As I sat to examine this painting, I notice the obvious connections first. Like the fact that Jesus was in the light and the rest of the picture was dim. And that the man who was being healed was in a lot of darkness. I made the connection in my head, with the fact that Christ is the light of the world and until we come unto him, we are still in the darkness our selves. This statement is made very clear in the painting. But then as I sat there for a few more minutes I began to see things I had never noticed before. Why were certain things placed in the painting, and what was there theological meaning. Some of the items I could not rationalize why they were there, but for some I made my best guess.
First I'll start off with the beggars in the background. None of them are looking unto Christ, some are still staring at the pool and others are just simply not paying attention at all. For me this represents many of the people in the times of Christ, the Jews. Because of the Maccabees revolt, a false image of Christ was born. These people were looking for the wrong signs of Christ, just as the beggars are looking for the wrong source of power: the pool.
Next we can examine the little child standing by those beggars. This child isn't looking at the pool at all. He's looking towards the Messiah. Which represents the fact that we need to be childlike. And that is simply put by the soft and tender expression of the child's face.
Now let's focus on the pool. I find it interesting that part of the word Bethesda in Aramaic means "house of mercy" that sets the stage perfectly for the healing by the Savior. He has mercy on everyone.
Now what I had never noticed before that, and I still feel as if I was imagining it there in the painting was an obscure man in the lower left corner. I saw a man hunched-over underneath the Pharisees. He is hardly visible but I could make out his face. And a tiny slice of the top of his head was bathed in light. The connection I made with this man was that the Pharisees kept many people in the dark about Christ. They bore false witness and tricked many people into believing that Christ was just a man. That is why I think he is underneath them and in the shadows, but I also think despite what he was told, he was finding out for himself who this Christ figure really was. Which is why he has a little bit of light shed on him. This man I found to be very interesting in so many aspects.
But some of the things I couldn't figure out was the man slightly to the right of the man being healed. Why is he wearing a cap that is red, it's the brightest color in the whole painting. And also what is he trying to say with his face, and where is he looking. Also what confused me was why is there an object that resembles a watermelon by the leg of the man being healed? Does is serve a purpose or is it completely random?
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I love this painting too. Many times I've tried to create stories in my mind about the people in the painting. I see the pharisee's judging Jesus for healing on the sabbath. I too noticed the man below but did not know what I was gathing from his position in the painting. I like what you said about the man to the left of the painting in darkness. It makes sense. I also like what you mentioned about the child. How he was looking at the Savior & not the pool like so many of the other people. I wondered if his mother had lost her husband or if she was feeling the weight of a mother's work & was seeking some refuge (strength & healing). I wondered if the woman next to her is a widow. I know there is a reason for every person in that picture. It represents the Saviors love for all his children. The man with the red cap on makes me wonder if his main struggle was of the mind. These of course are just guesses but I'm always pondering about these people in the painting with the Savior. May we strive to follow the example of Jesus & be a light for all our brothers & sisters.
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