Dropsy It Like It’s Hot | October 30, 2015

October 30, 2015

Have you ever had a supervisor or superior observe you at work? It’s nerve racking right? When someone is watching my every move, I tend to play it safe, real safe, especially if that someone has already made their disapproval of me known. Years ago there was a woman at the parish I worked for that thought I was useless, I knew this because she told me so at a meeting with about 12 other members of the staff and volunteers. She looked me right in the eye and said, “You’re useless and everything you do is useless.” Can’t you picture the next scene where all 12 people come to my defense in outrage and horror, and this woman would be dramatically removed from the meeting? Well everyone, including me, sat there stunned and completely silent. It was awful. I literally felt the wind punched out of me by her words and her tone, and on top of it, no one came to my defense. It unraveled me for several weeks and I began to question whether everyone’s silence was really their own agreement with the idea that I was useless. Needles-to-say whenever that woman was in my presence, I played it as safe as possible or tried like hell to stay off her radar. I would do the complete opposite of what Jesus did in today’s gospel.

He wasn’t eating dinner at any random Pharisees’ house, but the text says that he was “at the home of one of the leading Pharisees.” We know that for the past several weeks Jesus had been engaged in heated debates, shameful arguments, and that the Pharisees were hanging onto his every word, not for spiritual enlightenment, but to use them against him someday. The gospel says that the guests at dinner “were observing him carefully.” My goodness, can’t the man even eat in peace? Instead of cowering from the scrutiny like I tend to do, Jesus took a big swig of wine, rubbed his hands together in excitement, and gave them what they were all hoping for, some delicious scandal (however, he really gave them a big heaping scoop of the Truth).

Since it says that the man with dropsy (a form of seizure disorder or epilepsy because they literally drop to the ground with a seizure) was in front of him, it might have seemed that this man was planted there on purpose, knowing that Jesus would feel the need to heal him. Bait taken, however, the Pharisees would be the ones with the hook in their mouths before long. Challenge question from Jesus, “Is it lawful to cure on the Sabbath or not?” It was certainly not a trick question as they had already covered this topic and all that was required was a simple yes or no. Their silence to the question shamed them because they knew the right answer but refused to allow Jesus the upper hand. So Jesus heals dropsy dude (dropsy’s it like it’s hot, for the youngsters in the audience!!) and gives the guests a scenario more close to home and personal, “’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.” One more point for Jesus and one more strike against the Pharisees, however, they saw it as one more point for them and on more strike against Christ.

The sad part is that this kind of stuff still goes on in our churches today doesn’t it? We try like mad to prove others wrong, to prove ourselves right; we watch each other’s every move; we keep tallies of the score, etc. Today Jesus shows us that as long as we have the Truth, we stand on the Word, and we are with Christ, then we have nothing to fear, and on the other side, the only scrutiny that we should be conducting is toward our own behavior. If every one of us were observing ourselves carefully instead of others, we would not need to stifle our gifts ever, or feel useless. We could boldly live the gospel just like Jesus does in today’s story. I let one woman’s misguided opinion of me falsely convict me as useless for several weeks. I never want to falsely convict someone of anything (even though I know I have in my life), and I never want to withhold God’s healing and mercy from anyone when they are in front of me.

Reading 1 ROM 9:1-5

Brothers and sisters:
I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie;
my conscience joins with the Holy Spirit in bearing me witness
that I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart. 
For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ
for the sake of my own people,
my kindred according to the flesh. 
They are children of Israel;
theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants,
the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises;
theirs the patriarchs, and from them,
according to the flesh, is the Christ,
who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

Responsorial Psalm PS 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20

R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
He has granted peace in your borders;
with the best of wheat he fills you.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.

Alleluia JN 10:27

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;
I know them, and they follow me.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 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.