There is an unpleasant background to today's Gospel story. It looks as if the disabled man has been deliberately planted in the house of a leading Pharisee where Jesus had been invited to dine. "They watched him." This is a terrible way to abuse the hospitality of one's house. Jesus is fully aware of their intentions and asks directly: "Is it against the Law to heal a person on the Sabbath?" For them, the answer was a definite 'Yes' but it was hard to answer the question in the way Jesus put it. So they remained silent. Jesus took their silence for consent and healed the man. He then pointed to their hypocrisy by reminding them that they would have no hesitation in rescuing a son or even an animal which fell down a well on a Sabbath. This would be something which would require far more effort than Jesus healing the sick man with a word. What Jesus is really saying, though, is that truth and love are far more important than mere laws or regulations. A law is only justified, if observing it is an expression of truth and love.