Walking Through Ephesians
“Healing on the Sabbath”
Categories: Miracles of JesusLuke 14:1-6
There’s more than meets the eye. On this day Jesus is invited to the house of a ruler of the Pharisees for dinner. People who before expressed great disdain towards the Lord are now having Him to their home for a meal. That seems like a kind gesture at face value - but there’s more than meets the eyes. Luke records that they were “watching him carefully.” This “kind gesture” was nothing more than a trap.
There was a man at the dinner who was sick. He had dropsy - a buildup of fluid in one’s tissues. Can you see the scene? It’s the Sabbath, here’s a man who is sick, and here is Jesus. Isn’t it sad that they knew Jesus enough to try and exploit Him. They knew His heart for hurting people. They knew He had worked wonders on the Sabbath before. They knew Jesus enough to create a trap.
What is Jesus to do? He does what He always does - unafraid, unashamed, Jesus addressed their hypocrisy, and healed the man who was sick. Were they truly watching Him carefully they would see His love for His Father, and His faithfulness to the laws He spoke into existence those thousands of years before. They’d see His compassion and kindness. They’d see His power, the clear evidence that He is not merely a man, but the Son of Man - the Son of God.
Why would Jesus go to a dinner knowing it was a trap? Because there’s more than meets the eye with Jesus. He didn’t go to the dinner for just the man drowning in fluid. He went for those who invited Him, those drowning in sin. He came to reach the hard hearts with His compassion and correction. He came because He cared.
It’s easy to claim that we “know” God without really knowing Him. “I can’t come back to church, I can’t come back to God - I know God. I know what He would say.” Those words often spoken or felt comes from one who knows God is holy and righteous, that He has expectations for our lives. But with God there is more than meets the eyes. We often look at God through the lens of our relationships with others on Earth. But no one loves like God loves. The psalmist says He is,
“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”
Psalm 103:8
Merciful, forgiving, willing to give a second chance, will always love me? That’s our God. And those laws which seem so restricting and controlling change their appearance when we realize they are gifts of a loving God, designed to help us live the best like possible - like guardrails keeping us on the road, away from serious danger.
When we “watch God closely” do we only see anger, disappointment, cold laws from a distant law-giver? Do we see His love? Do we see His desire for our best? Do we see His daily help, His constant care, how interested and invested He is in our lives? It could be time for me to admit that with God there’s more than meets the eyes!
Lord of glory, to You I bring praise. You are above all, know all, and see all. Thank you for seeing the potential in every heart, even those who only saw You as a threat and an enemy. Thank you for seeing a man who was hurting, a man who was in need of grace and compassion, rather than an object to be used, a decoy for the people’s deception. I pray you open my eyes to see You as you truly are. Overcome my bias and my preconceived judgments with Your true image revealed through Your words. And in seeing You, help me to strive ever more to pursue You in my heart and in my life”
