The Man With Dropsy

Luke 14:1-6

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A Time-Line for Jesus’ Ministry

The Manwith Dropsy

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Man with WitheredHand?

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Luke 14:1-6 (NKJV)

1) Now it happened, as he went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched him closely.

2) And behold, there was a certain man before him who had dropsy.

3) And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, …

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3) “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

4) But they kept silent. And he took him and healed him, and let him go.

5) Then he answered them, saying, “Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that is fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?”

6) And they could not answer him regarding these things.

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Dining with a Pharisee (vs1)

Jesus had done this twice before.Luke 7:36 – anointed by the sinner woman.Luke 11:37 – Hand-washing criticism.This time it was a ruler of the Pharisees.

Each time he found it necessary to criticise his host, but did so with an easy, but firm, grace.Jesus was equally at ease with all classes of men and women. Cp Luke 15:1.

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“They Watched Him” Lk 14:1

Word for “watched” is “paratereo”. Para = near; tereo = to watch Vine: “to observe, especially with sinister intent”;

Young: “to watch narrowly”.

Jesus was three times watched in this way ... Here, in Luke 14:1 (2nd occasion). Luke 6:6-11 (paralleled by Matt 12:9-14, Mark 3:1-6). Luke 20:20 (the final campaign against Jesus).

The wicked watches the righteous and seeks to slay him – Psalm 37:32

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Earlier “Watching” - Luke 6

And he said to them, “The Son of man is lord of the sabbath.”(Luke 6:5)

On another sabbath, when he entered the synagogue and taught, behold,(Matt 12:10) a man was there whose right hand was withered.(Luke 6:6)

And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the sabbath, so that they might find an accusation against him.(Luke 6:7) And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath?”(Matt 12:10) But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” And he rose and stood there.(Luke 6:8)

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And Jesus looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and (Mark 3:5) said to them, “I ask you,

is it lawful on the sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?”(Luke 6:9) But they were silent.(Mark 3:4) He said to them, “What man of you, if he has one sheep and it falls into a pit on the sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out?(Matt 12:11) Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the sabbath.”(Matt 12:12)

Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, whole like the other.(Matt 12:13) But the Pharisees went out(Mark 3:6) filled with fury,(Luke 6:11) discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus,(Luke 6:11) and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.(Mark 3:6)

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“Behold ...” Luke 14:2 (AV)

It was remarkable that a man with dropsy should be in the house of any Pharisee, let alone a ruler: The law associated sickness with sin – eg Deut 28:58-61.

So did the Jews – John 9:2, etc.

So this looks like a set-up. Was the invitation to dine only a means to trap Jesus?

Notice the callous indifference to the man’s plight. They weren’t concerned that he might be healed; they only wanted to use him to waylay Jesus.

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Dropsy (vs 2)

Greek: hydropikos – full of water.

Mostly afflicts the limbs, so that the sufferer (figuratively) … Cannot effectively enter the race for eternal life

with any reasonable chance of success,

And has greatly diminished strength and dexterity as a servant in the ecclesia.

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Table Arrangement

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Israelites generally ate twice daily Ex. 16:12, 1 Ki. 17:6, Jn 21:4, 5, 12).

At the time of Christ, guests reclined on couches around three sides of a rectangular table, giving servants access to the fourth side.

Position 1 was the “highest room” (Luke 14:8) because, being first to

receive the food from the servant’s right hand, he had first choice; the dish was then passed to the next position in order.

Position 9 was the “lowest room” (Luke 14:9) because, being last to receive the dish, he could choose only what was left on it.

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Jesus Answering (Lk 14:3)

Greek for “answering” (AV) is the verb “apokrinomai”. It’s in all the Greek texts.

Vine: “to give an answer to a question ... or to begin to speak, but always where something has preceded, either statement or act, to which the remarks refer, eg Mt 11:25; Lk 14:3; Jn 2:18 ...”

Most versions say, “Jesus asked ...”, thus masking the unspoken challenge implied by the presence of the man with dropsy.

NAB is better: “Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law and the Pharisees in reply, asking ...”

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Luke 14:2, 3 (NKJV)And behold, there was a certain man before him who had dropsy.

And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, …

So the question had been put – implicitly!

As in vss 4, 5: “… they kept silent. And he took him and healed him, and let him go. Then he answered them, saying …”

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Is it Lawful …? (Luke 14:3)

“And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, ‘Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?’”

This was their question!

It’s from Matthew’s record of the healing of the man with the withered hand (Mt 12:10)!

“But they kept silent” (Luke 14:4).

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Settling the IssueThe Pharisees had not learned from the earlier encounter – so the issue returns.

Is it lawful to heal …? The law knows nothing of healing!

All the law can do is to point out and define a problem.

It cannot actually fix it!

It only allowed for restoration after spontaneous remission (for example, leprosy).

So, of course, the lawyers cannot answer their own question! They were silenced; the tables were turned.

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Jesus meets the challenge (vs 4)

1. Jesus “took him” …

It’s evident that he was willing to be taken.

Did Jesus gently raise him from the “lowest room”? and, (while he led him toward the door?) …

2. “Healed him” …

3. “And let him go”.

Released like a caged bird set free?

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Sheep and OxenIn the earlier encounter (Matt 12:11) it had been a sheep in the pit.Now it’s an ox, or a donkey.

These are useful beasts of burden, even if they’re not noticeably bright.They fall into pits through carelessness or stupidity.Do you just leave them there?

Which is easier to lift – a sheep or an ox?So problematic mind-sets, left uncorrected, become entrenched!

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“And they could not answer him regarding these things” (Lk 14:6)

The lawyers and Pharisees said nothing at any point in the encounter.

Yet Jesus twice “answered” their silent challenge and thus twice silenced them (vss 4, 6).

We rejoice in the Lord’s triumph.Yet, paradoxically, in that very exultation we are at risk of becoming just like lawyers and Pharisees!

The Man With Dropsy

Luke 14:1-6