Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent
First Published: Monday, March 27, 2006
Taking it to the Mat
Readings for Tuesday the 4th Week of Lent? click here for the lectionary readings
Reflection:
Jesus continues to heal the sick through faith. It is part of the revelation that Jesus is the Christ, the only Son of God. When he cures the sick, gives sight to the blind or hearing to the deaf he demonstrates the Father's love in a real and tangible way.
He is not physically with us now. But we believe He left us the Holy Spirit as he promised and that Holy Spirit operates in real ways within our lives. The trick is, just as with those who where cured by Jesus when he we physically here, faith. We must have faith in the healing presence of God in order to get the benefit from it. Jesus said in his parables that faith the size of a mustard seed could move mountains. We must accept that statement and allow that kind of power to flow through us.
Yesterday I spoke about the peace of Christ that comes from knowing we have placed our selves entirely in his hands. Today, in the course of doing my "day job" that concept of peace was reaffirmed by one of my friends and colleagues who is facing significant turmoil in his life. Like many others, he is facing employment uncertainty. Thinking I might be able to offer him some assurances, I asked him how he was feeling. His answer; "Surprisingly I'm OK with things. My faith is just buoying me up."
When I think about what a great gift that is I am stunned. It has been clinically shown time and again that state of mind has a huge physical impact on health and relationships. The more we feel stress and the more we let fear control our lives, the worse the impact on our health. I am beginning to suspect the stories recorded about the saints demonstrate that same faith taken to a much higher level. What miracles could we perform if we had that kind of faith? Pax
I welcome your comments. If you would like to make one and are not registered on Myspace, you can email me at miles_jj@excite.com and, if you wish, I will post your response as a comment. Thanks.
Scripture[1] from Ez 47:1-9, 12
Jerome Biblical Commentary[2]
1 1 Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water flowing out from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the facade of the temple was toward the east; the water flowed down from the southern side of the temple, south of the altar.
2 He led me outside by the north gate, and around to the outer gate facing the east, where I saw water trickling from the southern side.
1 [1-12] The wonderful and superabundant stream flowing from the temple, restoring to fertility traditionally arid ground, is symbolic of the return of the conditions of primeval paradise; cf Genesis 2:10-14. Water signifies great blessings, just as dryness signifies a curse; cf Ezekiel 26:5, 14.
(a) THE STREAM OF LIFE-GIVING WATER (47:1-12). This figure, with more or less the same symbolism, is found in other books (Am 9 :13; Jl 3 :18; Zech 14:8; Ps 36:8--9; Ap 22:1). 1. water flowing: Probably an allusion to the legend in which the stream of water coming out of Eden (Gn 2:10-I4) that had been stopped up by Adam's sin reappeared again during the Exodus in the desert; the water flowed from the rock in 12 streams and finally reappeared in eschatological Jerusalem as one stream (cf. R. Tournay, RB 70 [1963] 43-51).
3 Then when he had walked off to the east with a measuring cord in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and had me wade through the water, which was ankle-deep.
4 He measured off another thousand and once more had me wade through the water, which was now knee-deep. Again he measured off a thousand and had me wade; the water was up to my waist.
5 Once more he measured off a thousand, but there was now a river through which I could not wade; for the water had risen so high it had become a river that could not be crossed except by swimming.
6 He asked me, "Have you seen this, son of man?" Then he brought me to the bank of the river, where he had me sit.
7 Along the bank of the river I saw very many trees on both sides.
3. walked off to the east: The valley of Kedron, ordinarily a dry wash, contrasts with the stream that increases steadily.
8 He said to me, "This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah, and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh.
9 Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live, and there shall be abundant fish, for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh.
8-9. The Arabah is the deep geological rift that forms the Dead Sea and continues southward. The life-giving effect of
the waters is apparent from the freshening of the salt waters and the abundance of fish.
12 Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow; their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail. Every month they shall bear fresh fruit, for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary. Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine."
12. every month: The striking fertility is assured by the ever-flowing water. The meaning is clear-the presence of Yahweh is a blessing, revealing itself as a life-giving, creative power.
[1] All biblical references -New American Bible United States Conference of Catholic Bishops 3211 4th Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20017-1194 (202) 541-3000 December 09, 2002 Copyright © by United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
[2] All references to Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc.© 1968
Scripture from Ps 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9
Jerome Biblical Commentary
2 God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in distress.
3 3 Thus we do not fear, though earth be shaken and mountains quake to the depths of the sea,
3 [3-4] Figurative ancient Near Eastern language to describe social and political upheavals.
Ps 46. A hymn of praise, or song of Zion, which was the inspiration of Luther's "Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott" (Englished by T. Carlyle, "A safe stronghold our God is still"). There is a clear structure of three strophes, each ending in a refrain: With God as a refuge, there is nothing to fear (4, 8, 12). The second strophe singles out God's presence in Zion, which preserves it from the nations; in the third strophe, the congregation is invited to consider Yahweh's deeds, and his oracle of supremacy (11) is quoted. The precise life setting in the liturgy (e.g., Yahweh's enthronement, as proposed by Mowinckel) cannot be defined. Even should there be a borrowing of the old Canaanite traditions-a point not easily proved by Kraus-the reason behind the Zion tradition is Yahweh. The eschatological interpretation of Gunkel and others needs more evidence. 3-4. Neither earthquake nor the unruly power of chaos ("waters") can counterbalance the presence (which is at the same time a defense) of the "Lord of hosts."
5 5 Streams of the river gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High.
5 [5] Jerusalem is not situated on a river. This description derives from mythological descriptions of the divine abode and symbolizes the divine presence as the source of all life (cf Isaiah 33:21; Ezekiel 47:1-12; Joel 3:18(4:18); Zechariah 14:8; Rev 22:1-2).
5. The stream, in contrast to the waters, is symbolic of God's presence (cf. "waters of Shiloah" in Is 8:6).
6 God is in its midst; it shall not be shaken; God will help it at break of day.
8 The LORD of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob. Selah
6. dawn: Perhaps a reference to the answer given to prayer after a night in the Temple (cf. Pss 5:4; 17:3,15; 90:14).
9 Come and see the works of the LORD, who has done fearsome deeds on earth;
9. deeds: These are described specifIcally in 10.
Scripture from Jn 5:1-16
Jerome Biblical Commentary
1 1 2 After this, there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
1 [1-47] The self-revelation of Jesus continues in Jerusalem at a feast. The third sign (cf John 2:11; 4:54) is performed, the cure of a paralytic by Jesus' life-giving word. The water of the pool fails to bring life; Jesus' word does.
2 [1] The reference in John 5:45-46 to Moses suggests that the feast was Pentecost. The connection of that feast with the giving of the law to Moses on Sinai, attested in later Judaism, may already have been made in the first century. The feast could also be Passover (cf John 6:4). John stresses that the day was a sabbath (John 5:9).
(C) The Light and the Darkness (5:1-10:42). In this rather lengthy section of the Gospel, John uses several visits of Jesus to Jerusalem on the great Jewish feasts as the occasion to show that in him the aspirations of Judaism, symbolized by these feasts, found a greater significance. The prologue themes of "light" and "life" are continually stressed.
(a) JESUS AND THE SABBATH (5:1-47). The first stage in this development centers around a Sabbath controversy, the reality of which in the life of Jesus is more than amply confirmed by the frequent Syn references (cf. Mk: 2:23ff. par.). The scene is laid in Jerusalem. When we note the first verses of chs. 6 and 7, it is obvious that a good case can be made in behalf of chronology for considering- this chapter to be out of
place, reversed with ch. 6 (?7 above). However, chronology is not John's prime consideration, and there is no evidence that ch. 5 ever stood in a different position from the one it now has.
(i) The third sign of life (5 :1-15). Though Jn no longer calls it to our attention explicitly, this account continues the series of special "signs" that manifest Jesus' role as life-giver. Once again Jesus' word suffices to do what the "waters of Judaism" cannot.
1. a Jewish feast: Some mss. read "the Jewish feast"; this could appear as a justification for the transposition of chs. 5 and 6, since the proximity of Passover is mentioned in 6:4, and both Passover and Tabernacles (ch. 7) were referred to as "the" feast by the Jews. However, the presence of the article can be readily explained by dittography (en he heorte), or by the tendency toward assimilation (elsewhere in Jn heorte appears with the article), or by a desire for precision (one ms. has added "of unleavened bread" = Passover; another "Tabernacles"). John does not identify the feast; its importance is secondary to what took place at that time.
2 Now there is in Jerusalem at the Sheep (Gate) 3 a pool called in Hebrew Bethesda, with five porticoes.
3 [2] There is no noun with Sheep. "Gate" is supplied on the grounds that there must have been a gate in the NE wall of the temple area where animals for sacrifice were brought in; cf Nehemiah 3:1, 32; 12:39. Hebrew: more precisely, Aramaic. Bethesda: preferred to variants "Be(th)zatha" and "Bethsaida"; bet-esdatayin is given as the name of a double pool northeast of the temple area in the Qumran Copper Roll. Five porticoes: a pool excavated in Jerusalem actually has five porticoes.
2. the Sheep Pool: This appears to be the best translation: The pool received its name from its proximity to the Sheep Gate, known as such from OT times (Neh 3:1; 11:39), situated N of the Temple area. Hebrew name: Here and elsewhere in the NT, "Aramaic" is probably meant, i.e., the common language spoken by Palestinian Jews. Bethesda: Other readings, equally well attested, are "Bethzatha," "Bethsaida." Bethzatha seems to have been the name of the NE section of Jerusalem without the walls; it could have given its name to the place in question (or, conversely, it could have received its name from that place). Bethsaida may have been introduced into the mss. by confusing it with Bethsaida of Galilee
(1:44). Bethesda is often said to mean "house of mercy," as a name given to a building erected by a pool whose waters were said to have curative effects (5:7). But the name really had a quite different meaning; its Semitic form has been recovered in the copper scroll of Qumran Cave III (see 3QI5 11:12-13): bet 'ešdatayin, "house of the double gusher," a name that referred to the springs that fed the double pool. John's purpose in giving the "Hebrew" name is to qualify the pool as "water of Judaism" (cf. 2:6; 4:11). five porticoes: John probably intends no symbolism by this number. The Sheep Pool has been identified with the double pool that now lies near the Church of St. Anne in Jerusalem: The trapezoidal pool was edged on four sides by porticoes; a fifth transected it, dividing it into two parts (see C. Kopp, Holy Places, pl. 40).
3 In these lay a large number of ill, blind, lame, and crippled. 4
4 5
4 [3] The Caesarean and Western recensions, followed by the Vulgate, add "waiting for the movement of the water." Apparently an intermittent spring in the pool bubbled up occasionally (see John 5:7). This turbulence was believed to cure.
5 [4] Toward the end of the second century in the West and among the fourth-century Greek Fathers, an additional verse was known: "For [from time to time] an angel of the Lord used to come down into the pool; and the water was stirred up, so the first one to get in [after the stirring of the water] was healed of whatever disease afflicted him." The angel was a popular explanation of the turbulence and the healing powers attributed to it. This verse is missing from all early Greek manuscripts and the earliest versions, including the original Vulgate. Its vocabulary is markedly non-Johannine.
3. The authentic text merely states that the porticoes were crowded with the sick. The "received text" for vv. 3 b-4 adds (with variations): ". . . waiting for the moving of the water. For the angel of the Lord went down into the pool from time to time and stirred up the water; and whoever was first to step in after the stirring of the water became healed, no matter what disease he had." The added words are missing in the oldest and most reliable mss. (including P66 and P75), and the language is not Johannine. There can hardly be any doubt that we have in them a later addition devised to explain v. 7.
5 One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.
6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be well?"
5-6. It is not said, of course, that the man who had been sick for 38 years had spent all this time at the pool; however, v. 7 presupposes that he had been there for some time. John does not explain the basis on which Jesus singled out this man; he is interested only in the miracle as a sign of Jesus' power.
7 The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me."
7. With vv. 3b-4 excised as unauthentic, we have no explanation from the Evangelist of the efficacy popularly ascribed to the water. Evidently whenever the water bubbled, when the intermittent underground spring that fed the pool became more active, it was thought to be especially curative. Doubtless this condition would last only for a short while so that those in charge of the building would surely have been forced to regulate the crowds, possibly allowing only one person to enter the water. Or it may have been thought that the water was then effective only for one person.
8 Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your mat, and walk."
9 Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked. Now that day was a sabbath.
8-9. With a word Jesus does for the man what the water had been unable to do. Without referring to the supposed curative value of the water, he completely heals the man of his infirmity. now that day was a sabbath: This is the reason that precipitates controversy with the Jewish leaders, as it does when Jesus heals the blind man (9:14).
10 So the Jews said to the man who was cured, "It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry your mat."
11 He answered them, "The man who made me well told me, 'Take up your mat and walk.'"
10-11. A specific rabbinical law prohibited the carrying of one's bed on the Sabbath. The complaint of the Jewish leaders is not yet against Jesus, but against the action of the man who had been cured. His justification is implicit in his reply: If Jesus could perform this cure, surely it was proper to obey his command in this matter.
12 They asked him, "Who is the man who told you, 'Take it up and walk'?"
13 The man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away, since there was a crowd there.
12-13. The personality of the healed man does not emerge in this story. Nothing at all is said concerning his attitude toward Jesus.
14 6 After this Jesus found him in the temple area and said to him, "Look, you are well; do not sin any more, so that nothing worse may happen to you."
6 [14] While the cure of the paralytic in Mark 2:1-12 is associated with the forgiveness of sins, Jesus never drew a one-to-one connection between sin and suffering (cf John 9:3; Luke 12:1-5), as did Ezekiel 18:20.
14. the temple precincts: A place of popular resort; this passage conveys that Jesus met the man casually there on a later occasion. Apparently this time Jesus was with his disciples or the man identified him by other means (v. 15). sin no more: Jesus does not say that the man's sins were responsible for his affliction (cf. Lk 13 :1-4). The "something worse" that can happen doubtless refers to the judgment of God.
15 The man went and told the Jews that Jesus was the one who had made him well.
15. The man probably acted in good faith; he was simply answering the question that he had been asked in v. 12.
16 Therefore, the Jews began to persecute Jesus because he did this on a sabbath.
(ii) Jesus does the works of the Father (5:16-47). 16. As in the Syn tradition, Jesus' attitude toward the fulfillment of the Sabbath obligation becomes the initial cause of the Jewish leaders' hostility. The way in which John has arranged the following verses indicates that he did not attempt to report any specific conversation but that instead he has summarized what was brought out on this subject in various controversies.
First Published: Monday, March 27, 2006
Taking it to the Mat
Readings for Tuesday the 4th Week of Lent? click here for the lectionary readings
Reflection:
Jesus continues to heal the sick through faith. It is part of the revelation that Jesus is the Christ, the only Son of God. When he cures the sick, gives sight to the blind or hearing to the deaf he demonstrates the Father's love in a real and tangible way.
He is not physically with us now. But we believe He left us the Holy Spirit as he promised and that Holy Spirit operates in real ways within our lives. The trick is, just as with those who where cured by Jesus when he we physically here, faith. We must have faith in the healing presence of God in order to get the benefit from it. Jesus said in his parables that faith the size of a mustard seed could move mountains. We must accept that statement and allow that kind of power to flow through us.
Yesterday I spoke about the peace of Christ that comes from knowing we have placed our selves entirely in his hands. Today, in the course of doing my "day job" that concept of peace was reaffirmed by one of my friends and colleagues who is facing significant turmoil in his life. Like many others, he is facing employment uncertainty. Thinking I might be able to offer him some assurances, I asked him how he was feeling. His answer; "Surprisingly I'm OK with things. My faith is just buoying me up."
When I think about what a great gift that is I am stunned. It has been clinically shown time and again that state of mind has a huge physical impact on health and relationships. The more we feel stress and the more we let fear control our lives, the worse the impact on our health. I am beginning to suspect the stories recorded about the saints demonstrate that same faith taken to a much higher level. What miracles could we perform if we had that kind of faith? Pax
I welcome your comments. If you would like to make one and are not registered on Myspace, you can email me at miles_jj@excite.com and, if you wish, I will post your response as a comment. Thanks.
Scripture[1] from Ez 47:1-9, 12
Jerome Biblical Commentary[2]
1 1 Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water flowing out from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the facade of the temple was toward the east; the water flowed down from the southern side of the temple, south of the altar.
2 He led me outside by the north gate, and around to the outer gate facing the east, where I saw water trickling from the southern side.
1 [1-12] The wonderful and superabundant stream flowing from the temple, restoring to fertility traditionally arid ground, is symbolic of the return of the conditions of primeval paradise; cf Genesis 2:10-14. Water signifies great blessings, just as dryness signifies a curse; cf Ezekiel 26:5, 14.
(a) THE STREAM OF LIFE-GIVING WATER (47:1-12). This figure, with more or less the same symbolism, is found in other books (Am 9 :13; Jl 3 :18; Zech 14:8; Ps 36:8--9; Ap 22:1). 1. water flowing: Probably an allusion to the legend in which the stream of water coming out of Eden (Gn 2:10-I4) that had been stopped up by Adam's sin reappeared again during the Exodus in the desert; the water flowed from the rock in 12 streams and finally reappeared in eschatological Jerusalem as one stream (cf. R. Tournay, RB 70 [1963] 43-51).
3 Then when he had walked off to the east with a measuring cord in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and had me wade through the water, which was ankle-deep.
4 He measured off another thousand and once more had me wade through the water, which was now knee-deep. Again he measured off a thousand and had me wade; the water was up to my waist.
5 Once more he measured off a thousand, but there was now a river through which I could not wade; for the water had risen so high it had become a river that could not be crossed except by swimming.
6 He asked me, "Have you seen this, son of man?" Then he brought me to the bank of the river, where he had me sit.
7 Along the bank of the river I saw very many trees on both sides.
3. walked off to the east: The valley of Kedron, ordinarily a dry wash, contrasts with the stream that increases steadily.
8 He said to me, "This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah, and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh.
9 Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live, and there shall be abundant fish, for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh.
8-9. The Arabah is the deep geological rift that forms the Dead Sea and continues southward. The life-giving effect of
the waters is apparent from the freshening of the salt waters and the abundance of fish.
12 Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow; their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail. Every month they shall bear fresh fruit, for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary. Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine."
12. every month: The striking fertility is assured by the ever-flowing water. The meaning is clear-the presence of Yahweh is a blessing, revealing itself as a life-giving, creative power.
[1] All biblical references -New American Bible United States Conference of Catholic Bishops 3211 4th Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20017-1194 (202) 541-3000 December 09, 2002 Copyright © by United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
[2] All references to Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc.© 1968
Scripture from Ps 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9
Jerome Biblical Commentary
2 God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in distress.
3 3 Thus we do not fear, though earth be shaken and mountains quake to the depths of the sea,
3 [3-4] Figurative ancient Near Eastern language to describe social and political upheavals.
Ps 46. A hymn of praise, or song of Zion, which was the inspiration of Luther's "Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott" (Englished by T. Carlyle, "A safe stronghold our God is still"). There is a clear structure of three strophes, each ending in a refrain: With God as a refuge, there is nothing to fear (4, 8, 12). The second strophe singles out God's presence in Zion, which preserves it from the nations; in the third strophe, the congregation is invited to consider Yahweh's deeds, and his oracle of supremacy (11) is quoted. The precise life setting in the liturgy (e.g., Yahweh's enthronement, as proposed by Mowinckel) cannot be defined. Even should there be a borrowing of the old Canaanite traditions-a point not easily proved by Kraus-the reason behind the Zion tradition is Yahweh. The eschatological interpretation of Gunkel and others needs more evidence. 3-4. Neither earthquake nor the unruly power of chaos ("waters") can counterbalance the presence (which is at the same time a defense) of the "Lord of hosts."
5 5 Streams of the river gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High.
5 [5] Jerusalem is not situated on a river. This description derives from mythological descriptions of the divine abode and symbolizes the divine presence as the source of all life (cf Isaiah 33:21; Ezekiel 47:1-12; Joel 3:18(4:18); Zechariah 14:8; Rev 22:1-2).
5. The stream, in contrast to the waters, is symbolic of God's presence (cf. "waters of Shiloah" in Is 8:6).
6 God is in its midst; it shall not be shaken; God will help it at break of day.
8 The LORD of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob. Selah
6. dawn: Perhaps a reference to the answer given to prayer after a night in the Temple (cf. Pss 5:4; 17:3,15; 90:14).
9 Come and see the works of the LORD, who has done fearsome deeds on earth;
9. deeds: These are described specifIcally in 10.
Scripture from Jn 5:1-16
Jerome Biblical Commentary
1 1 2 After this, there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
1 [1-47] The self-revelation of Jesus continues in Jerusalem at a feast. The third sign (cf John 2:11; 4:54) is performed, the cure of a paralytic by Jesus' life-giving word. The water of the pool fails to bring life; Jesus' word does.
2 [1] The reference in John 5:45-46 to Moses suggests that the feast was Pentecost. The connection of that feast with the giving of the law to Moses on Sinai, attested in later Judaism, may already have been made in the first century. The feast could also be Passover (cf John 6:4). John stresses that the day was a sabbath (John 5:9).
(C) The Light and the Darkness (5:1-10:42). In this rather lengthy section of the Gospel, John uses several visits of Jesus to Jerusalem on the great Jewish feasts as the occasion to show that in him the aspirations of Judaism, symbolized by these feasts, found a greater significance. The prologue themes of "light" and "life" are continually stressed.
(a) JESUS AND THE SABBATH (5:1-47). The first stage in this development centers around a Sabbath controversy, the reality of which in the life of Jesus is more than amply confirmed by the frequent Syn references (cf. Mk: 2:23ff. par.). The scene is laid in Jerusalem. When we note the first verses of chs. 6 and 7, it is obvious that a good case can be made in behalf of chronology for considering- this chapter to be out of
place, reversed with ch. 6 (?7 above). However, chronology is not John's prime consideration, and there is no evidence that ch. 5 ever stood in a different position from the one it now has.
(i) The third sign of life (5 :1-15). Though Jn no longer calls it to our attention explicitly, this account continues the series of special "signs" that manifest Jesus' role as life-giver. Once again Jesus' word suffices to do what the "waters of Judaism" cannot.
1. a Jewish feast: Some mss. read "the Jewish feast"; this could appear as a justification for the transposition of chs. 5 and 6, since the proximity of Passover is mentioned in 6:4, and both Passover and Tabernacles (ch. 7) were referred to as "the" feast by the Jews. However, the presence of the article can be readily explained by dittography (en he heorte), or by the tendency toward assimilation (elsewhere in Jn heorte appears with the article), or by a desire for precision (one ms. has added "of unleavened bread" = Passover; another "Tabernacles"). John does not identify the feast; its importance is secondary to what took place at that time.
2 Now there is in Jerusalem at the Sheep (Gate) 3 a pool called in Hebrew Bethesda, with five porticoes.
3 [2] There is no noun with Sheep. "Gate" is supplied on the grounds that there must have been a gate in the NE wall of the temple area where animals for sacrifice were brought in; cf Nehemiah 3:1, 32; 12:39. Hebrew: more precisely, Aramaic. Bethesda: preferred to variants "Be(th)zatha" and "Bethsaida"; bet-esdatayin is given as the name of a double pool northeast of the temple area in the Qumran Copper Roll. Five porticoes: a pool excavated in Jerusalem actually has five porticoes.
2. the Sheep Pool: This appears to be the best translation: The pool received its name from its proximity to the Sheep Gate, known as such from OT times (Neh 3:1; 11:39), situated N of the Temple area. Hebrew name: Here and elsewhere in the NT, "Aramaic" is probably meant, i.e., the common language spoken by Palestinian Jews. Bethesda: Other readings, equally well attested, are "Bethzatha," "Bethsaida." Bethzatha seems to have been the name of the NE section of Jerusalem without the walls; it could have given its name to the place in question (or, conversely, it could have received its name from that place). Bethsaida may have been introduced into the mss. by confusing it with Bethsaida of Galilee
(1:44). Bethesda is often said to mean "house of mercy," as a name given to a building erected by a pool whose waters were said to have curative effects (5:7). But the name really had a quite different meaning; its Semitic form has been recovered in the copper scroll of Qumran Cave III (see 3QI5 11:12-13): bet 'ešdatayin, "house of the double gusher," a name that referred to the springs that fed the double pool. John's purpose in giving the "Hebrew" name is to qualify the pool as "water of Judaism" (cf. 2:6; 4:11). five porticoes: John probably intends no symbolism by this number. The Sheep Pool has been identified with the double pool that now lies near the Church of St. Anne in Jerusalem: The trapezoidal pool was edged on four sides by porticoes; a fifth transected it, dividing it into two parts (see C. Kopp, Holy Places, pl. 40).
3 In these lay a large number of ill, blind, lame, and crippled. 4
4 5
4 [3] The Caesarean and Western recensions, followed by the Vulgate, add "waiting for the movement of the water." Apparently an intermittent spring in the pool bubbled up occasionally (see John 5:7). This turbulence was believed to cure.
5 [4] Toward the end of the second century in the West and among the fourth-century Greek Fathers, an additional verse was known: "For [from time to time] an angel of the Lord used to come down into the pool; and the water was stirred up, so the first one to get in [after the stirring of the water] was healed of whatever disease afflicted him." The angel was a popular explanation of the turbulence and the healing powers attributed to it. This verse is missing from all early Greek manuscripts and the earliest versions, including the original Vulgate. Its vocabulary is markedly non-Johannine.
3. The authentic text merely states that the porticoes were crowded with the sick. The "received text" for vv. 3 b-4 adds (with variations): ". . . waiting for the moving of the water. For the angel of the Lord went down into the pool from time to time and stirred up the water; and whoever was first to step in after the stirring of the water became healed, no matter what disease he had." The added words are missing in the oldest and most reliable mss. (including P66 and P75), and the language is not Johannine. There can hardly be any doubt that we have in them a later addition devised to explain v. 7.
5 One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.
6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been ill for a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be well?"
5-6. It is not said, of course, that the man who had been sick for 38 years had spent all this time at the pool; however, v. 7 presupposes that he had been there for some time. John does not explain the basis on which Jesus singled out this man; he is interested only in the miracle as a sign of Jesus' power.
7 The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; while I am on my way, someone else gets down there before me."
7. With vv. 3b-4 excised as unauthentic, we have no explanation from the Evangelist of the efficacy popularly ascribed to the water. Evidently whenever the water bubbled, when the intermittent underground spring that fed the pool became more active, it was thought to be especially curative. Doubtless this condition would last only for a short while so that those in charge of the building would surely have been forced to regulate the crowds, possibly allowing only one person to enter the water. Or it may have been thought that the water was then effective only for one person.
8 Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your mat, and walk."
9 Immediately the man became well, took up his mat, and walked. Now that day was a sabbath.
8-9. With a word Jesus does for the man what the water had been unable to do. Without referring to the supposed curative value of the water, he completely heals the man of his infirmity. now that day was a sabbath: This is the reason that precipitates controversy with the Jewish leaders, as it does when Jesus heals the blind man (9:14).
10 So the Jews said to the man who was cured, "It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry your mat."
11 He answered them, "The man who made me well told me, 'Take up your mat and walk.'"
10-11. A specific rabbinical law prohibited the carrying of one's bed on the Sabbath. The complaint of the Jewish leaders is not yet against Jesus, but against the action of the man who had been cured. His justification is implicit in his reply: If Jesus could perform this cure, surely it was proper to obey his command in this matter.
12 They asked him, "Who is the man who told you, 'Take it up and walk'?"
13 The man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away, since there was a crowd there.
12-13. The personality of the healed man does not emerge in this story. Nothing at all is said concerning his attitude toward Jesus.
14 6 After this Jesus found him in the temple area and said to him, "Look, you are well; do not sin any more, so that nothing worse may happen to you."
6 [14] While the cure of the paralytic in Mark 2:1-12 is associated with the forgiveness of sins, Jesus never drew a one-to-one connection between sin and suffering (cf John 9:3; Luke 12:1-5), as did Ezekiel 18:20.
14. the temple precincts: A place of popular resort; this passage conveys that Jesus met the man casually there on a later occasion. Apparently this time Jesus was with his disciples or the man identified him by other means (v. 15). sin no more: Jesus does not say that the man's sins were responsible for his affliction (cf. Lk 13 :1-4). The "something worse" that can happen doubtless refers to the judgment of God.
15 The man went and told the Jews that Jesus was the one who had made him well.
15. The man probably acted in good faith; he was simply answering the question that he had been asked in v. 12.
16 Therefore, the Jews began to persecute Jesus because he did this on a sabbath.
(ii) Jesus does the works of the Father (5:16-47). 16. As in the Syn tradition, Jesus' attitude toward the fulfillment of the Sabbath obligation becomes the initial cause of the Jewish leaders' hostility. The way in which John has arranged the following verses indicates that he did not attempt to report any specific conversation but that instead he has summarized what was brought out on this subject in various controversies.
posted by Deacon Jim | 2:26 AM
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