Messiah in Yom HaBikkurim Chapter 106
Miracle #36. Healing a man with edema.
- The Thirty-sixth Miracle of Messiah
- Healing at a Shabbat Meal
- The Master of Shabbat
- The Spirit of the Holy One is the only true God
The Thirty-sixth Miracle of Messiah:
Lukas 14:1-6 (cf. follow-on mashal Lowliest seat at the Feast)
וַיְהִי בְּבֹאוֹ בַשַּׁבָּת אֶל־בֵּית אֶחָד מֵרָאשֵׁי הַפְּרוּשִׁים לֶאֱכֹל לָחֶם וְהֵמָּה אֹרְבִים לוֹ׃ וְהִנֵּה אִישׁ אֶחָד לְפָנָיו אֲשֶׁר גּוּפוֹ צָבָה מִמָּיִם׃ וַיַּעַן יֵשׁוּעַ וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־הַחֲכָמִים וְאֶל־הַפְּרוּשִׁים לֵאמֹר הֲמֻתָּר לִרְפֹּא בַשַּׁבָּת אִם־לֹא וַיַּחֲרִישׁוּ׃ וַיֹּאחֶז־בּוֹ וַיִּרְפָּאֵהוּ וַיְשַׁלְּחֵהוּ׃וַיַּעַן וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם מִי בָכֶם הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר חֲמֹרוֹ אוֹ שׁוֹרוֹ יִפּוֹל אֶל־הַבְּאֵר וְלֹא־יְמַהֵר לְהַעֲלוֹתוֹ בְּיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת׃ וְלֹא יָדְעוּ לְהָשִׁיב דָּבָר׃
בְּשַׁבָּת אַחַת נִכְנַס לֶאֱכֹל לֶחֶם בְּבֵיתוֹ שֶׁל אֶחָד מֵרָאשֵׁי הַפְּרוּשִׁים, וְהֵם הִתְבּוֹנְנוּ בּוֹ בִּדְרִיכוּת. וְהִנֵּה לְפָנָיו אִישׁ שֶׁגּוּפוֹ תָּפוּחַ מִמַּיִם. פָּנָה יֵשׁוּעַ לְבַעֲלֵי הַתּוֹרָה וְהַפְּרוּשִׁים וְשָׁאַל: “הֲמֻתָּר לְרַפֵּא בְּשַׁבָּת אוֹ לֹא?” אַךְ הַלָּלוּ שָׁתְקוּ. אָז הֶחֱזִיק בּוֹ, רִפֵּא אוֹתוֹ וְשִׁלַּח אוֹתוֹ. הוֹסִיף וְאָמַר לָהֶם: “מִי מִכֶּם, שֶׁחֲמוֹרוֹ אוֹ שׁוֹרוֹ יִפֹּל לְתוֹךְ בְּאֵר, לֹא יְמַהֵר לְהַעֲלוֹתוֹ בְּיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת?” עַל זֹאת לֹא יָכְלוּ לַעֲנוֹת. פ
On Shabbat, as he entered the house of one of the leading Prushim to eat bread, they were watching him closely (to find fault with him; literally to “ambush him”). There was a certain man in front of him whose body was swollen with water (edema). Yeshua responded and said to the sages and Prushim, “Is it permitted to heal on Shabbat or not?” They were silent. He grasped him and healed him and sent him away. He answered and said to them, “Which one of you if his donkey or ox fell into a well would not quickly lift it out on the day of Shabbat?” They did not know how to answer him.
Healing at a Shabbat Meal:
Rabbi Yeshua went to share a Shabbat meal at the home of a prominent leader of the Prushim, where he was being closely scrutinized by legal experts. In front In front of him was a man suffering from severe, abnormal swelling of the body and limbs.
Before performing the miracle, Yeshua directly challenged the silent onlookers, asking: “Is it lawful to heal on Shabbat or not?” When the religious leaders refused to answer, Rabbeinu Yeshua took hold of the man, instantly healed his condition, and sent him on his way.
What is Edema? In antiquity Edema was called “dropsy.” This was the standard term for what modern medicine classifies as edema. It involves an excessive accumulation of watery fluids in the body’s tissues, cavities, or limbs, usually serving as a visible symptom of advanced underlying organ failure, such as heart, kidney, or liver disease.
The Sabbath Trap: This dinner was likely a setup by the Prushim to catch Yeshua breaking their strict oral traditions regarding work on Shabbat. In traditional Prushim oral law, medical treatment was only permitted on the Shabbat if a human life was in immediate danger. Because edema was a chronic, slow-progressing condition, the Prushim believed healing it on the day of rest was a violation.
The Case for Mercy: To expose the hypocrisy of the hyper orthodox Prushim, Yeshua used a rhetorical question: “Which of you, if your son or an ox falls into a well on the day of Shabbat, will not immediately pull him out?”. By comparing the swollen man to a trapped animal or drowning child, Rabbi Yeshua argued that human compassion and relief from suffering take precedence over rigid ritualistic rules. The response: The experts were unable to formulate a reply.
The Master of Shabbat:
In the four Jewish besorot (gospels) of Matteo, Markos, Lukas, and Yochanan the Messiah performs seven miracles on the day of Shabbat. In the 50 miracles of Messiah the 7 miracles of Shabbat are:
Sabbath Day Miracle #1: Healing demon-possessed man.
Sabbath Day Miracle #2: Healing Shimon’s mother-in-law.
Sabbath Day Miracle #3: Healing withered hand of man.
Sabbath Day Miracle #4: Healed man crippled for 38 years.
Sabbath Day Miracle #5: Healing a man born blind.
Sabbath Day Miracle #6: Healed woman of 18 year illness.
Sabbath Day Miracle #7: Healing a man with edema.
The Messiah Yeshua is more than a prophet and and a healer: He is the Master of Shabbat (אדון השבת). For it is written:
Lukas 6:1-5
וַיְהִי בָּיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת הַשֵּׁנִית לִסְפִירַת הָעֹמֶר עָבַר בֵּין הַשָׂדוֹת וַיִּקְטְפוּ תַלְמִידָיו מְלִילֹת וַיְפָרְכוּ אֹתָן בִּידֵיהֶם וַיֹּאכֵלוּ׃ וַאֲנָשִׁים מִן־הַפְּרוּשִׁים אָמְרוּ אֲלֵיהֶם לָמָה אַתֶּם עֹשִׂים אֵת אֲשֶׁר לֹא יֵעָשֶׂה בַּשַּׁבָּת׃ וַיַּעַן יֵשׁוּעַ וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם הֲלֹא קְרָאתֶם אֵת אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה דָוִד בִּהְיוֹתוֹ רָעֵב הוּא וַאֲשֶׁר הָיוּ אִתּוֹ׃ אֲשֶׁר בָּא אֶל־בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים וַיִּקַּח אֶת־לֶחֶם הַפָּנִים וַיֹּאכַל וְגַם־נָתַן לַאֲנָשָׁיו אֵת אֲשֶׁר לֹא נָכוֹן לְאָכְלוֹ כִּי אִם־לַכֹּהֲנִים לְבַדָּם ׃וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם כִּי בֶּן־הָאָדָם גַּם־אֲדוֹן הַשַּׁבָּת הוּא׃
בַּשַּׁבָּת הַשְּׁנִיָּה לִסְפִירַת הָעֹמֶר בְּעָבְרוֹ בִּשְׂדוֹת קָמָהקָטְפוּ תַּלְמִידָיו שִׁבֳּלִים וּלְאַחַר שֶׁמָּלְלוּ אוֹתָן בִּידֵיהֶם אָכְלוּ. אָמְרוּ אֲחָדִים מִן הַפְּרוּשִׁים: “מַדוּעַ אַתֶּם עוֹשִׂים מַה שֶּׁאָסוּר בְּשַׁבָּת? הֵשִׁיב לָהֶם יֵשׁוּעַ וְאָמַר: הַאִם לֹא קְרָאתֶם מַה שֶּׁעָשָׂה דָוִד כַּאֲשֶׁר רָעַב הוּא וְהָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ? הֲרֵי נִכְנַס אֶל בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים וְלָקַח אֶת לֶחֶם הַפָּנִים, שֶׁאֵינוֹ מֻתָּר לַאֲכִילָה אֶלָּא לַכֹּהֲנִים בִּלְבַד, אָכַל וְגַם נָתַן לַאֲנָשָׁיו. הוֹסִיף וְאָמַר לָהֶם: בֶּן־הָאָדָם הוּא אֲדוֹן הַשַּׁבָּת. פ
בשבת השניה לספירת העמר בעברו בשדות קמהקטפו תלמידיו שבלים ולאחר שמללו אותן בידיהם אכלו. אמרו אחדים מן הפרושים: מדוע אתם עושים מה שאסור בשבת? השיב להם ישוע ואמר: האם לא קראתם מה שעשה דוד כאשר רעב הוא והאנשים אשר אתו? הרי נכנס אל בית האלוהים ולקח את לחם הפנים, שאינו מתר לאכילה אלא לכהנים בלבד, אכל וגם נתן לאנשיו. הוסיף ואמר להם: בן-האדם הוא אדון השבת. פ
On the second Shabbat of counting the omer he was passing among the fields, and his disciples plucked heads of grain, crushed them in their hands, and ate. Men from the Prushim said to them, “Why do you do what is not to be done on Shabbat?” The Yeshua answered and said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry—he and those who were with him—that he entered the house of God and took the bread of the presence and ate and also gave his men something that is not correct to eat except for priests alone?” He added to them, “Ben HaAdam is the master of the Shabbat.”
Like the Shekinah all the fullness of God dwells bodily in our Messiah.
The Spirit of the Holy One is the only true God:
The Spirit of the Holy One is the only true God. He is the One who *bodily indwells Yeshua Ha-Mashiach. The house (the body, temple) is not God. We are not God. We are His house (Beit-El-בֵּית־אֵל). The One who Indwells His house (the body) is the Spirit of God (HaEL-Beit-El-הָאֵל֙ בֵּֽית־אֵ֔ל). He is the only true God. We do worship the Holy Spirit who indwells Yeshua. So Thomas (the Twin) addressed Yeshua dually “as my lord and my God.” Due to the perfect unity of the Spirit of God and His Son Yeshua it is understandable that the gentile believers would say God-man and we have no problem with this description. *Fully God, fully man.
However, it oftentimes seems to us that our gentile brothers and sisters seem somewhat blind to Rabbeinu Yeshua’s humanity and do not clearly see with us—his believing Jewish brothers and sisters—that he is worshiping the same God we are (“My Father and your Father, my God and your God”- see Yochanan 20:17).
*(Micah 5:1-2) Son of God-Son of man (Daniel 7:13-14).
Therefore, for a Jew it is important to differentiate the man from God; while still embracing the perfect unity. This means we do not worship Yeshua our brother, the Son of Man who is the head of the assembly. We do, however, do homage to him—our Rabbi Yeshua ben David, our brother. For it is written:
נַשְּׁקוּ־בַר פֶּן־יֶאֱנַף וְתֹאבְדוּ דֶרֶךְ כִּֽי־יִבְעַר כִּמְעַט אַפֹּו אַשְׁרֵי כָּל־חֹוסֵי בֹֽו׃
Do homage to the *Son, that he not become angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in him!
*The titles Son of God and Messiah represent the unity of God and man (God-man). The name Yeshua represents the humanity of the Son of man alone. This distinction was made by Rabbi Yeshua himself in discussing what is and is not blasphemy of the Holy Spirit (see Mattai 12:31-32; and Rabbi Yeshua’s Eighth Forgiveness Saying.
Therefore, we do give homage to our Master and united with him as the head and we the body—we worship only the Spirit of the Holy One.
For this reason Rabbi Yeshua *teaches us to recognize both his humanity and authority. Yet, we are only to worship ADONAI who is his God and our God. As he has taught us: YHWH is his Father and our Father; and YHWH is his God and our God. The LORD our God alone is the One who is the one true God, the LORD of our Lord. As it is written:
לדוד מזמור נאם ה’ לאדני שב ליימיני עד־אשית איביך הדם לרגליך׃
Le-David Mizmor neoom. Adonai ladoni shev liyemini ad-asheet oyvecha hadom leraglecha.
A Psalm of David. ADONAI (ה’) says to my master (אדני) “Sit at My right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”
*It is important to note that both King David (Psalm 110:1) and the talmidim of Rabbi Yeshua, Thomas, make a distinction between ADONAI and Rabbi Yeshua. Yeshua, the man, is addressed as my lord, my master (adoni). However, the Spirit of the Holy One who Indwells the Messiah, is addressed as ADONAI (the LORD). So, it is written:
שמע ישראל ה’ אלוהינו ה’ אחד׃
Shema Yisra’el, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai echad!
שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל ה’ אֱלֹהֵינוּ ה’ אֶחָֽד׃
Hear, understand, and obey Yisra’el, Adonai our God, Adonai is one.