The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1905-02-16

ter this" after these things" r. v.
Some think that when John is telling some
event which follows Immediately after the
last thing. narrated, he uses the expression
when there has been an interval of time
he uses the expression after these things"
ga feast" There has been much differ
ence of opinion as to what feast this was,
ers that it was the Passover. 2. "By the
sheep gate" Or. W We know from Nek.
81, 30; .12:39 that there was a sheep gate,
SO called probably from sheep for sacrifice
being sold there. 1t was near the temple.
means Aramaic, the language spoken at
the time, not the old Hebrew of the Scrip
lures. Bethesda" This name does not
occur elsewhere. It means house Of mer-
ey." The site is not identified with GER
tainty. The traditional spot is near Castle
Antonio. But DR.. Robinson thinks "the
fountain of the Virgin" an intermittent
spring in the southeast of the city, near
the pool OF Silaom, was Bethesda. Five
porches." These porches were probably
covered arcades, colonades or verandas.
open at one side to the air. but protected
against the sun or rain overhead. In a hot
country like Palestine such buildings are
very necessary. 8. Multitude" The sick
congregated here in great numbers.
5-9). 5. can infirmity." The original inn
plies rather a loss of power than a positive
disease; probably it was a nervous disease
of paralytic type. Thirty and eight
years" The duration of the illness is
mentioned. either to show how inveterate
and difficult it was to heal, or rather. ac-
cording to verse 6, to explain the deep
compassion with which Jesus was affected
on behOiding the unhappy man. From
verse IA we may infer that his disease was
the result Of the sin sins OF his youth,
original indicates one of those instantan-
eous perceptions by which the truth be-
came known to Jesus according as the task
of the moment demanded. Verse IA will
show that the whole life of the sufferer is
present to the eye of Jesus, as that of the
Samaritan woman was in chapter 4. Saith
unto him" Usually Christ waited until
He was asked before He relieved the suf-
fering, but in this and a few other cases
He healed without being, asked. He read
the mans past life and present condition
of mind. and saw that he was in a state
to receive spiritual good from the healing.
"Wit thou?" Why does He ask a ques-
ton to which the answer was SO obvious?
Probably in order to rouse the sick man
out of his lethargy and dependency.
z. "Nc man." He was friendless as well
as sick. els troubled" This spring, prob
ably the fountain of the Virgin, is inter-
: mittent to this day and various travellers
have seen it suddenly rise from five inches
to a foot in five minutes. Whedon thinks
SANS SAS AAS AAS7 VA AZ - alvin
an underground competition of the pool
with the city water works. The occasional
and intermittent disturbance of the water
is not to be understood as a regular occur
renee, but as something sudden and quick.
ly passing away. Hence the mans waiting
and complaint. Put me into the pool"
Literally, Gin order to throw" me into the
pool; perhaps implying that the gush of
water did not last long, and there was no
time to be lost in quiet carrying. "While
i ~ anrnInn Thus n1ofn~In~ thn 0xfroroo
haste and rapidity with which the favor
able opportunity was seized. There was a
rush and scramble for the one chance.
8. rise" etc. Commands like these
would test the mans faith and obedience.
As in the case of the paralytic Mark 2:9l,
Christ made no enquiry as to the mans
faith. Christ knew that he had faith, and
the mans attempting to rise and carry his
bed after thirty-eight years of impotence
was an open confession of faith; Bed"
in the East. 9. "And walked" With the
command was given the power of obe-
dience. So the sinner who is hidden to
commit himself to Christ need not wait
for any compulsion. AS he makes the eff
fort he will find divine power within him
week, the Jewish Sabbath.
III. Persecution of the Jews Tvs. 1919.
10. mot lawful" jeremiah had COM
manded, "Take heed to yourselves. and
bear no burden on the Sabbath day" 16:
2ll, and the Jews interpreted this as for
bidding the carrying of the lightest weight.
But Jeremiah's meaning is made clear by
Neh. 1915: Threading wine presses on the
Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lad
ing asses" etc. T forbid this man from
carrying his bed was like forbidding a mod
ern man to move a camp stool Or a chair"
II. "He-said." Unquestionably the
words seem to say that one who could DO
such a wonder as healing me must certain
1y have the right to tell ne what to do.
He had been authorized by one endorsed
the very ground which Christ Himself
took. IL. "Who is the man" (R. W
They ignore the miracle, and attack the
command. They ask not, "Who cured
thee. and therefore must have divine au-
the Sabbath. and therefore could not have
it?" Is. "Knew not" (R. W Jesus had
been in Jerusalem but little, and the man
who was healed had probably never seen
Him. Conveyed himself away" Better,
came suddenly, lost to sight. "a multi
tude," etc. This may be understood as
explaining either why he withdrew-to
avoid the crowd, or the manner in which
he withdrew-by disappearing in the
crowd. Either explanation makes good
sense.
". Jesus gives advice and warning ".
14). IA. "Afterward." Probably soon af-
terward; in a day or so. "Findeth him"
Jesus had His eye on the man; His work
with him was not yet finished; this meet
ing was not accidental. GIN the temple"
A good place for the man to be. "Sin no
more" God asks this of every sinner.
And yet there are those who insist that it
is impossible to live without sin in this
life, but if such is the case then Jesus
asked this man to do the impossible. ga
worse thing" A paralysis from which no
pool can restore and no Saviour will de-
liver; the most terrible catastrophe of the
sonPs eternal history.
". The man bears testimony ". 15).
Is. "Told the jews" etc. In reply to the
inquiry they had made of him a short time
before, partly in obedience to the authori-
ties and partly to complete his apology for
himself. He expected, probably, in the
simplicity of his heart, that the name of
Him whom so many counted as a prophet,
if not as the Messiah Himself, would have