The Miracles of Jesus Part 31: Jesus Heals a Man with Dropsy
Luke 14:1-6 - Pharisees with their made-up laws cannot answer Jesus about having compassion
“It happened that when He went into the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees on the Sabbath to eat bread, they were watching Him closely. And there in front of Him was a man suffering from dropsy. And Jesus answered and spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” But they kept silent. And He took hold of him and healed him, and sent him away. And He said to them, “Which one of you will have a son or an ox fall into a well, and will not immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?” And they could make no reply to this.”
Luke 14:1-6 NASB1995
Another day with our Lord, another healing on the Sabbath! Jesus has been “invited” to the house of one of the Pharisees to eat bread (my top photo today is a challah, a typical Sabbath bread). It was very likely that He was invited only so they could watch Him closely and “catch” Him violating their laws. Jesus obviously never violated God’s commandments, but He often offended the traditions and rules that men invented to expand on God’s laws and put themselves into positions of authority.
The Pharisee who invited Jesus also happened to invite a man suffering from dropsy (gee, what a coincidence - perhaps it was a trap!). Dropsy is an old-fashioned term for edema. Edema is defined as swelling in the limbs or even in the whole body from fluid retention, including the face. This fluid retention can be caused by a number of ailments or even temporary conditions (the links are retained to the source):
Eating too much salt
Sunburn
Liver problems from cirrhosis
Pregnancy
Problems with lymph nodes, especially after mastectomy
Some medicines
Standing or walking a lot when the weather is warm
I remember quite a few years ago, we did the ultimate trip to New York City for our first visit there. We spent eight nights in mid-town and did just about every “tourist” thing you could do, plus we saw four long operas at the Metropolitan Opera (the Wagner Ring Cycle). We walked and walked and walked some more, visiting many museums and tourist sites and tall buildings and popular cafes. Then we sat for hours at the operas (plus we sat at a Broadway show, a symphony concert, and a Yankees game). My ankles swelled up enormously from all of this activity, mostly done on warm spring days, and then we had the hours of sitting and I could barely get my shoes on the last day. I was alarmed, but the swelling went down as soon as we resumed normal activities at home. Now, because I am older, I take a diuretic to eliminate excess water and keep my blood pressure normal.
So this man at the Sabbath meal was obviously afflicted due to his appearance. Jesus asks His critics if it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath. They don’t respond. He heals the man and sent him away. This healing had to be remarkable, because the man went from a balloon-like state to a normal appearance instantly. Jesus asks them if they would rescue a son or an animal from a well on the Sabbath (see more on this translation later), and they make no reply. What follows this miracle in Luke are several parables that Jesus tells this hostile crowd, including a parable about the proper and humble place at a banquet and a parable about an invitation to the Great Feast (see Luke Parables).
David Guzik from Enduring Word has commentary on the lack of an answer from the Pharisees to the question about rescuing someone or an animal on the Sabbath:
Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day? Jesus’ logic was simple and impossible to dispute. If it was allowed to help animals on the Sabbath, how much more was it right to heal people who are made in God’s image?
“If they said no, they would reveal themselves for what they really were – inhumane religious leaders. If they said yes, they would be breaking their own laws governing the Sabbath.” (C. Marvin Pate)
They could not answer Him regarding these things: One reason they could not answer was that in using this analogy Jesus appealed to something good in His accusers. “You aren’t brutal and cruel men. You will help your animals in need. Now, extend that same common-sense kindness to needy people.”
“Thus, while our Lord rebuked the wrong attitude and temper of these men, He did so by appealing to the best within them and calling them to be true to it. His purpose is not that of shaming men, but that of saving them.” (G. Campbell Morgan)
Jesus wants to save the Pharisees, but by this point, that is the last thing they want, as they have sided with the enemy. An interesting side note on translations: The NASB1995 version that I use has son or ox that has fallen into the well. Other versions use two types of animals, like the reference in the Guzik commentary. The question that Jesus asks is one that would be impossible for these legalists to answer, even with the concern for a child who could die put in front of them. If they said yes, they would agree to violating their own laws concerning the Sabbath (not God’s law).
So what did we learn from this miracle?
Jesus heals a man with dropsy: Jesus has a Sabbath visit with Pharisees and heals a man in their presence with dropsy (edema). This healing would have been remarkable because of the instantaneous change in the man’s appearance. The Pharisees refuse to answer Him about healing and other acts of compassion and rescue that could happen on the Sabbath because they would be trapped in their own legalism. Jesus goes on in that same chapter in Luke to lecture them using parables about humility and accepting the offer to the Great Banquet.
My next devotional examines another miracle in Luke, the cleansing of ten lepers on the way to Jerusalem.
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - Thank you for your compassion in healing a man suffering from edema. I also thank you for your lessons on what God’s commandments mean to us as believers (like honoring the Sabbath), not what men want to do to control us by adding their restrictions and laws to our religions. Amen.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Commentary from Enduring Word by David Guzik is used with written permission.
The Miracle List:
Water to wine: Jesus can overcome time, He creates beauty and abundance, and He shares in our joy.
Healing of the official’s son: Jesus can overcome space (distance), He does not need to see the person He heals, He has infinite power, but He also wants us to believe without signs and wonders.
Casting out of the evil spirit in the synagogue: The authority of Jesus is recognized by the demons and He triumphs over evil and silences it.
Healing of Peter’s Mother-in-Law: Jesus does not need crowds to demonstrate His power and He has compassion about the needs of one person, even if those needs seem smaller and only worthy of a couple of verses of scripture.
Healing and casting out demons of many in Capernaum (at Peter’s house): Jesus has compassion on all who come to Him and has no conditions that He places on giving them His mercy. He can heal instantly with a light touch and again demonstrates authority over demons and silences them.
Miraculous catch of fish on the Sea of Galilee: Jesus demonstrates His powers over His creation, He once again brings abundance, and He teaches humble fishermen that their task of bringing souls to Him is the most important thing they can do. They must follow Him.
Cleansing of the Leper: Jesus is willing to heal us, is compassionate towards those who suffer and can instantly cure a dreadful and feared disease. We must have faith when circumstances seem hopeless.
Healing of the Centurion’s Servant: Jesus came so that anyone who believes on His name is saved, Jew or Gentile. One of the most humble and devout persons that He encounters during His ministry is a Roman Centurion who cares and loves a servant who is sick or paralyzed. Jesus has instant authority over this illness, again eliminating space (distance) as a barrier to healing; He also marvels at this man’s faith.
Healing of the paralytic passed through the roof: Jesus demonstrates His ultimate authority as the Son of God to forgive sins and to heal a condition that seems irreversible. He can sense and read the hearts and thoughts of others. He turns a major disruption into a lesson on forgiveness. The friends of the paralytic show tremendous faith in how they solve this problem.
Healing of the withered hand on the Sabbath: Jesus can instantaneously heal a chronic condition, restoring a hand to full function. The man he heals exhibits great faith in His ability to heal and obeys Him. Jesus also challenges the assumptions and rules that have taken the place of faith and wisdom in the hearts of the Pharisees and Scribes. His anger is righteous; their rage is murderous.
Raising of the widow’s son from death: Jesus is filled with compassion for the suffering and grief of others. He has power over death and can restore us to joy and hope in the face of a hopeless situation. His endless grace and the power of His word are sufficient. We are to spring into action, serving Him and bringing His hope to the hopeless.
Taming the storm on the Sea: Jesus has the unlimited power to tame nature and He calms a storm on the Sea of Galilee instantly. His disciples, after seeing one miracle after another before this, are struck with memory loss when this crisis hits and forget that He is the Creator of the Universe and creation will obey Him. Jesus is there in the storms of life for those who believe on His name.
Casting demons into a herd of pigs: Jesus has the ultimate authority over evil and demons must have His permission to even enter into animals that immediately die. Demon possession is a real thing, but is likely rare and would not occur in a believer who is under the power of the Holy Spirit. We should not get so comfortable with evil surrounding us that we are fearful of holiness and good. Jesus wants us to tell others about His power and healing and to be without superstitions.
Healing of a woman with a bleeding disorder: Jesus knows when His healing powers are used and, with great love and compassion, tells this daughter of the Kingdom that her faith has made her well. Casual contact with Jesus doesn’t save us. We are saved by coming to Him with everything (sins, sufferings, distractions, hopes, and belief). Jesus cleanses and revives us!
Jesus raises the daughter of Jairus from the dead: Jesus, the Son of God, has power over life and death. His power is infinite - healing can come from a touch of His garment or a touch from His hands. His compassion is infinite. His words can bring a person back to life and He knows for those who believe that death is just sleep. Just as in His time, our age is filled with mockers and scorners and we must pray for those lost souls.
Jesus heals two blind men: Faith and persistence leads to miracles. Jesus extends mercy and compassion to those who are suffering and recognize Him as the Messiah, by healing two blind men who follow Him.
A mute demoniac is healed and speaks: Jesus has ultimate authority over evil and easily casts out a demon, allowing a man to finally speak. The Pharisees are not impressed and accuse Him of being a demon. As He continues His ministry and healings, He laments the lack of harvesters.
A man is healed by Jesus by the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath: Jesus homes in on a man among the many who has hopelessly waited for healing in the pool for 38 years. He asks him if he wants healing, then tells him to stand, take up his pallet, and walk. We are all waiting for something, but we should stop waiting and be actively seeking Him in our everyday lives through our worship and prayers. Human-made rules and rituals can separate us from our Creator, who is working to sustain us and His creation.
The feeding of the 5000+: Jesus is compassionate and involves his believers in provided abundance. Nothing is too meager or small for the Lord to use in a big way. The disciples continue to look for worldly answers to solve problems and He points them, once again, to His supernatural abilities. People are physically hungry and God’s resources should not be wasted. The Word is also needed to feed the masses spiritually.
Jesus walks on water: Jesus again demonstrates mastery over creation by walking on deep waters. His disciples don’t initially recognize Him, but when they do, Peter wants to join Him (Matthew account). Peter walks in faith a short distance, then is distracted by a worldly fear (the wind). Jesus grabs him to help home and asks him why he has so little faith and is full of doubts. The disciples declare Him the son of God.
Healing the many in Genneserat: Jesus has absolute power over Nature and over sickness. He heals many, often just from their touch of His garments. The crowds recognize Him but do not know Him.
Jesus heals the demon-possessed daughter of a Gentile: Jesus travels to a Gentile region and the only recorded act there is His response to the deep faith of a Gentile woman, who even turns aside His gentle remonstrations. She is the only person who is told directly that her faith is strong. The healing is once again a remote and instant casting out of the demon in the woman’s daughter.
Jesus heals a deaf and (mostly) dumb man: Jesus uses His supernatural healing powers in many different ways. He has compassion on this man and sighs heavenward when seeing the suffering in front of Him and uses unique healing techniques. He instantly heals this man’s hearing and speech, leaving many astounded.
The feeding of the 4,000+: Jesus can provide sustenance to those who are hungry for His word. He again miraculously creates adequate real food for thousands who are listening to Him, while also having to deal with the blindness and deafness of His disciples, who cannot put the big picture together and think outside their narrow worldly boxes of “reality”.
Jesus restores the sight of a blind man near Bethsaida: Jesus uses natural and supernatural methods to restore the sight of a blind man, giving His disciples a lesson in overcoming spiritual blindness.
Jesus heals a man blind from birth: Once again, Jesus demonstrates His mastery over His creation and can cure a congenital defect, a blindness that has been there since this man’s birth. The man’s story enrages the Pharisees, but he grows in faith and courage from not knowing Jesus to worshipping Him (and probably becoming a member of the larger entourage).
Jesus heals a boy with an unclean spirit: Jesus returns with Peter, James and John from the Transfiguration and is greeted almost immediately with a worldly issue: A boy has a vicious unclean spirit that throws him into regular convulsions and keeps him from speaking and his father is asking for help. The disciples have been unable to cast out the unclean spirit. Jesus sighs at their unbelief. The father believes but also asks for help for his unbelief. The powerful demon is cast out and the boy is now spared. This type of demon requires effective prayer and the faith of a mustard seed, which the disciples still lack.
Miracle of the temple tax in the mouth of a fish: Jesus uses His creation to provide a temple tax for Himself and for Peter, hoping to avoid controversy for this minor issue with the religious leaders. Using secular sources like Wikipedia for stories of the miracles of Jesus should be avoided or used with caution, because of their tendency to cast doubt on the Word of God.
Jesus heals a blind, mute demoniac: In a miracle used as a segue into a serious teaching from Jesus, He once again demonstrates His power over demons and physical ailments. The scoffing Pharisees are warned about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (settled rejection of Jesus and His revelation by the Spirit in an unbeliever’s life). Our words will be counted, for justification or condemnation.
Jesus heals a woman crippled for 18 years: Jesus sees this woman at a synagogue service on the Sabbath, has compassion on her, and instantly heals her of an affliction that came from an evil spirit. The woman was bent over, unable to look up at other people and only seeing the ground, suffering immensely. He uses her healing as a lesson to the legalistic religious leaders, who value their convoluted laws about the Sabbath (that had exceptions to care for animals) more than they cared about the pain and suffering of a daughter of Abraham. The people rejoice in the healing.
Jesus heals a man with dropsy: Jesus has a Sabbath visit with Pharisees and heals a man in their presence with dropsy (edema). This healing would have been remarkable because of the instantaneous change in the man’s appearance. The Pharisees refuse to answer Him about healing and other acts of compassion and rescue that could happen on the Sabbath because they would be trapped in their own legalism. Jesus goes on in that same chapter in Luke to lecture them using parables about humility and accepting the offer to the Great Banquet.