him, was moved to pity[1], and said to him: “Wilt thou be made whole?” The infirm man answered: “Sir, I have no one[2], when the water is troubled, to put me into the pond; for, whilst I am coming, another goeth down before me. Jesus said to him: “Arise, take up thy bed and walk!” Immediately the man was healed, and he took up his bed, and went away rejoicing.
This took place on the Sabbath. The Jews[3], therefore, seeing the man carrying his bed, said to him: “It is the Sabbath! It is not lawful[4] for thee to take up thy bed.” The man answered: “He who made me whole, He said[5] to me: ‘Take up thy bed and walk?’ ” But the Jews asked again: “Who is He that said to thee: ‘Take up thy bed and walk!”’ Now the man was not able to tell them, for Jesus had withdrawn[6] from the multitude. Soon after, Jesus met this same man in the Temple[7], and said to him: “Behold, thou art made whole; sin no more, lest some worse thing[8] happen to thee.” The man then went his way, and told[9] the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.
The Jews, concealing their envy under the cloak of zeal for the law, persecuted[10] Jesus for curing the man on the Sabbath.
- ↑ Moved to pity. This man aroused the compassion of Jesus in an especial manner, and He put this question to him in order to re-kindle in the lame man a desire to be cured, and a hope of relief. His compassionate sympathy inspired the poor man with confidence, and he briefly related his pitiful story.
- ↑ No one. Thus the poor man was utterly forsaken and helpless in his misery. Jesus, however, took an interest in him and cured him instantly by one almighty word: “Arise!” We can picture the joy of the cured man.
- ↑ The Jews. The Scribes and Pharisees.
- ↑ Not lawful. They spoke thus heartlessly, because they expounded the law unspiritually, and beyond God's intention. What did they mean? Did they want the sick man to lie down again on his bed in order not to infringe the Sabbath-rest?
- ↑ He said. “He must know what is allowed to be done on the Sabbath, and He must have had the right to say: ‘Take up thy bed and walk.’ "
- ↑ Withdrawn. To avoid notice.
- ↑ The Temple. For the cured man had gone straight from his home to the Temple to thank God for his restored health. Now our Lord acted as a spiritual physician to him, by reminding him of the grievous sins of his past life.
- ↑ Some worse thing. It is evident that his thirty-eight years’ illness was at once the consequence and the punishment of the sins of his youth. But, what thing could happen to him that would be worse than an infirmity of thirty-eight years’ duration? Our Lord meant the eternal punishment of hell.
- ↑ And told. He did this with no evil intention, but in order to bear testimony to Jesus, and to justify his own seeming breach of the Sabbath.
- ↑ Persecuted. They now came forward openly as the enemies of our Lord, calumniating Him and seeking His death.
