And so Jesus was compelled to close His ministry at this place and move on to another village.

Another case which attracted much attention was that which occurred in Galilee when He was preaching in a house.  In the midst of His discourse both He and His audience were startled by the sight of a figure on a bed being lowered down among the crowd of listeners from the roof surrounding the open court in the center of the house.  It was a poor paralyzed man whom friends had contrived to hoist up and then lower down before Jesus in such a manner as could not escape the attention of the Master.  It is related that the piteous appeal of the sufferer, and the faith which had inspired such great energy on the part of his friends, attracted the interest and sympathy of Jesus, and He paused in His discourse and made another of those instantaneous cures which are possible only to the most advanced adepts in the science of spiritual healing.

Then came the scene of the Wells of Bethesda—­a region abounding in “healing waters” to which the sick and afflicted came to regain their health.  The crowds of sick were being carried to the springs by friends or paid attendants, who pushed aside the weaker ones and fought their way to the wells.  Jesus walked among the crowds, and at last His attention was attracted toward a poor fellow who lay upon his cot away off from the waters.  He had no friends to carry him nearer, nor money for paid attendants.  And he had not strength enough to crawl there himself.  He filled the air with his moans and cries and bewailings of his unfortunate lot.  Jesus walked up to him, and holding his attention by a firm look of authority and power, cried to him suddenly in a voice that demanded obedience, “Take up thy bed and walk!” The man, startled into obedience, did as directed, and much to his surprise, and that of the crowd gathered around, found that he was able to move about freely—­a well man.

This cure also aroused not only the greatest interest but also the antagonism of the ecclesiastical authorities.  It appears that the cure had been made on the Sabbath day, and that it was against the ecclesiastical law to heal the sick in any way upon that day; and also that the patient had performed manual work on the Sabbath in carrying his bed upon the orders of the Healer.  And the good pious folk, urged on by the priests, began to abuse and condemn the Healer and patient, after the manner of the formal pietists of all lands and times, even of our own.  Clinging to the letter of the law, these people overlook its spirit—­bound by the forms, they fail to see the meaning lying back of all forms and ceremonies.

Braving the storm that was arising around Him, Jesus boldly walked to the Temple.  He was plunged in a sea of conflicting opinions and voices.  On the one hand was the healed man and those who sympathized with him, in earnest argument concerning the righteousness of the deed.  But arrayed against these few were the good folk of the place who loudly denounced the Sabbath-breaker and demanded His punishment.  Were the ancient laws of Moses to be thus defied by this presumptuous Nazarene, whose religious ideas were sadly lacking in orthodoxy?  Surely not!  Punish the upstart!  And again Jesus was in actual peril of bodily hurt, or perhaps even death, owing to the religious bigotry of the orthodox people.