Cure of a Crippled Woman on the Sabbath
Lk 13:10-17
10[Jesus] was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath. 11And
a woman was there who for eighteen years had been crippled by a spirit;
she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect. 12When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said, “Woman, you are set free of your infirmity.” 13He laid his hands on her, and she at once stood up straight and glorified God.
14But the leader of the synagogue, indignant that Jesus had
cured on the sabbath, said to the crowd in reply, “There are six days
when work should be done. Come on those days to be cured, not on the
sabbath day.” 15The Lord said to him in reply, “Hypocrites!
Does not each one of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the
manger and lead it out for watering? 16This daughter of
Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now, ought she not to
have been set free on the sabbath day from this bondage?” 17When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated; and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him.
YOU ARE SET FREE. The
synagogue leader strictly observes the Mosaic Law, especially the law
of the Sabbath that requires everyone to rest on this day and not to do
any kind of work. Cooking, washing dishes, and walking over a mile are
examples of prohibited activities.
Jesus
heals on a Sabbath. Technically, he commits a violation, for healing is
considered work. The synagogue leader protests before the crowd that
the healing may be deferred to another day.
Jesus
replies by calling the crowd hypocrites and pointing to their
inconsistency in observance. Even on a Sabbath people technically do
work when they untie their beasts of burden and lead them out for
watering.
Besides,
over and above the Sabbath is the law of love. Jesus declares that the
woman, a daughter of Abraham, has suffered for 18 years and has
fittingly been set free from bondage on a Sabbath. She need not wait for
another day.
Have you experienced being hampered
by technicality in your desire
to serve people in need?
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