A Perfect Day for Healing
Dropsy—To be honest, I did not know exactly how to define this physical condition, so I clicked on the Internet and readily found a definition.
The ailment was called Dropsy–a condition caused by an abnormal swelling in the body caused by a variety of ailments (i.e., liver failure, congestive heart failure, kidney failure or malnutrition). Then I saw how this ailment once was called oedema (meaning a build-up of fluid in the body, now called edema).
The day was the Sabbath, the day set aside since the time of the Israelites captivity in Egypt, when God gave them this ordinance to follow (a reminder of the seventh day of creation when God saw all that He created, saw that it was good, and rested).
The people present were the Pharisees who were keeping their eyes upon Jesus after a series of miracles, but not so they could praise God. They kept their eyes upon Jesus so they could trap Jesus and find a useful way to condemn Him. Also present that day was the man who needed the healing.
The place where it happened was inside the house, a place where Jesus had chosen to come and to break bread with them, to recline at their table.
The question came from the mouth of Jesus; see it with me.
“And Jesus answered and spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?”
(Luke 14: 1-6)
But they kept silent. And He took hold of him and healed him, and sent him away.
And He said to them [Jesus said to the lawyers and Pharisees], “Which one of you will have a son or an ox fall into a well and will not immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?”
And they could make no reply to this.”
No one hates his own flesh.
No one really hates His own flesh and blood–his family.
No one despises one who he once beloved.
Neither will Jesus hate who He loves.
Neither will God despise who He created.
We are beloved by Father God from the moment of our conception.
We know this because God is love, and no hate proceeds out of Him.
God does not ever hate that which He loves, that which He fashioned together.
Yet, we are man(kind).
Yet, we are human flesh and blood.
Yet, we are so weak and sinful, and because we are, we are born into this world, separated from God, who is Holy and Perfect and Beautiful.
Therefore, God knew we would need a Savior—His Son—Who would provide the Way back across the chasm caused by our sinful nature.
Thus, God sent a part of Himself into this sinful world to redeem us.
God sent the Messiah.
God sent Jesus, our Savior and our Redeemer.
We are mere days from Christmas, a season we celebrate the birth of the babe in the manger. We sing songs about the angels’ proclamation, about the shepherds coming, about the wise men coming from the east, about the star, and about the faithfulness of Mary and Joseph.
We do not sing songs about sin, about the pursuit of Herod to destroy the babe, about separation, about darkness, about “oedema,” about the failures found within the body that cause us to be in need of healing.
But we sing of the Perfect Babe—Who grew to remain the Perfect Boy—Who grew to remain the Perfect Man—Who willingly gave His life on the cross of Calvary as the Perfect Sacrifice for us.
Do not believe me but believe God’s Word.
“For no one ever hates His own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ [Jesus] also does the church because we are members of His body.”
(Ephesians 5: 29-30)
We are not perfect, but God loves us anyway.
We cannot know God in our own power and strength, so God sent His Only Son.
We cannot save ourselves; thus, God knew from the beginning we needed a Savior.
The ailment was called Dropsy, a condition caused by: a failure, an ailment.
The day was the Sabbath, when God gave them this ordinance: worship no other God than Almighty God
The people present that day: the Pharisees, the lawyers, and the man who needed the healing.
The place where Jesus finds us: a place where Jesus had chosen to come
The Question came from the mouth of Jesus &
The ANSWER to the Question remains: Today Is A Perfect Day for our healing!
Today—the 14th day of December.
Today—a most wonderfully perfect day to turn toward Jesus’ outstretched hands and receive His Salvation.
Let us not be like the Pharisees and make no reply (Luke 14: 6) but let us receive Him into our heart today.
And if we already belong to God but have strayed away (from God) and lost our way, lost our focus, let us place our eyes upon Jesus and let us follow Him.
Today is a most perfect day to rest and to receive the healing Jesus offers mankind.
Let us Receive that which—Only Jesus—provides.