##### 11 And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.

Jesus accepted invitations to feasts and was known to enjoy eating and drinking with publicans and sinners. He knew the Jewish leaders would use occasions like these to condemn Him. One of those present at the house was a man suffering from dropsy, a condition that resulted in his body being swollen with fluid. This is the only case of dropsy found in the Gospels. The term the physician Luke uses to describe the man's condition is a strictly technical one. “Dropsy” was considered to be a symptom of an organic disease, usually one of the heart or kidneys. Dropsy here was probably some type of edema. Edema is swelling that occurs when too much fluid is trapped in the tissues of the body, particularly the skin. There are different causes and types of edemas. For example, pulmonary edema affects the lungs, while pedal edema causes swelling in the feet. Edema usually starts slowly, but onset can be sudden. This was an incurable disease by man's attempts. Whether the unnamed man is an invited guest or had come only to be healed, we do not know, but we do know he was placed before Jesus. They possibly were testing to see if His healing powers was a hoax, as well as trying to work up a case against Him as a breaker of the sabbath. This obviously was a plot to catch Jesus, and these Pharisees was using this man’s physical sickness for their spiritually “sick” purposes.

##### Luke 14:3 "And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?"

Knowing that they were watching to see what he would do, Jesus asked them if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath. No doubt they felt the same as the synagogue leader in 13:10-17, believing that it was unlawful to do so. This surely shocks those who are trying to trap Him. Now if they say no, they will incite the anger of the people. If they say yes, they have fallen into their own trap. He is saying, you know the law so well, tell me whether we should leave this man in this terrible condition or should we heal him. You interpret your law for me. They are dumb-founded, they cannot speak.

##### Luke 14:4 "And they held their peace. And he took [him], and healed him, and let him go;"

Their silence allowed Him to proceed to heal the man. Jesus healed him with three actions: He took hold … He healed him … He let him go, thus the miracle was firm, full, and final. Jesus has done what their physicians or holy men had not been able to do. He is healed and released. He is released not only from their presence, but from this dreadful disease, as well. The healing is performed by actual contact. At Christ's touch, the disease flees, and he is allowed to leave the feast before Jesus resumes His conversation with His antagonists. Though the man does not ask to be healed, Christ gives him the blessing of healing.

##### Luke 14:5-6 5 "And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?" 6 "And they could not answer him again to these things."

Knowing their thoughts, Jesus answered their silence with a question that showed they were hypocrites. Jesus concluded this encounter with an illustration of simple, commonsense kindness and humanitarianism that made the unarguable point that even Sabbath observance was subordinate to compassion. He knew it was their practice to help a son or an ox on the Sabbath if it fell into a well. So why was it wrong in their eyes to do good to a man by healing him? Jesus shows them lowly animals that they have more concern for than they do for this pitiful man. Put it this way, how can they protest? They were twisting God’s law to suit themselves. They know He is telling the truth. Their trick had backfired upon them. Any answer they gave would have humiliated them. They did not answer.

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