ANOTHER SABBATH HEALING

"They were watching him closely."

Lectionary passage: Luke 14:1-6 (NRSV) - On 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. 2 Just then, in front of him, there was a man who had dropsy. 3 And Jesus asked the lawyers and Pharisees, "Is it lawful to cure people on the sabbath, or not?" 4 But they were silent. So Jesus took him and healed him, and sent him away. 5 Then 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?" 6 And they could not reply to this.




On a sabbath day when Jesus was invited out to eat          
        by a leader of the Pharisees, he knew,
when a man appeared with dropsy and was standing at his feet,
        they were watching him to see what he would do.

“On the sabbath if your child or ox should fall into a well,
        would you not,” asked Jesus, “pull it out that day?”
All the lawyers and the Pharisees were nonplussed for a spell;
        so he healed the man and sent him on his way.

Now, to keep the sabbath holy is important, it is true.
        Nor would Jesus ever have it otherwise.
But if on the sabbath acts of love and mercy you should do,
        you will keep the day more holy in God’s eyes.