Allegorical Background: The pool of Bethesda, known for its five porticoes, was special in a unique way.
Periodically, an angel stirred its waters, and it was known that the first person to enter
the waters would be healed of his affliction. As such, many crippled and infirm people
surrounded the pool awaiting the stirring in the hope that they might be first into the
waters and healed. On the occasion of this Gospel passage, Jesus encounters a
crippled man by the pool on a Sabbath.
The crippled man had been waiting at the pool for such a cure for 38 years. Thirty-eight
years was also the period of time that Israel wandered in the desert for a generation to
pass away before entering the Promised Land. (See Dt 2:14). As such the man also
represented, by way of allegory, Israel’s wandering in the desert awaiting God’s final
deliverance.
The Christian life parallels Israel’s journey from Egypt. Crossing the Red Sea, Israel
was baptized into Moses, in the Cloud and sea. (1 Cor 10:2). This prefigures our
Baptism in water and Spirit. (Cf John 3:5).
Like Israel’s subsequent wandering, the Christian life is also full of testing in the desert.
Israel was ultimately led into the Promised Land by Yeshua (Joshua), and we who
persevere in the faith in our journey, will also be led into the Promised land by
Yeshua (Jesus), our mediator. (Cf 1 Tim 2:5).
The Process of Being Cured
Jesus cured the man who had awaited healing by first asking “Do you want to be
well?” Likewise, are we aware of our sinful infirmity and need for salvation? If so, our
consent is also procured by the Church before we are baptized. Even though in
Baptism we are incorporated into the family of God, we must still pick up our mat and
walk in His footsteps.
At the heart of this passage is the theme of healing and restoration available to all who
seek it. We know that Christ comes to us in our suffering, even before we feel the need
to seek Him. There is no Sabbath, in the sense that God abandons His people for a He is always there with us as He was for the crippled man.
The pool of Bethesda then, is a metaphor for the sacraments of the Church. The
sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick, personify Christ’s
acting through His Church to be with us until we also cross into the Promise land. We
are not simply healed as we journey; Christ also provides the true Bread that came
down from heaven as food for our journey.
Application
Properly understood, this Gospel passage is not just the record of an ancient healing. It
offers a profound reflection on healing, faith, and ultimately our own call to discipleship.
“Do you want to be well?” If so, seek spiritual healing and sustenance through the
sacraments, as Christ heals and feeds you for the journey. Then so equipped, share the
Good News with others.
