And they could not answer him to these things.
και ουκ ισχυσαν ανταποκριθηναι αυτω προς ταυτα
11 Church Fathers comment on this verse · 19 commentaries
But by His question He exposes their folly. For while God blessed the sabbath, (Gen. 2:1.) they forbade to do good on the sabbath; but the day which does not admit the works of the good is accursed.
As though He said, If the law forbids to have mercy on the sabbath-day, have no care of thy son when in danger on the sabbath-day. But why speak I of a son, when thou dost not even neglect an ox if thou seest it in danger?
Although our Lord knew the malice of the Pharisees, yet He became their guest, that He might benefit by His words and miracles those who were present. Whence it follows, And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him; to see whether He would despise the observance of the law, or do any thing that was forbidden on the sabbath day. When then the man with the dropsy came into the midst of them, He rebukes by a question the insolence of the Pharisees, who wished to detect Him; as it is said, And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy. And Jesus answering, &c.
Disregarding then the snares of the Jews, He cures the dropsical, who from fear of the Pharisees did not ask to be healed on account of the sabbath, but only stood up, that when Jesus beheld him, He might have compassion on him and heal him. And the Lord knowing this, asked not whether he wished to be made whole, but forthwith healed him. Whence it follows; And he took him, and healed him, and let him go. Wherein our Lord took no thought not to offend the Pharisees, but only that He might benefit him who needed healing. For it becomes us, when a great good is the result, not to care if fools take offence.
But seeing the Pharisees awkwardly silent, Christ baffles their determined impudence by some important considerations. As it follows; And he answered and said unto them, 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?
Now He has aptly compared the dropsical man to an animal which has fallen into a ditch, (for he is troubled by water,) as He compared that woman, whom He spoke of as bound, and whom He Himself loosed, to a beast which is let loose to be led to water.
Or we rightly compare the dropsical man to a covetous rich man. For as the former, the more he increases in unnatural moisture the greater his thirst; so also the other, the more abundant his riches, which he does not employ well, the more ardently he desires them.
The reality was evident.
Rightly then is the dropsical man healed in the Pharisees’ presence, for by the bodily infirmity of the one, is expressed the mental disease of the other.
When it is said that Jesus answered, there is a reference to the words which went before, And they watched him. For the Lord knew the thoughts of men.
But they who were asked, are rightly silent, for they perceived that whatever they said, would be against themselves. For if it is lawful to heal on the sabbath day, why did they watch the Saviour whether He would heal? If it is not lawful, why do they take care of their cattle on the sabbath? Hence it follows, But they held their peace.
By these words He so refutes His watchers, the Pharisees, as to condemn them also of covetousness, who in the deliverance of animals consult their own desire of wealth. How much more then ought Christ to deliver a man, who is much better than cattle!
By a suitable example then He settles the question, shewing that they violate the sabbath by a work of covetousness, who contend that he does so by a work of charity. Hence it follows, And they could not answer him again to these things. Mystically, the dropsical man is compared to him who is weighed down by an overflowing stream of carnal pleasures. For the disease of dropsy derives the name from a watery humour.
In this example also He well refers to the ox and the ass; so as to represent either the wise and the foolish, or both nations; that is, the Jew oppressed by the burden of the law, the Gentile not subject to reason. For the Lord rescues from the pit of concupiscence all who are sunk therein.
In the parables of Jesus Christ, a fresh set of teachings emerges, largely addressing the unsettling notion that the kingdom of God might overlook many who believe they are its rightful beneficiaries. This occurs due to their lack of appropriate attributes (Lk. 14:17). On the Sabbath, the Lord was invited to dine at a Pharisee's house, surrounded by the Pharisee's peers. Jesus was welcomed with the same insincerity and challenge typical of previous encounters. Present at the gathering was a man suffering from an illness, which led the Pharisees to assume that Jesus would follow the customary practice of offering him care. Indeed, He did attend to the man.
However, in response to the objections from the Pharisees, the Lord pointed out that even within their strict regulations, it is permissible to rescue a valuable domestic animal from danger on the Sabbath, thus emphasizing that the same principle applies even more so to a human being.
As the Pharisees were a sect without formal leaders, the term "ruler" likely refers to an influential member among them, notable for his education, social standing, and impact. A prominent Pharisee extended an invitation to Jesus Christ to share a meal in his home, but this gesture was not born out of genuine admiration. The Pharisees were, in fact, observing Him closely, eager to catch Him speaking or acting in a way they deemed inappropriate. Nevertheless, Christ accepted their invitation. While at the Pharisee's residence, a man afflicted with a chronic illness appeared before Him.
Aware of the Pharisees' thoughts and their anticipation that He might heal the man, which they would view as a breach of the Sabbath, the Lord posed the question, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" They remained silent, as a positive response would validate Jesus' actions, while a negative answer would open them to condemnation for their insensitivity towards the suffering of others. By healing and restoring the afflicted man, Jesus challenged their distorted interpretation of Sabbath observance.
The restoration of the man afflicted with a debilitating illness occurred when Jesus noticed the scribes and Pharisees gathered around Him. He posed the question, ‘Is it lawful to perform healing on the Sabbath?’ They remained silent. Jesus then approached the ailing man, healed him, and sent him on his way. To the lawyers and Pharisees, He remarked, ‘If one of you has a donkey or an ox that falls into a well, will he not immediately assist it out on the Sabbath?’ The diligent enforcers of the law recognized that each of them was violating the Sabbath rest in order to rescue their possessions, yet they hesitated to acknowledge it publicly.
As per His teachings, Christ carried out His ministry in Galilee for an extended period and, among various acts, performed two significant miracles: the healing of a woman who had been disabled for eighteen years and the healing of a man suffering from dropsy. These remarkable healings took place on the Sabbath and sparked discontent among the Pharisees. Nevertheless, they provided an opportunity for the Savior to elucidate the true intention of the Sabbath, emphasizing that its essence is not at odds with performing acts of kindness. If the legalistic experts are willing to rescue an animal, such as pulling a donkey or an ox out of a pit on the Sabbath, it stands to reason that doing good for our fellow human beings is even more allowable. This reasoning left those present in embarrassment, and they were rendered speechless. See also the interpretation of this healing: Mk. 3:1-6.
A prominent Pharisee, curious about Jesus Christ and desiring a closer encounter with the glorified Lord, invited Him to his home for a Sabbath meal. Other Pharisees and legal scholars gathered there, hoping to observe whether the Lord would act in violation of the Sabbath rest command. Upon entering the home, the Saviour encountered a man afflicted with dropsy. The Master of hearts was aware of the hidden intentions of those observing Him, yet to shed light on the contentious debate for the benefit of the assembly, He turned to the lawyers and Pharisees and asked, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" These individuals, either more learned or more prudent than the staunch defenders of Sabbath observance whom the Lord had previously encountered, remained silent.
Recognizing that the Pharisaic interpretation of the Sabbath command was rooted in human tradition, the Lord then proceeded to heal the afflicted man with a simple gesture, allowing him to depart. In doing so, He imparted this lesson to those watching: "Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that falls into a pit, will not immediately pull it out on the Sabbath day?" From this everyday example, wherein assisting an animal did not breach the Sabbath, it followed that providing aid to a fellow human being would be even less likely to constitute such a transgression. The Jewish scholars had no response to this straightforward yet compelling argument. Their silence resonated more powerfully with those present than any spoken words could convey.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 6 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS