Luke 14:1-6 NRSVue
1On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the Sabbath, they were watching him closely. 2Just then, in front of him, there was a man who had edema. 3And Jesus asked the experts in the law and Pharisees, “Is it lawful to cure people on the Sabbath or not?” 4But they were silent. So Jesus took him and healed him and sent him away. 5Then he said to them, “If one of you has a child or an ox that has fallen into a well, will you not immediately pull it out on a Sabbath day?” 6And they could not reply to this.
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Reflection on Luke 14:1-6
Inspiration from 2026-10-30 Daily Prayer
It must have been difficult for Jesus to be constantly watched and questioned by the Pharisees. Their power over the people was enforced by demanding that a long list of religious rules and regulations be meticulously followed.
Jesus challenged the popular belief that it was only by keeping the law that one could be pleasing to God. When he healed the man with dropsy, the leaders could not reply because his actions demonstrated to the people that showing love, compassion and care for those who need help is more important than any law. You might pray to be gifted with loving compassion for yourself and others.
Further reflection
Can I visualise the setting where Jesus meets the man suffering from dropsy and cures him with a hostile audience of lawyers and Pharisees looking on?
What feelings and motivations are going on in the various characters? Why do the Pharisees react as they do? What does the man with dropsy make of it?
Meals often feature in Jesus' parables and in the key moments of his public life - Cana, Martha and Mary, the meeting with Magdalene, the last supper. He remains present to us in the sacred meal of the Eucharist. It is at meals, sitting, relaxed, with time to listen, that we are most alive to one another.
Yet meals are disappearing. Many families find that fast food, freezers and micro-waves, the presence of TV, the pull of other commitments, have almost put an end to family meals. In the USA 40% of meals are eaten in cars!
Have I a place for meals in my life?