  This man waited by the Sheep Gate for the pool of living water.  As sheep to the Shepherd who has saved him out of love, he will follow Christ's command.