Why were the Jews in an uproar when Jesus healed the impotent man?
The Jews were outraged because the healing occurred on the Sabbath, and Jesus told the man to pick up his bed and walk. Their religious zeal for the Law blinded them to common sense; they preferred his continued infirmity over what they regarded as Sabbath-breaking.
Les teaches that the impotent man pictures the testing of the nation of Israel, having been in that condition for 38 years. When Jesus asked if he would be made whole, He was really asking the nation if it was ready for spiritual health, the King, and the Kingdom. But they were not, because they would not believe who He was. Then, because these Jews were so religious and mindful of the Law, they were in an uproar when Jesus healed the man on the Sabbath and told him to pick up his bed and walk. They were so religious that they were blind to common sense, and would rather have seen the poor man stay in his infirmity than be so-called guilty of breaking the Sabbath. Les says that is what religion does, and he contrasts it with Pauline Christianity, which is practical and has set people free under the Holy Spirit’s guidance.