Day 67

Luke 13:10–17 (NIV)

¹⁰ On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, ¹¹ and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. ¹² When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” ¹³ Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

¹⁴ Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue ruler said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”

¹⁵ The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? ¹⁶ Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?” ¹⁷ When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.

Pray for God to show you something to use from the passage

Read the Passage

Who is in the passage?

What action verbs do you see?

What other words stick out in your mind

Questions

What was Jesus’ point in healing on the Sabbath? How does that effect how we view the Sabbath?

What is different this time from the other times that Jesus has confronted those against him?

Why were the people delighted in what Jesus did?

Notes

Sabbath and healing --What you can do on the Sabbath has been an issue throughout. Remember 6:1, and especially 6:6-8

This time the stakes are rising. The confrontation plays out in front of worshippers, not just behind the scenes.

Choices have to be made. Who are you going to listen to? Who are you going to follow?

Jesus starts by speaking in another synagogue. He has done this along the way. Remember the first time in 4:16-21 where he defined his ministry. This event seems to bring us back to what Jesus purpose is. It is to free from the things that binds us. Be it physical, Satan’s work, or religious people who instead of leading us to God lead us away from Him. All these elements are in this story. The issue that binds the woman is being removed as God uses Jesus to do it.

vs 12 - Jesus calls her forward. She doesn't seek Him out (probably because it is the Sabbath and you could only do healing to save a life, she would know that) Jesus doesn't allow manmade laws stop Him from meeting a need.

vs 13- The reaction of the woman is the correct response- Jesus ministry is having effect even though the people many times don't get it. This time Jesus opens the spiritual eyes of the people (see vs 17- There is still the question of will they ultimately believe but the possibility does show itself as the people reject what the synagogue ruler says for what Jesus says.

vs 14- The synagogue ruler doesn't stew in private he publicly denounces the healing as wrong, setting up the confrontation in the middle of the service. Jesus responds be comparing what the Pharisees allowed to the healing he does (see 11:46)

vs 15- In their interpretation of the Sabbath law it was Okay to untie a ox or donkey to feed them. But it is not Okay to untie a Hebrew woman he had been suffering for 18 years.

Jesus sets a comparison who the people to decide

1) Hebrew woman vs donkey (which is more important)

2) Animal tied up for a few hours vs a woman suffering for 18 years

3) Healing on 6 days of the week vs Honoring and Praising God by healing on the Sabbath- (What better way to show worship to God?)

vs 17 the people clearly agree with Jesus- But questions lingers- is it about belief in Him or about the show of miracles they like seeing?