And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus doesn't just ask a question; he uses "answering" to engage the unspoken accusations in the hearts of the lawyers and Pharisees. He's proactively addressing their critical thoughts, using their own legalistic framework to expose the hypocrisy of their rigid observance of the Sabbath.
And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has entered the house of a prominent Pharisee to share a meal on the Sabbath, but the religious leaders and teachers are there, watching him closely. A man with dropsy is present, and Jesus, aware of their intent to find fault, directly challenges the assembly by asking if it is permissible to heal on the Sabbath. This sets the stage for his teaching that acts of mercy and necessity are not violations of the Sabbath rest.
We often think of Jesus reacting to others, but here, He starts the conversation. Why is that significant?
Jesus wasn't just caught in a situation; He deliberately stepped into it. The lawyers and Pharisees were watching Him, likely waiting for Him to break their strict Sabbath rules. Instead of waiting for their accusation, Jesus answered their unspoken thoughts and intentions by posing a question of His own: “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” This wasn't just a rhetorical question; it was a strategic move to expose their flawed reasoning and highlight the true purpose of the Sabbath.
This shows us that sometimes, faith isn't just about reacting to challenges, but about proactively addressing them with wisdom and a clear understanding of God's heart.
The Pharisees had turned the Sabbath into a burden. What was it really meant to be?
The Sabbath was given by God as a gift – a day of rest, a reminder of His provision, and a symbol of His covenant. But the religious leaders had layered it with so many man-made rules and interpretations that its original purpose was lost.
Jesus’ question cuts through their rigid legalism. He forces them to confront a contradiction: their laws allowed them to rescue an animal in distress on the Sabbath, yet they balked at healing a human being. This wasn't about abolishing the Sabbath, but about revealing its true intent: works of mercy and necessity, especially for people, were never meant to be forbidden.
Understand the original words
Ask a follow-up
nomikos · Greek Noun
Experts in the Mosaic Law who interpreted and taught the Torah. They were often aligned with the Pharisees in their concern for maintaining ritual purity and legal compliance.
therapeuō · Greek Verb
To make whole, restore to health, or deliver from affliction. In the Gospels, this is often a sign of the arrival of the Kingdom of God and the authority of the Messiah over sin and the effects of the Fall.
exestin · Greek Verb/Adverbial concept
In the context of the Mosaic Law, what is permitted or authorized by divine decree. Jesus frequently challenged contemporary legalistic definitions of lawfulness to reveal the true heart of God’s commandments.
c. 2nd century BC - 1st century AD
Development of Rabbinic Sabbath Laws
During this period, Jewish religious leaders, particularly the Pharisees and scribes, extensively debated and codified interpretations of the Sabbath law. These interpretations often included detailed restrictions on activities, sometimes leading to an emphasis on the letter of the law over its spirit.
c. AD 28-30
Jesus' Public Ministry
Jesus traveled throughout Galilee and Judea, teaching and performing miracles. His ministry often brought him into conflict with the religious authorities, especially concerning his teachings and actions related to the Sabbath.
c. AD 30-33— this verse
Jesus Heals Man with Dropsy on Sabbath
While dining at the house of a prominent Pharisee on the Sabbath, Jesus encountered a man suffering from dropsy. The religious leaders present watched Jesus closely, anticipating he might break their strict Sabbath observance by healing the man.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus' Questioning of the Leaders
Before healing the man, Jesus directly challenged the lawyers and Pharisees by asking if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath, prompting their silence. He then proceeded to heal the man and further questioned their hypocrisy regarding caring for animals on the Sabbath.
This foundational commandment describes the Sabbath rest as refraining from labor, setting the stage for Jesus' later debates about what constitutes 'work' versus acts of mercy.
Matthew 12:11-12Jesus directly uses a similar argument here, asking about rescuing a sheep, to show that acts of compassion are consistent with the Sabbath's spirit, just as he does in Luke 14.
Mark 3:1-6This parallel account also shows Jesus healing on the Sabbath and confronting the Pharisees about their hardness of heart, highlighting the ongoing conflict over Sabbath observance.
Deuteronomy 5:12-15This retelling of the Ten Commandments emphasizes that the Sabbath is a day of rest not only for the master but also for servants and even animals, broadening the scope of Sabbath care.
1 Samuel 21:1-6This passage describes David taking consecrated bread to feed himself and his men, an act that the Pharisees would likely have condemned as Sabbath desecration, showing a precedent for questioning strict interpretations of the law.
barnesLuke 14:3: "And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?"
Jesus, answering - To "answer," in the Scriptures, does not always imply, as among us, that anything had been said before. It means often merely to "begin" or to take up a subject, or, as here, to remark on the case that was present. Is it lawful ... - He knew that they were watching him. If he healed the man at once, they would accuse him. He, therefore, proposed the question…
calvinLuke 14:1-6: "And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him."
- And it happened that he entered into the house of a certain ruler of the Pharisees on a Sabbath, to take food, and they watched him. 2. And, lo, a certain man who had a dropsy was before him, 3. And Jesus answering said to the lawyers [288] and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to cure on the Sabbath? 4. But they were silent; and he took and cured…
Jesus doesn't just ask a question; he uses "answering" to engage the unspoken accusations in the hearts of the lawyers and Pharisees. He's proactively addressing their critical thoughts, using their own legalistic framework to expose the hypocrisy of their rigid observance of the Sabbath.
Jesus has entered the house of a prominent Pharisee to share a meal on the Sabbath, but the religious leaders and teachers are there, watching him closely. A man with dropsy is present, and Jesus, aware of their intent to find fault, directly challenges the assembly by asking if it is permissible to heal on the Sabbath. This sets the stage for his teaching that acts of mercy and necessity are not violations of the Sabbath rest.
Jesus has entered the house of a prominent Pharisee to share a meal on the Sabbath, but the religious leaders and teachers are there, watching him closely. A man with dropsy is present, and Jesus, aware of their intent to find fault, directly challenges the assembly by asking if it is permissible to heal on the Sabbath. This sets the stage for his teaching that acts of mercy and necessity are not violations of the Sabbath rest.
"And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?”" — Jesus doesn't just ask a question; he uses "answering" to engage the unspoken accusations in the hearts of the lawyers and Pharisees. He's proactively addressing their critical thoughts, using their…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026