1 After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue BeUtic^sda, having five porch ^js.
3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water : whosoever
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then arst after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
6 When Jesus saw Mm lie, and knew that he had been now a long timo in that case, he saith unto him, "Wilt thou be made whole ?
7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked : and on the same day was the sabbath.
10 The Jews therefore said unto
1 him that was cured. It is the sab- ' bath day : it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.
11 He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me. Take up thy bed, and walk.
12 Then asked they him. What man is that which said unto thee Take up thy bed, and walk ?
13 And he that was healed wist not who it was : for Jesus had con- veyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.
14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole : sin no more, lest a worse thing como unto thee.
15 The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.
We have in this passage one of the few miracles of Christ, which St. John records. Like every other miracle in this Gospel, it is described with great minuteness and particu- larity. And like more than one other miracle it leads on to a discourse full of singularly deep instruction.
We are taught, for one thing, in this passage, what misery sin has brought into the world. We read of a man who had been ill for no less than thirty-eight years ! For eight-and-thirty weary summers and winters he had endured pain and infirmity. He had seen others healed at the waters of Bethesda, and going to their homes rejoicing. But for him there had been no healing. Friendless, helpless, and hopeless, he lay near the wonder-working waters, but derived no benefit from them. Year after year passed away, and left him still un cured. No relief or change for the better seemed likely to come, except from the grave.
When we read of cases of sickness like this, we should remember how deeply we ought to hate sin ! Sin was the original root, and cause, and fountain of every disease in
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