Luk 14:1 | KingComments | STEP | Although the Lord has just spoken of His rejection by Jerusalem, He continues to show grace and mercy. He entered the house of a Pharisee again to eat bread there ( ). This time He does that on a Sabbath. He is surrounded by people who watch Him closely to see if He does anything that violates their laws. The Pharisees want to use their Sabbath commandment to bind His merciful hands with. He breaks their ropes by showing that He has at least as much compassion with a human being as they have with their animal. His grace far exceeds their legal judgments. He proves this in His actions with the man suffering from dropsy who is also present there. They feel He will do something again, for they know He will work with His grace wherever there is suffering and sickness. It is possible that they have intentionally placed this man suffering from dropsy in front of Him. By placing him there they unintentionally give him the place where he can find healing. A person suffering from dropsy is someone who holds water and is therefore inflated, blown up in appearance. This prevents him from entering through the narrow door. It is the dropsy of Israel. Water is a picture of the Word of God. As an application, one can see in this man someone who is blown up by the knowledge of God’s Word ( ). He is the physical expression of the spiritual state of the Pharisees. However, there is a big difference. This man stands in front of the Lord Jesus and wants to be healthy, while the Pharisees believe that they are healthy and therefore are enemies of the Lord. The Lord knows that they are watching Him closely. He knows their evil thoughts. His question of whether or not it is permitted to heal on the Sabbath is an answer to their evil thoughts. With His question He addresses Himself to their conscience. The evil, merciless leaders do not answer. The Lord gives a first answer through His act of mercy. He acts with vigor. He takes hold of the man. That is the only solution in such situations. In that way He also firmly took hold on the Pharisee Saul and threw him to the ground ( ). He makes the man healthy and sends him away. This man has been cured and is going in liberty. The Lord has even more teaching for the Pharisees. He continues with His answer by asking them a new question. This answer in form of a question differs slightly from the answer given to the official of the synagogue in the previous chapter ( ). There it is more about the need to care for an animal on time, whereas here it is a more urgent case. It is not only an animal that needs a drink and needs to be led to the well, but the animal has fallen into a well. In the comparison, the Lord equates the healing of the man suffering from dropsy with a son or an ox who has found himself in a situation that he is about to die. By curing the man suffering from dropsy, he can function as a son and an ox again. A son is to the good pleasure of the Father ( ) and an ox is a picture of a servant ( ). They have no reply to this reply either. The grace and truth of God are irrefutably good.

‏ Luke 14:1

Healing a Man Suffering From Dropsy

Although the Lord has just spoken of His rejection by Jerusalem, He continues to show grace and mercy. He entered the house of a Pharisee again to eat bread there (Lk 7:36 ; Lk 11:37). This time He does that on a Sabbath. He is surrounded by people who watch Him closely to see if He does anything that violates their laws. The Pharisees want to use their Sabbath commandment to bind His merciful hands with. He breaks their ropes by showing that He has at least as much compassion with a human being as they have with their animal.

His grace far exceeds their legal judgments. He proves this in His actions with the man suffering from dropsy who is also present there. They feel He will do something again, for they know He will work with His grace wherever there is suffering and sickness. It is possible that they have intentionally placed this man suffering from dropsy in front of Him. By placing him there they unintentionally give him the place where he can find healing.

A person suffering from dropsy is someone who holds water and is therefore inflated, blown up in appearance. This prevents him from entering through the narrow door. It is the dropsy of Israel. Water is a picture of the Word of God. As an application, one can see in this man someone who is blown up by the knowledge of God’s Word (1Cor 8:1). He is the physical expression of the spiritual state of the Pharisees. However, there is a big difference. This man stands in front of the Lord Jesus and wants to be healthy, while the Pharisees believe that they are healthy and therefore are enemies of the Lord.

The Lord knows that they are watching Him closely. He knows their evil thoughts. His question of whether or not it is permitted to heal on the Sabbath is an answer to their evil thoughts. With His question He addresses Himself to their conscience. The evil, merciless leaders do not answer. The Lord gives a first answer through His act of mercy. He acts with vigor. He takes hold of the man. That is the only solution in such situations. In that way He also firmly took hold on the Pharisee Saul and threw him to the ground (Acts 9:3-4). He makes the man healthy and sends him away. This man has been cured and is going in liberty.

The Lord has even more teaching for the Pharisees. He continues with His answer by asking them a new question. This answer in form of a question differs slightly from the answer given to the official of the synagogue in the previous chapter (Lk 13:15). There it is more about the need to care for an animal on time, whereas here it is a more urgent case. It is not only an animal that needs a drink and needs to be led to the well, but the animal has fallen into a well.

In the comparison, the Lord equates the healing of the man suffering from dropsy with a son or an ox who has found himself in a situation that he is about to die. By curing the man suffering from dropsy, he can function as a son and an ox again. A son is to the good pleasure of the Father (Eph 1:5) and an ox is a picture of a servant (1Cor 9:8-10).

They have no reply to this reply either. The grace and truth of God are irrefutably good.