Sabbath Healing:

Context:

• Jesus is dining with a ruler of the Pharisees.
• It’s the Sabbath.
• A man with dropsy is ‘before him’.

Luke 14:3-6 “...And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away. And he said to them, “Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” And they could not reply to these things...”

Did Jesus know the correct answer to His question?

• Of course.

Did Jesus know the Pharisees answer to His question?

• This isn’t the first time this issue presented itself.
• In Matthew 12:11-13, Mark 3:3-5, and Luke 6:8-10 a man with a withered hand ”...stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other..."
• He had healed on the Sabbath before, and the Pharisees did not like it.

What is dropsy?

• A term once used to describe the swelling of soft tissues due to the accumulation of excess water.
• A person with edema from Congestive Heart Failure would have been said to have dropsy.

Did Jesus care about people who were unhealthy?

• Mark 6:7 “...And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits...”
• Mark 6:12-13 “...So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them...”

Does Jesus still care about people who are unhealthy?

• John 14:12 “...Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father...”

Has Jesus gone to the Father?

Do we believe in Jesus?

What works should we be doing?

• The works that Jesus did.

What were the Pharisees concerned about?

• Their religious doctrine.

What should they have been concerned about?

• The will of the Father for the people who were entrusted to their care.

Why is this still a problem?

• There is more interest in rules than relationship.

How can it be avoided?

• Learning doctrine is not the same as having a true relationship with the Trinity.
• A person can learn doctrine and not know God.
• When a person knows God, a person knows what is required.
• When a person knows God, a person knows that what is required is expected, and possible.