Dropsy

Dropsy (Greek hydrōpikos, modern edema or hydrops) is an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the tissues or body cavities, causing swelling, and may be associated with liver disease, heart failure, or kidney disorders. It is mentioned only once in the New Testament, in Luke 14:2, where a man afflicted with it is present before Jesus at the home of a prominent Pharisee on the Sabbath.

Jesus healed the man before the assembled guests, then posed a counter-challenge to the lawyers and Pharisees: "Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?" Their silence in response to this comparison implicitly conceded the point. The healing and the subsequent teaching on humility and the proper guest list for banquets (Luke 14:7–14) form a unified Sabbath controversy narrative that characterizes Jesus's approach to the religious establishment throughout Luke's Gospel.