Luke 14:4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

They understood the nature of the inquiry and remained quiet. Then Jesus carried out His mission and restored the afflicted man by His touch.

The Lord poses a question to the lawyers and Pharisees, asking, ‘Is it permissible to heal on the Sabbath or not?’ However, they remained silent. But why, O lawyers, did you choose not to respond? Present something from Scripture; demonstrate where the Law of Moses ever denounced acts of kindness on the Sabbath. Prove to us that it advocates for a heart of stone and lack of mercy in the name of resting our bodies. Yet you cannot substantiate this from any Scripture. Ignoring the jealousy of the Jews, He heals a man suffering from dropsy and oppressed by an incurable illness. You have witnessed, O Jew, this extraordinary act; therefore, offer praise to its Creator.

According to Luke 13:20-21, the first individual restored to health thereafter was the man afflicted with dropsy, as noted in Luke 14:2-6. In this case, an overwhelming accumulation of bodily fluids weighed down the soul and dampened the fervor of the spirit.

They remained quiet. Refer to verse 3. After seizing him, he restored him to health and released him. The phrase ‘seized’ refers to the act of ‘touching him.’

Thus, the Lord of the Sabbath addressed the matter for Himself, doing so with remarkable clarity and conviction, even in the presence of His adversaries. He promptly restored health to a man afflicted with a debilitating illness. “Take heed and heal him, and let him go” (Luke 14:4). It is clear that this healing was a divine act. Such miraculous works are the manifestations of God's power. The actions of God are never in opposition to His divine law. Therefore, performing healing on a day consecrated to God aligns perfectly with His law. “It is right to do good on the Sabbath.”

In the parables, we encounter a fresh set of teachings from Jesus Christ, primarily centered on the rather unsettling idea that the kingdom of God may be denied to many who view themselves as its rightful inheritors, due to their lack of appropriate attributes (Lk. 14:10). On the Sabbath, the Lord was invited to dine at the house of a Pharisee, alongside other members of the Pharisaical community. Jesus was greeted insincerely as on previous occasions but with an intention to test Him. Among those present was a man suffering from an illness, and they presumed Jesus would adhere to tradition by not neglecting him. Indeed, He did not.

As the Pharisees did not possess leaders in the conventional sense, the term "ruler" here likely refers to a prominent figure among them, recognized for his intellect, social standing, and influence. A leading Pharisee extended an invitation to Jesus Christ to dine at his home. This gesture was not motivated by admiration or respect for Christ; rather, it was a situation where the Pharisees were "watching Him," eager to observe whether He might utter or perform anything reprehensible. Nevertheless, Christ accepted the invitation. While He was present in the Pharisee's home, a man afflicted with an edema appeared before Him.

The restoration of the man afflicted by a physical ailment occurred when Jesus noticed the scribes and Pharisees gathered around Him. He inquired, “Is it permissible to heal on the Sabbath?” They remained silent. Subsequently, Jesus reached out to the sick individual, restored his health, and released him. To the lawyers and Pharisees, He posed a question: “If one of you has a donkey or an ox that falls into a pit, will he not promptly rescue it on the Sabbath?” The vigilant defenders of the law recognized that they each violated the Sabbath rest to safeguard their possessions, yet they were unwilling to admit this truth openly.

In alignment with His teachings, Christ carried on His ministry in Galilee for a duration and performed various miracles, among which were the restoration of a woman who had been bent over for eighteen years and the healing of a man suffering from dropsy. These miraculous acts, conducted on the Sabbath, once again incited complaints from the Pharisees; however, they also provided the Saviour with an opportunity to elucidate the true intent of the Sabbath, emphasizing that its spirit is not at odds with doing good for others. If the legalists do not hesitate to assist even animals on the Sabbath, such as rescuing a donkey or an ox from a pit, then it is even more justifiable to extend kindness to our fellow humans. These points embarrassed those who were present, leaving them speechless. See also the interpretation of this healing: Mk. 3:1-6.

They remained quiet: individuals lacking formal education might not consider responding to such a question, which is unacceptable (as stated in Luke 13:14); however, the group gathered at the home of the leading Pharisee refrained from making any assertions, for it was not the actual law that prohibited it but merely the fabricated customs of the elders and the meticulousness of the Pharisees. They chose to stay silent. Nevertheless, the Lord approached the afflicted individual, restored his health, and sent him on his way, yet He did not fail to offer a warning to the Pharisees and their leader.

A distinguished Pharisee, intrigued by the teachings of Jesus Christ and eager to observe the exalted Master more closely, invited Him to his home for a Sabbath meal. Other Pharisees and experts in the law gathered as well, hoping to see if the Lord would act against the commandment regarding Sabbath rest. When the Savior entered, He encountered a man afflicted with a condition causing excessive swelling.