Luke 14: 1-6
On a sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the
leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully. In front
of him there was a man suffering from dropsy. Jesus spoke to the scholars of
the law and Pharisees in reply, asking, "Is it lawful to cure on the
sabbath or not?" But they kept silent; so he took the man and, after he
had healed him, dismissed him. Then he said to them, "Who among you, if
your son or ox falls into a cistern, would not immediately pull him out on the
sabbath day?" But they were unable to answer his question.
* * *
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I
believe in you with a faith that never seeks to test you. I trust in you,
hoping to learn to accept and follow your will, even when it does not make
sense to the way that I see things. May my love for you and those around me be
similar to the love you have shown to me.
Petition: Lord, may I be a witness to you in the face
of a world that often does not care.
1. And They Watched Him: The Lord knows
the thoughts of these men. With his question, he makes public their
foolishness: God blesses on the seventh day, while they prevent good works on
that day. It would seem that a day that does not allow the doing of good works
is accursed. Let us be sure always to seek the will of God in our lives, so
that we might use every minute of every day for the glory of God.
2. They Kept Silent: The man with
dropsy does not ask to be healed, perhaps out of fear of the watching
Pharisees, yet Christ knows what he desires in his heart. Jesus is not
concerned that this good work might scandalize the Pharisees; he is concerned
about doing good. The Pharisees keep silent because they know that Jesus will
give this man something they don’t have – their hearts have become closed to
the man. We need to desire good for everyone. A sign that our hearts are
becoming hardened to Our Lord, perhaps like the Pharisees, is when we begrudge
the good that befalls others or even wish others harm. When we are mindful that
we are beggars before God, it’s much easier to be merciful with others.
3. Keep Your Eyes on Christ: In this Gospel
passage, both the Pharisees and the man suffering from dropsy are looking at
Christ. The Pharisees look at Christ with skepticism that will not be overcome
by any miracle; the suffering man looks at Christ with the eyes of his heart.
This man desires something that only Christ can give him, and Christ will not
be outdone in generosity. We don’t know what becomes of this man. We can only
imagine the great testimony he gives to all about Christ and how he cured him,
even under the scrutiny of the Pharisees. As Pope Saint John Paul II told us so
many times, “Do not be afraid!”
Conversation with Christ
Lord, help me to see with the eyes of faith
all that you do in my life, especially when I don’t understand why you are
doing it. Help me to witness to others all that you have done for me and my
family. May I never take for granted the graces that you give me.
Resolution: I will say a prayer today for someone I know who has not opened his heart
to Christ because of lack of faith or skepticism. Through my prayers and
example, may I once again try to bring Christ into that person’s heart.