John 5:14, commentary and pictures

After Jesus healed the helpless paralytic of thirty-eight years at Bethesda without first asking faith of him, He afterward found him in the temple praising God and offering thanks, made Himself known as his deliverer, confirmed him whole, and warned him to stop sinning lest a worse thing come upon him. His long disease had come in great part from his own sinful course, and though Jesus named no particular sin, the warning convicted him of the wrong for which he was responsible, a warning He gave to many He healed and not to this man alone. He had chosen the Sabbath for this healing of the worst case and told the man to carry his bed so it would be noticed, to expose restrictive traditions, vindicate the Father's law, and show healing as sacred merciful work in harmony with the Sabbath rather than its desecration. Disease is the sure result of breaking God's natural and spiritual laws, and health can be preserved only by obeying and cooperating with the laws He established in love for human good, every prohibition carrying blessing in obedience and danger in disobedience. Bodily healing must serve the far more important healing of the soul, leading the one made whole to repent, turn from transgression, receive forgiveness and peace, and live differently, for being healed gives no license for self-indulgence or return to harmful habits without facing the sure consequences of transgression.

Setting and Sabbath Conflict

The man had been a helpless, paralyzed sufferer for thirty-eight years when Jesus healed him at Bethesda. He was commanded to rise without first being asked to exercise faith, and he rose at once with new strength and praised God. He rolled up his mat and blanket and went his way with joy and ease, changed from one borne to the pool as a helpless sufferer to one leaving it in perfect soundness, healed. In gratitude for being made whole he could not refrain from telling all with whom he came in contact of the wonderful work wrought for him.

Afterward Jesus found him in the temple among the worshipers and made Himself known to him as his deliverer. He confirmed that the man had been made whole. The man had gone there to praise God for his healing and to offer thanks and sacrifices for the great mercy received. Those offerings are described as a sin-offering and a thank-offering, and also as a trespass-offering, a sin-offering, and a thank-offering.

The healing was done on the Sabbath, which Jesus chose for the act. He selected the worst case and told the man to carry his bed so the cure would be publicly noticed and would raise the question of what the Sabbath law permits. This exposed the burden of restrictive traditions the Jews had placed upon the day and freed the Sabbath from them. It vindicated the Father's law and restored the Sabbath to its intended dignity. It showed that He came to uphold and honor the law rather than diminish it, and that the healing was sacred work like the Father's work and an act of mercy in harmony with God's law rather than a desecration of the Sabbath.

The man was overjoyed to see his deliverer, and ignorant of the malice the Jews held against Jesus, he told the Pharisees who had questioned him that Jesus had done the cure. The Jewish leaders and dignitaries knew Christ had performed the restoration and sought direct proof to condemn Him as a Sabbath-breaker. They sought to kill Him and plotted against His life, so that it became unsafe for Him to remain in Jerusalem. They were held back by the people who recognized Him as one who had healed them and relieved their sorrows, while others justified Him for healing the man afflicted for thirty-eight years. The discourse following the healing took place as He was accused of breaking the Sabbath, and the healing stands among His early work in Judea whose miracles of healing and teachings proclaimed Him the Son of the Eternal.

Sin, Disease, and Obedience

His disease had resulted in great part from his own sin and was regarded as a judgment from God. His thirty-eight years of long suffering had resulted in part from his own dissipation. He was warned to avoid and turn away from the sins that had caused that suffering, lest worse suffering come upon him.

Jesus warned him to stop sinning because his sinful course had brought its sure result and continuing in sin could bring a worse thing upon him. Jesus did not name a particular sin, but the word sin convicts the person of the wrongdoing for which he is responsible. This warning was given to many whom He healed, not to this one man only, because He knew many had brought disease on themselves by wrongdoing yet He healed them anyway, and His healing power convicted them of sin so that many were healed spiritually as well as physically.

Disease is the result of breaking God's laws, both natural and spiritual. There is a divinely appointed connection between sin and disease as cause and effect, constantly seen in medical practice by an observing honest physician. Willful and deliberate violation of heaven's laws brings disease and suffering, and a person seeking healing must cease deliberately breaking God's law. Harmful practices are sin because they destroy physical, mental, or spiritual strength, and they are promoted by the fallen foe to allure people into health-destroying and soul-destroying practices. The great misery in the world would not exist if people from the beginning had lived in harmony with the Creator's plan, and if God's people had obeyed His stated requirements.

Health can be preserved only through obedience and cooperation with God by obeying the laws He established for human good. Preserving or restoring health involves living in harmony with them. His laws of nature rest on His tender and strong love and are not arbitrary exactions. Every prohibition in physical or moral law contains or implies a promise of blessing in obedience and danger and unhappiness in disobedience, designed to bring people closer to Himself and save them from evil to good without force.

Repentance and Healing Ministry

Bodily healing is to serve the healing of the soul, which is far more important, and those made whole in body are to be shown the way of salvation. They are to be led to repent, to turn from sin and live differently, to stop transgressing God's laws, to have their sins forgiven, to receive forgiveness and peace, to go in peace, and to sin no more, for Christ has power both to heal and to forgive. This is truth of special interest to enlighten those who need to be reconverted before they can become righteous.

Those who care for the sick must plainly lay before them that sin brings suffering and that healing requires facing the real cause. When illness is caused by improper eating or drinking the physician should explain this and urge reform and strict temperance, warning against practices that harm health and soul and impressing the need for self-denial and obedience to the laws of life and health. The sick are to be urged to cease to sin and to bring appetite and passions under the control of reason, and to be pointed to Jesus as the sin-pardoning Saviour and the sure remedy for every malady, with tact and wise discrimination and with tenderness and love for the soul. Those raised from suffering and the verge of the grave are to be taught to deny self and obey the laws of life and health, especially the young, for there is a divinely appointed connection between sin and disease as cause and effect, constantly seen in medical practice. Disease as the result of sin is promoted by the fallen foe to allure people into health-destroying and soul-destroying practices, yet God's laws of nature rest on His tender and strong love and are not arbitrary exactions, and every prohibition in physical or moral law contains or implies a promise of blessing in obedience and danger and unhappiness in disobedience, designed to bring people closer to Himself and save them from evil to good without force. Those who undertake medical missionary work must heed the light given about caring for the body and doing what they can to prevent sickness and disease.

When Christ heals He commands the healed person to stop sinning, and being healed gives no license for self-indulgence. Appetite must not be made a god, and the healed person must not return to the self-indulgent practices of the world or presume that healing removes the need to restrict diet and that it is now safe to eat and drink as pleased. Persisting in harmful habits, gratifying perverted appetite, cherishing wrong habits, and refusing to reform after light has been given brings the sure consequences of transgression and forces the person to face the consequences of choice. Such a course prolongs the need for God's restoring power in body and soul.

The warning was spoken to many healed sufferers, not to one man only, because many had brought disease on themselves by wrongdoing yet were healed anyway, and His healing power convicted them of sin so that many were healed spiritually as well as physically. Disease is the result of violating God's laws, both natural and spiritual, and the misery of the world would not exist if people from the beginning had lived in harmony with the Creator's plan. A person seeking healing must cease deliberately breaking God's law, since willful violation of heaven's laws brings disease and suffering. Ignorance of God's natural and spiritual laws is displeasing to Him, so the conditions for preserving health must be learned and observed. Believers are to work together with God for restoration of body and soul by teaching others how to preserve and recover health, using God's natural remedies, pointing the sick to Christ alone for restoration, believing in the great Healer, claiming His promise and praying for His power, for Christ through the Holy Spirit brings healing power to those who turn from evil and learn to do good, and the very essence of the gospel is restoration.