9. — [Immediately.... made whole,.. ..ivalked.] Here we see the reality of the miracle wrought. Nothing but Divine power could enable one who had been a cripple for so many years to move his limbs znd carry a burden all at once. But it was as easy to our Lord to give immediate strength as it was to create muscles, nerves, and sinews in the day that Adam was made.
When we are told that the man " took up his bed," we must remember that this probably was nothing more than a light mattress, carpet, or thick cloth, such as is commonly used in hot countries for sleeping on. 10. — [The Jews.] Here, as in many places in St. John's Gospel, the expression, " the Jews," when used of the Jews at Jerusalem, means the leaders of the people, — elders, ruleis, and scribes. It does not mean vaguely the "Jewish crowd" around our Lord, but the representatives of the whole nation, — the heads of Israel at the time.
[It is not lawful.... carry hed.] In support of this charge of
unlawfulness, the Jews would allege not merely the general law of the fourth commandment, but the special passages in Nehemiah and Jeremiah, about " bearing no burden " on the Sabbath day. (Neh. xiii. 19 ; Jer. xvii. 21.) But they could not have proved that these passages appHed to the case of the man before them. — For a man to carry merchandise and wares on the Sabbath was one thing. For a sick man, suddenly and miraculously healed, to walk away to his home, carrying his mattress, was quite another. — To forbid the one man to carry his burden was Scriptural and lawful. To forbid the other was cruel, and contrary to the spirit of the law of Moses. — The act of the one man was unnecessary. The act of the other was an act of necessity and mercy. — It might per- haps be urged in defence of the Jews, that they only saw a man carrying off a burden, and knew nothing of his previous illness or his cure. But when we remember the many instances re- corded in the Gospels of their extreme and harsh interpretation of the fourth commandment, it is doubtful whether this plea will stand.
11. — [He that made me whole the same said, etc.] The answer of the man seems simple. But it contains a deep principle. " He that has done so great a thing to me was surely to be obeyed, when He told me to take up my bed. If He had authority and power to heal, He was not likely to lay upon me an unlawful command. I only obeyed him who cured me." If Christ has really healed our souls, should not this be our feeling toward Him ? — '' Thou hast healed me. What thou commandest I will do."
12. — [ What man is he which said,...Talce vp thy hed, etc.] Ecolampa- dius, Grotius, and many others, remark what an example this question is of the malevolent and malicious spirit of the Jews. Instead of asking, " who healed thee ?" they asked " who told