A Dinner Party (part one): The Sabbath Healing

Today at Mass we heard a passage from Luke 14.Here are my thoughts:

I imagine that the leader of the pharisees whose house Jesus came to visit was Joseph of Arimathea. At any rate, it had to be someone Jesus knew well enough to be invited over for dinner. And if He was invited, I imagine His family and close friends were also invited. (see my other entries about Joseph of Arimathea.) The pharisees and lawyers are watching Him closely, hoping to trip Him up over some issue, while Joseph is watching Him carefully that no harm come to Him or His family.

While still outside Joseph's house, a man spies Jesus and makes his way quickly to Him, hoping for a healing before He disappears into the house. Seeing this, the pharisees and lawyers whisper among themselves questions over whether it is lawful to work a healing today as it is the Sabbath. "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" Jesus asks them in all sincerity, looking straight into their eyes. But they cannot hold His piercing glance and their eyes fall toward the ground. So Jesus turns His attention to the needy man, placing His healing hands upon him.

The man immediately feels the surge of health fill his body and takes a deep breath letting out a sigh of relief after such a long episode of "dropsy." Jesus hugs him and sends him happily on his way, then turns to address those lawyers who had refused to respond to His question before entering Joseph's home. "What man among you would refuse to pull a child, or even an ox out of a cistern if it had fallen in on the Sabbath?"
Now the leaders are clearing their throats and shifting uncomfortably around because in saying this, Jesus has addressed an incident that happened only this morning, as one of the pharisees, himself had needed help over a mishap of his own. His oxen had fallen into a cistern and in trying to lend his aid, his own son slipped in as well. All who helped in this rescue know well what Jesus is getting at and they are intimidated by the keenness of His insight. Now they quickly drop the accusation against Jesus, seeing that He has every right to bring one up against them. Pushing their way into the house, they are very anxious to avoid Jesus now.

The Story of Gad (part two): Returning Home

Gad is now coming out of the water and Jesus has taken the crowd down the road away from him. He is looking like a new man, and a very handsome one. His hair is clean and smoothed back and he grooms his beard now preparing for his homecoming. He dons his white robe just received from the holy women, adjusting the sash at his waist.

Now he arrives at the door of his home and nervously fusses with his appearance a bit before he lightly taps on the door. I hear whispering within but no one opens the door."Sarah?....Sarah?....I...please...Sarah,...please open the door." But no one stirs within. "Sarah, I'm not the man I was....I...I won't hurt you. Something has happened." I hear more whispering and rustling within and then the sound of a sliding board and the creak of hinges as the door slowly opens. Sarah peeps out but looks ready to slam the door shut if need be. Gad does not force his way in but stands calmly waiting to be invited. He stands brawny and powerful and yet somehow meek. "Something has happened, Sarah. Someone... someone touched me and healed me.....He..."


"The Nazarene?" asked Sarah. "Was it Mary's Son who touched you, Gad?"

"Jesus! They said His name was Jesus!"

A quiet gasp is heard coming from the far corner of the room and the sound of a vase teetering and then crashing to the ground. This startles both Gad and Sarah and they turn to spy two little frightened girls with hands over mouths, wide-eyed and cowering in the darkness. "Oh girls!" cries Sarah. "Oh girls, never mind that. Your father is here! Your father is back!" The girls seem to be terrified but Sarah gently takes her husband's hand and re-initiates him into the family.

"Mariah! Ruthie!... My dear babies!" Gad begins but then, trembling with emotion and falling to his knees in repentance and remorse from bygone days, copious tears pour down his face. "I am so sorry! I am so, so sorry!... Oh forgive me my sweet ones! my babies!" Sarah remains faithfully at his side, her arm embracing him which causes the girls to understand that it is safe to approach.

"Daddy?" little Ruthie quietly breathes the words. "It's good to have you back." and the two girls come close and snuggle into his arms and lap.
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This might not sound like anything spectacular for a meditation, but as I continued to think about this family, I realized that had he followed Jesus as he was attracted to doing there would have been so much unfinished in his life. I imagined that the happy couple, remaining friends with Jesus and His family, were blessed with many more children after that, creating generation after generation of faith filled Christians coming down to this very day and age. Who's to say but maybe even I have descended from a family such as Gad's who had their roots among Jesus' followers. This makes me anxious to insure that my descendants carry on this great Faith.

The Story of Gad (part one)

Luke 8:26-39 tells the story of a "strong man" who was possessed by a legion of demons and kept breaking the chains with which people attempted to confine him. I have often felt tearful when thinking of how this man, cured of such a violent condition, wanted to follow Jesus but was instead directed to "go home and tell them all" what Jesus did for him. Jesus directed me a few weeks ago to meditate on this man's experience. Here is my contemplation on the passage:

This story begins right after Jesus, shown in the picture above, has cast out a legion of demons from this man. After such a dramatic exorcism, the man lies exhausted on the ground.

A beast of a man, he lies on his back, naked on the shore of the sea, arms outstretched and eyes closed, as if in a coma. Jesus rushes to him and touches his face. He is quietly calling his name, as if drawing him out of a long, far-away sleep. "Gad! Wake up! Your Healer is here!" As He speaks, Mother Mary and Salome quickly hasten to the side of the man, throwing a clean sheet over his body, tucking it in lovingly and kneeling opposite Jesus, ready to assist the "Great Physician" like two very lovely nurses. Jesus is still patting his face and gently calling to wake him from this stupor when he finally opens his eyes.

"What has happened?" he asks, disoriented and confused. The crowd is waiting in hushed anticipation to see what is next.

"Jesus has healed you, My dear!" says the Blessed Mother, Her lovely face radiant with a beaming smile.

The gruff-looking gorilla man pushes himself up to sitting position and modestly draws the sheet around himself as he surveys the crowd with amazement.

"I am your friend, Jesus."

"I don't know you......do I?" questions Gad.

Jesus smiles slyly and answers, "But I know you!"

"It's gone....I feel free!...Master! I will serve You! I will be Your slave where ever You go!... You... You have saved me from utter destruction! I... I couldn't help myself... I ruined everything ...destroyed everything I touched... my wife... my kids!... I..." Now he is weeping bitterly, head in hands.

"Gad, they are still there. Your family is still there. You must go back to them and tell them everything that has happened. I will come to you and visit you there."

Mary Magdalen brings a folded robe and presents it to the man and he accepts it shyly and gratefully. Jesus begins to motion the crowd away from Gad and the apostles help by ushering them along their way up the road. No sooner is their attention diverted away from Gad, then a loud splash draws it back. The "strong man" has plunged into the sea, laughing heartily and waving his hands above his head as he shouts out "Thank You, Jesus!!! Thank You!" He continues to laugh as he rubs himself clean and grooms his long hair and beard, preparing to make his reappearance into his family. The whole crowd waves back to him happily and I hear Jesus' beautiful laugh as He acknowledges His grateful patient's response.