Hope. People desperately need it. Without hope, life is not worth living. Apart from hope, the pain and disappointments of life are unbearable. Everyone needs hope, but some need it in extra measure.
As Jesus walked past the Pool of Bethesda, He noticed a crowd of people who were all suffering physical infirmities. There were those who were sick, blind, lame, and paralyzed. Presumably they had each tried to be made well in whatever manner was available to them. Physicians had been consulted. Friends had offered their advice. Prayers had been uttered. Yet when all else failed, they had gathered together at the pool.
Hurting people often collect in places of hope. These hurting masses were desperate for something to inspire them to keep living. They were poor, for they were unable to work and earn a living. Most would have been beggars. They survived in the most humiliating of circumstances. Some were cast out of their homes, with no one to care for them. Each time someone passed by, the sick and crippled people would have clamored for charity. Each would appeal for any compassion that might be offered. It was a humbling, hopeless, miserable existence.
Every generation has its Pool of Bethesda. People of every age search for hope. Have you noticed those people around you, desperate to talk with someone who can offer them hope?