Bible reading
10 And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your sickness.” 13 And He laid His hands on her; and immediately she was made erect again and began glorifying God. 14 But the synagogue official, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in response, “There are six days in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” 15 But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water him? 16 And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?” 17 As He said this, all His opponents were being humiliated; and the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him.
Source: Luke 13:10-17 (New American Standard Bible)
Bible Study summary
We can observe that the Lord Jesus had healed a double-bent woman but had received backlash from the synagogue official because he healed her on Sabbath day.
There seems to be a disagreement over a certain issue between the synagogue official and the Lord Jesus.
- The disagreement was about the synagogue official telling Jesus that he should not have any work done anything during Sabbath day, including healing.
- There is this “list” of things that people cannot do. It should be a day of “rest.
- Notice that the Lord Jesus had not argued back with the synagogue official through this passage
What is the Sabbath?
Exodus 20:8-11 – we see that Sabbath is a day that has been set by YAHWEH God based on the 10 commandments. These rules had been given by the leader Moses to the Israelites.
There is this whole “list” of activities that are defined as work, and healing is considered a part of this list of things “not to do.”
Sabbath – “rest” or “complete stop of work.”
Deuteronomy 5:14-15 and Exodus 31:13-18 – It is a sign to direct the people of God. God has made them holy to set them apart from those who were slaves in Egypt so that they can leave Egypt to serve God as God’s people.
Why did Jesus have to perform healing on the Sabbath?
This woman had been in bondage. He felt compassion for this woman. When the Lord Jesus heals someone, he would usually tell them “your faith has saved you.”
This word “released” or “freed” paints a picture of salvation. It is a release of a prisoner that has been bound. Jesus was focused on setting the captives free from that bondage!
Jesus used this miracle of healing to remind the people that God had meant the Sabbath for us to experience God’s power in setting us free from the bondage of Satan and sin.
Matthew 11:28-29 – this is why Jesus tells everyone to go to him to get this rest.
God’s concern for us: He wants us to be liberated from this bondage from sin and Satan and to receive this rest from the Lord Jesus.
- We all need God’s word… to be able to be free from this self-centred life.
Personal reflection: Will we be bent double in our lives, not seeing the surroundings but only seeing yourself? It is truly a reminder for us – we may seem alright on the outside, but we must reflect on our inside, what our spiritual life is like. When the Lord Jesus calls, especially for us to be set free, will we respond? May we cry out to God to help set us free on the things that are binding us.
Bible study by Pastor Calvin
Summary by Nathanael