OUR FATHER WHO HEALS

Luke chapter 14 verses 3 - 5 reads this way;

Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law,“ Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way.

Then he asked them, “If one of you has a child or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?”

Jesus had been invited for a meal at a Pharisee's house and He saw a man in front of Him with dropsy which is an abnormal swelling on the body.

The religious authorities of the day had established that the act of doing a miracle was work and as such, was unlawful to do on the Sabbath and thus, they were scrutinizing Jesus's actions to see if He would  contravene the law as they had interpreted it.

Jesus asked the pharisees and lawyers point blank if it were indeed lawful  or unlawful to miraculously heal a person on the Sabbath.

All of the scholars there were silent and so Jesus supernaturally healed the sick man and released him.

Jesus then turned back to those who were judging Him and asked them if they had not reserved a legality for themselves that allowed them to immediately perform the work of pulling and lifting if a child or an ox had fallen into a well on a Sabbath day.

Implied in the story is the absurdity of having, on one hand,  a law that allowed the immediate saving of  a child or an ox but on the other hand, a law that prevented the immediate healing of a person suffering from a debilitating ailment.

Bless the Lord who heals us no matter what standards the authorities enforce.

Amen.