Matthew took Jesus to his house, and invited some of his old friends, several of whom were tax-gatherers, and others not of religious repute, to meet him at a feast. It would seem that there was a pretty large party; for it is recorded,―― “Many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many.” The scribes and Pharisees were very indignant that Jesus should associate with persons of such character. Jesus, hearing of their fault-finding, replied,―― “They that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” He then, by the forcible illustrations of the “new cloth on an old garment” and “new wine in old bottles,” showed that the rigorous observances of the old dispensation were not adapted to the freedom and privileges of the new. The time for the feast of the Passover had come; and Jesus, with his disciples, took a second journey to Jerusalem. There was a pool at Jerusalem called Bethesda, which, in the popular estimation, had at a certain season of the year great medicinal virtues. At such times, large numbers, suffering from every variety of disease, were brought to the pool. Jesus saw a man there who had been utterly helpless, from paralysis probably, for thirty-eight years. He was poor and friendless. Sympathetically Jesus addressed him, inquiring, “Do you wish to be made whole?” The despairing cripple replied, “Sir, I have no one, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool; but, while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.” Immediately the man was made whole. It was the sabbath. The sanctimonious Pharisees, watching for some accusation of Jesus, when they saw the rejoicing man in perfect health, carrying the light mattress upon which he had reclined, in an absurd spirit of cavilling accused him of violating the holy day by carrying a burden. He replied, that the one who had cured him had directed him to do so. Upon their inquiring who it was who had given him such directions, he could only reply that he did not know. It appears that Jesus, immediately after performing the miracle, had withdrawn.