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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 But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place.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
Yesterday, we read that after the two days Jesus spent with the Samaritans from the region of Jacob's well (see readings from Thursday, Friday, and Saturday), Jesus departed from there 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 can 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 to him, "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. The traditional interpretation of this passage holds that Jesus goes to the feast of the Old Testament Pentecost (or "Feast of Weeks"), called Shavu'ot in Hebrew (see these readings). This commemorates the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai. The references to the Law of Moses found later in the chapter affirm this interpretation.
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. This is a double-basin pool which was believed to have curative powers. It has been discovered about 100 yards north of the temple area, near the Sheep Gate, says my study bible. The water for this high-ground pool came from underground springs. It was used to wash down the sacrificial lambs before they were slain. It functions as a type of Christian baptism. My study bible teaches that under the old covenant (as portrayed in the text), a great multitude waited to enter the water for physical healing after an angel touched it. The waters were special in the sense that they were a way of indirect participation in the animal sacrifices of the temple, as the animals were washed in this same water. This grace was limited to the first person who entered. The new covenant gives baptism that is given to all nations as direct participation in Christ's own sacrificial death (Romans 6:3-6) without the mediation of angels. Baptism thereby grants healing of the soul and the promise of eternal resurrection of the body, and grace inexhaustible.
Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. Let us consider what we're told here: thirty-eight years of suffering. My study bible cites Chrysostom's commentary, that Jesus singled out this man in order to teach all of us to have perseverance. It's a kind of judgment against losing hope or patience, particularly in much lesser troubles lasting a far shorter time.
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. This is the third sign in John's Gospel. My study bible tells us that Jesus' question ("Do you want to be made well?") is relevant for several reasons. First, it makes public the fact that the sick man has kept his faith even in a situation that was seemingly hopeless. How could a paralytic ever be first into the pool? Secondly, the Lord takes attention away from the water itself and focuses more on the need we have for someone to help us ("I have no man to put me into the pool," says the paralytic). This person is Christ, who became human to heal all. Finally, not everyone who is ill truly desires healing. Sometimes there are "benefits" to illness to which we may become attached. For instance, it gives "license" to complain, or to avoid responsibility for one's life, or to continue exciting the pity of others. It is even possible that avoiding healing becomes a way of ignoring the disease itself and avoiding discovery of what (and Who) we truly need.
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'?" 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 17:27, and specifically forbidden in rabbinical teachings. That Christ is Lord over the Sabbath is made clear by His command to "take up your bed and walk" and also by the man's obedience (see also Matthew 12:1-8). We note once again that in John's Gospel, "the Jews" here refers to the leadership and not to the people in general. The Gospels really tell us, as so much of the Old Testament does, about the failure of leadership to be true shepherds to the people. Here, their concern is with their own authority, looking for a violation with which they may accuse. They want to know who told the paralytic to "take up his bed and walk," and yet ignore completely his healing.
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. My study bible says the fact that this man was found in the temple shows his great faith; he had gone there directly to thank God for his cure rather than departing to someone's home or the marketplace. To "sin no more" seems to me to be an injunction regarding the true honoring of God particularly in response to this healing by grace. His report to the leadership that Jesus is the one who heals him isn't done maliciously. Rather it's as witness to Christ's goodness, says my study bible. Even though the leaders were only interested in the violation of the Sabbath, the healed man emphasizes that it was Jesus who had made him well -- he says nothing about carrying his bed.
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. This will become the basis for further persecution of Jesus; it is clearly understood by the leadership that His statements imply equality. In our next reading, Jesus' discourse will continue, elaborating on the cooperative nature of His divine "work."
As in yesterday's reading, which gave us the healing of the nobleman's son, in today's reading we are also taught about faith. This paralytic has been ill for thirty-eight years. He awaits, with the others by the Sheep Gate, the stirring of the waters. Perhaps all this time he's only been waiting for Christ, the One who truly helps Him, as my study bible pointed out. He shows His faith in returning to the temple to thank God for his healing. And he's a witness, who testifies to Christ's gift to him. This is a good example to us, an understanding of right relationship to Christ. He seeks the glory of God first -- not to celebrate or use the gift for some form of personal gain. Perhaps it is just in our capacity to understand our lives and the good things in our lives as true gifts is a great clue here. If we begin to understand "gift" then we start to relate properly to Christ in the sense that we begin to make real sense of grace. There are countless self-help articles, psychology suggestions, and studies affirming the power of gratitude for our health. But it's important also to know that gratitude gives us the capacity to recognize not only what is at work in our lives, but also to shift our perspective to know the nature and right relationship we need to what is really all around us. In this is contained a world of wonder and beauty and delight, something that adds infinitely to our lives. To honor our Creator is to begin to know love and grace. That this man is found in the temple is a way of understanding his gratitude for life, for the blessing of being healed, and the glory of the God of Israel. He isn't confused about Jesus; the fact that Jesus healed him draws him closer to God. There may be a tie with sinning and this man's past; perhaps this is why Jesus teaches him to sin no more. But certainly it is not the point of view of the Gospels that sinning is always the direct cause of suffering. However, to "sin no more" is a part of the appropriate relationship to God, a proper way to honor grace. It is the stuff of faith. So let us consider the patience with which we bear affliction, just as the nobleman who was desperate for a cure for his son. Let us understand what it is to accompany all our affliction with constant prayer, what that means and what that does for our relation to God and to the world. Grace may be there for us in so many ways.
