Bethesda and the Sanhedrin
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upon His word you will receive strength. Whatever may be the evil
practice, the master passion which through long indulgence binds both
soul and body, Christ is able and longs to deliver. He will impart life
to the soul that is “dead in trespasses.”
Ephesians 2:1
. He will set free
the captive that is held by weakness and misfortune and the chains of
sin.
The restored paralytic stooped to take up his bed, which was only
a rug and a blanket, and as he straightened himself again with a sense
of delight, he looked around for his Deliverer; but Jesus was lost in
the crowd. The man feared that he would not know Him if he should
see Him again. As he hurried on his way with firm, free step, praising
God and rejoicing in his new-found strength, he met several of the
Pharisees, and immediately told them of his cure. He was surprised at
the coldness with which they listened to his story.
With lowering brows they interrupted him, asking why he was
carrying his bed on the Sabbath day. They sternly reminded him that
it was not lawful to bear burdens on the Lord’s day. In his joy the man
had forgotten that it was the Sabbath; yet he felt no condemnation for
obeying the command of One who had such power from God. He
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answered boldly, “He that made me whole, the same said unto me,
Take up thy bed, and walk.” They asked who it was that had done this,
but he could not tell. These rulers knew well that only One had shown
Himself able to perform this miracle; but they wished for direct proof
that it was Jesus, that they might condemn Him as a Sabbath-breaker.
In their judgment He had not only broken the law in healing the sick
man on the Sabbath, but had committed sacrilege in bidding him bear
away his bed.
The Jews had so perverted the law that they made it a yoke of
bondage. Their meaningless requirements had become a byword
among other nations. Especially was the Sabbath hedged in by all
manner of senseless restrictions. It was not to them a delight, the holy
of the Lord, and honorable. The scribes and Pharisees had made its
observance an intolerable burden. A Jew was not allowed to kindle
a fire nor even to light a candle on the Sabbath. As a consequence
the people were dependent upon the Gentiles for many services which
their rules forbade them to do for themselves. They did not reflect that
if these acts were sinful, those who employed others to perform them
were as guilty as if they had done the work themselves. They thought