“As we observe the events of that Sabbath evening, we see in the background the landscape of God’s kingdom. Look closely. A man with dropsy lies on the floor. A message has been given about how the lowly will be exalted. A mandate has been issued to host banquets for the lowly. A mystery has been disclosed, revealing that the kingdom of God will be built upon the lowest substrata of society. Like Palestine, the landscape of God’s kingdom is sloped so that its river flows to the lowest valleys. The valleys are people whose lives are eroding away. The river is mercy. It flows freely to heal a man with dropsy . . . to host a banquet for the poor . . . to herald a kingdom for those whose only citizenship is the street. And were it not for that river, the world would be a wasteland.”