43. Post duos autem dies, exiit indè et abiit in Galilæam. 44. Ipse enim JESUS testimonium perhibuit quia propheta in suâ patriâ honorem non habet. 45. Cùm ergò venisset in Galilæam, exceperunt eum Galilæi, cúm omnia vidissent quæ fecerat Jerosolymis in die festo et ipsi enim venerant ad diem festum. 46. Venit ergò iterùm in Cana Galilææ, ubi fecit aquam vinum. Et erat quidam regulus cujus filius infirmabatur Capharnaum. 47. Hic cùm audîsset quia JESUS adveniret à Judæâ in Galilæam, abiit ad eum, et rogabat eum ut descenderet et sanaret filium ejus incipiebat enim mori. 48. Dixit ergò JESUS ad eum: "Nisi signa et prodigia videritis, non creditis." 49. Dicit ad eum regulus: "Domine, descende priusquàm moriatur filius meus." 50. Dicit ei JESUS: "Vade, filius tuus vivit." Credidit homo sermoni quem dixit ei JESUS, et ibat. 51. Jàm autem eo descendente, servi occurrerunt ei, et nuntiaverunt dicentes quia filius ejus viveret. 43. Now after two days he departed 'thence, and went into Galilee. 44. For Jesus himself gave testimony, that a prophet "hath not honour in his own country. 45. Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galileans received him, having seen all the things he had done at Jerusalem on the festival day: for they also went to the festival day. 46. He came again therefore into 'Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain ruler whose son was sick at "Capharnaum. 47. He having heard that Jesus was come from Judea into Galilee, went to him, and prayed him to come down and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. 48. Then Jesus said to him: Unless you see 'signs and wonders, you believe not. 49. The ruler saith to him: Sir, come down before that my son die. 50. Jesus saith to him: Go thy way, thy son liveth. The man believed the word which Jesus said to him, and went his way. 51. And as he was going down, his servants met him : and they brought word, saying, that his son lived. 52. Interrogabat ergò horam ab eis in quâ melius habuerit, et dixerunt ei: "Quia herì, horâ septimâ reliquit eum febris." 53. Cognovit ergò pater quia illa hora erat in quâ dixit ei JESUS: "Filius tuus vivit": et credidit ipse, et domus ejus tota. 54. Hoc iterùm secundum signum fecit JESUS, cùm venisset à Judæâ in Galilæam. 52. He asked, therefore, of them 'the hour, wherein he grew better. And they said to him: Yesterday, at the seventh hour the fever left him. 53. The father, therefore, knew that it was 10at the same hour that Jesus said to him: Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house. 54. This is again "the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judea into Galilee. Some try to identify this cure with that of the son of the Centurion (S. Matt. viii.), but there is a wide difference between them. In the former case the man besought our Lord, who was coming, not to go into his house and to say but the word. He the Ruler asks Him to come down quickly and Our Lord upbraids him with a want of faith. Our Lord did not move towards this man's house at all, but sent him home to find out the truth regarding his son's cure. Jesus passed by Nazareth this time. They treated Him badly when He was there before, and He passes them by. He left Judea also because of their incredulity and went into other parts of Galilee for the reasons given in the text. 1Thence. He left Sichem or Sichar and went into Galilee, the next province on the north. 2Hath not honour.-This was an old proverb painfully verified in the case of Our Lord, and this is why He passes Nazareth. 3 All the things.-S. John records none of those except His casting the profaners out of the Temple. 4Cana. We are reminded of His former visit there. There must have been friends there whom He loved to honour by His presence. Capharnaum. This was a good day's journey from Cana-over thirty miles at least. "Hearing. He heard of Jesus' power from the Centurion and of His coming from those who tarried not by the way as He did. "Signs and Wonders.-This is a contrast to the Sichemites. We are not told that He performed any miracles there, and yet a great many believed. 8Thy son liveth.—The Ruler believed His word at all events. The other faith came afterwards. "The hour.-The seventh-about 1 o'clock p.m. the day before. The messengers set out to tell him, but the way was long. 10 At the same hour.-His whole house, all who lived with him. 11The second. That is the second under the like circumstances; namely, after His return from Jerusalem. Reject Grace: Ist. Jesus passes by. 2nd. Misfortunes come then. 3rd. Temporal and eternal ruin afterwards. Human respect. Ist. Our Lord goes to the poor not to the powerful. 2nd. Faith and penitence call Him. 3rd. Pride and coldness repel Him. CHAPTER V. Christ heals on the Sabbath the man languishing thirty-eight years: his discourse upon this occasion. 1. Post hæc, erat dies festus Judæorum: et ascendit JESUS Jerosolymam. 2. Est autem Jerosolymis Probatica piscina, quæ cognominatur hebraicè Bethsaida, quinque porticus habens. 3. In his jacebat multitudo magna languentium, cæcorum, claudorum, aridorum, exspectantium aquæ motum. 4. Angelus autem Domini descendebat secundùm tempus in piscinam, et movebatur aqua: et qui prior descendisset in piscinam, post motionem aquæ, sanus fiebat, à quâcumque detinebatur infirmitate. 5. Erat autem quidam homo ibì, triginta-et-octo annos habens in infirmitate suâ. 6. Hunc cùm vidisset JESUS jacentem, et cognovisset quia jàm multum tempus haberet, dicit ei: "Vis sanus fieri ?" 7. Respondit ei languidus: "Domine, hominem non habeo 1. After these things, there was 1a festival day of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2. Now there is at Jerusalem a pond, called Probatica, which in Hebrew is named 'Bethsaida, having five porches. 3. In these lay a great multitude of sick, of blind, of lame, of withered, waiting for the moving of the water. 4. And an Angel of the Lord went down at a certain time into the pond; and the 'water was moved. And he that went down first into the pond, after the motion of the water, was made whole of whatsoever infirmity he lay under. 5. And there was a certain man there, that had been 'eight and thirty years under his infirmity. 6. Him when Jesus had seen lying, and knew that he had been now a long time, he saith to him: "Wilt thou be made whole ? 7. The infirm man answered him: "Sir, I have no man, when ut, cùm turbata fuerit aqua, mittat me in piscinam: dùm venio enim ego, alius ante me descendit." 8. Dicit ei JESUS: "Surge, tolle grabatum tuum et ambula." 9. Et statim sanus factus est homo ille, et sustulit grabatum suum, et ambulabat. the water is troubled, to put me into the pond: for whilst I am coming, another goeth down before me. 8. Jesus saith to him: Arise, take up thy bed, and 'walk. 9. And 10immediately the man was made whole: and he took up his bed, and walked. Grave discussions are held amongst the learned concerning the miraculous pond which is mentioned here. A good many manuscripts omit the fourth verse; but the great majority retain it. The bulk of Catholic commentators, and the most respectable of German rationalists admit it as authentic. There is no difficulty in admitting it from a Catholic point of view, except that only the first who got in was cured. Writers say that its effects were limited by God's will to such as showed promptitude and watchfulness for His coming. This seems a satisfactory explanation. But if there were no explanation at all, who is to prescribe rules to the Most High, either in His natural or phenomenal manifestations? 1A festival day.-There are many opinions about settling this particular feast; but, the most general and best supported is that it was the second Pasch of His public life. 2Bethsaida. Many Greek versions have Bethesda. There are disquisitions in some works about its name and origin; but little is known either of one or the other. 3A great multitude. This seemed to have been a new place and not generally known at the time as a curative. Water was moved. These movements were peculiar, and at uncertain times. "Eight and thirty years. He was not all that time at the pool; but, all that time suffering from an ailment which the Evangelist does not mention, but which seems to have been paralysis. "Wilt thou be made whole?-This is the first time we find our Lord offering to cure a person without being asked. 7 Sir, I have no man.-This is why our Lord asked him. 8 Whilst I am coming.-He did his best but was beaten. |