seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
John 5:1 Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda[a] and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. [4] [b] 5 One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”
7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”
8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.
The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, 10 and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.”
11 But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ”
12 So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?”
13 The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.
14 Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well
a. John 5:2 Some manuscripts Bethzatha; other manuscripts Bethsaidab. John 5:4 Some manuscripts include here, wholly or in part, paralyzed—and they waited for the moving of the waters. 4 From time to time an angel of the Lord would come down and stir up the waters. The first one into the pool after each such disturbance would be cured of whatever disease they had.
After He healed him.... he turned Him in..... bummer.I remember reading about the pools at Bethesda. I think I saw a documentary on it at some time too. I remember writing about the guy who didn't get up for thirty eight years.... because he couldn't get to the pool while it was bubbling. I can see not getting there from twenty miles away.... but this bum was laying near the pool.... is he trying to say he couldn't find a friend to drag him a few feet into the pool? As they say on a cable show hubby watches.... "Come on man!" If this guy couldn't find someone to drag him to the pool after thirty eight years..... he must have been one hateful angry sorry lazy bum. I would venture to say this guy didn't want to be healthy. Some humans are like that.... I've met a few.
So, while reading the professional commentary this morning..... I ran into a new word.... dissipation.... and that makes this a little clearer for me. Apparently... to the average Joe.... it means "a descent into drunkenness and sexual dissipation" or "the dissipation of the country's mineral wealth". Apparently there is a different meaning in the Bible. According to Google..... it's biblical meaning is a : dispersion, diffusion the dissipation of the smoke the dissipation of enemy forces. b archaic : dissolution, disintegration. c : wasteful expenditure the dissipation of the family's fortune. d : intemperate living especially : excessive ...
This guy really was a bum.
Jesus was in town for a Jewish Holiday. The commentaries say it might have been either Passover, Pentecost, or Purim [when they lived in tents instead of homes]. According to tradition.... during this festival.... the hot springs at Bethesda would erupt. It was a natural hot tub.... just what a sore arthritic [or even polio ridden] body needed to loosen up. Tradition says the first one in the pool.... was healed.... last one in... missed it and stayed a rotten cripple.
On top of that.... it was the Sabbath. I know the Sabbath was a huge issue. No one... not one descendant of Jacob [Israel] or anyone in their household was supposed to work on the Sabbath. That was the one commandment they stuck to really well. I wonder.... if those Pharisees and Sadducees, leaders, or teachers were supposed to be "resting" for the Sabbath.... what were they doing "catching" a man holding his mat?
Breaking the "rest" commandment was punishable by death.
So.... when the Pharisees saw the man at the pool carrying his mat..... they made it their business to question him. I guess that isn't work... or maybe it's calling to mind the need for police officers to go to work when the rest of us should be "resting". At any rate... when they "caught" this man "carrying" his mat.... it was all they needed to put him to death... and he knew it. That's why this bum tried to put the blame on Jesus. Jesus told him to do it... and if he was going down... so was Jesus... but he didn't know his name and Jesus had blended into the crowd.
To be fair.... the Pharisees, Sadducees [and the other church leaders] who were in charge of the Temple at the time.... were walking a thin rope at this time. Three times a year.... these "holidays" would bring millions of descendants of Jacob [Israel] and all of their households to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple. The sure size of the crowd would make anyone nervous. I would imagine it would be like having millions of people show up at the Reflecting Pool at the National Mall today. Not thousand, or hundreds of thousand, but millions of descendants of Jacob [Israel] were required to show up.
The Roman Government ran Jerusalem at the time. There would have been soldiers everywhere to keep the peace. There were a lot descendants of Jacob [Israel] who were looking forward to a great Messiah to come and run Rome out of town. There were rumors all around that the Messiah was indeed walking around earth at that very minute. They were sure the Messiah would be a mighty warrior like King David... and he would call them all to battle.... they were keeping their weapons ready for the battle.
With millions of people in town.... Roman soldiers shoving their way around..... and word of a Messiah stirring up a rebellion.... those Pharisees had their hands full. It would probably relieve a little tension and serve as a warning if they could prosecute this bum [the guy at the pool] for "not resting". That is why the bum was willing to put the blame on Jesus. He didn't want an angry mob stoning him to death.... he had invested a lot of time laying around doing nothing. To be stoned to death for getting up would really put an ironic spin on the meaning of his life.
So... when Jesus came back to him.... he was more than willing to squeal to the Temple leaders.... it was that or death.
This bum didn't even make 30 coins for turning in the Messiah.... this bum got to live because he squealed on Jesus.
:coffee"