Łk 14, 2-4 w egzegezie patrystycznej

Abstract

Exposing the miracles of healings performed by Jesus Christ was a constant element of the interpretation of the Gospel of St. Luke in the Patristic period. The perspective of the Third Gospel shows the person of the Savior as a physician of souls and bodies, which allowed ancient Christian authors to weave threads and medical terminology. The article contains a synthesis of the most important issues considered by the Fathers of the Church about Luke 14:2–4. Dropsy was considered an incurable disease. In ancient times, the comparison between a vicious person and living a sinful life as suffering from dropsy was quite widespread. The ancient exegetes emphasized the symbolic and moral value of dropsy. The interpretation of the healing of the man with dropsy however appears with sober and sparse indications. Christian preachers used common beliefs to exhort conversion and show the way of life worthy of Christians. These are the common reflections present in the systematic commentaries and the occasional sermons in Greek and Latin Christian authors.