The beloved physician Luke wrote how Jesus, “was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. The Lord then answered him, and said, you hypocrite, does not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his donkey from the stall, and lead him away to watering?”, and in chapter thirteen and verse sixteen of his book Luke shared how Jesus asks, “ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham … be loosed?” where we read:
And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound,
lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?
The verse reads, “And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound, ...” Luke began with the words, “and ought not this woman” or “and should not the female who was bound with a spirit of infirmity and bent over”, “being a daughter of Abraham” which means “existing as a female descendant belonging to Abraham who was the son of Terah and the founder of the Jewish nation and whose name means father of a multitude”, “whom Satan has bound” or “that the prince of evil spirits and the inveterate adversary of God an Christ has fastened, tied and knit in bonds”. Luke shared how Jesus asked the “chief ruler” if he realized this “woman” was a female descendant of “Abraham” and yet had a “spirit of infirmity” from “Satan” and was “bent over”.
The verse goes on to say, “... lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?” Luke added words, “lo, these eighteen years” or “look and consider, for these eighteen long years”, “be loosed from this bond” which means “be set free and released from this shackle, impediment, disability, band, bond and chain” “on the sabbath day” or “upon the seventh day of each week which was a sacred festival on which the Israelites were required to abstain from all work”? Luke shared how Jesus continued His question to the “chief ruler of the synagogue” as to whether he thought this woman who was kept in bondage for “eighteen years” should be set free and released even through it was the “Sabbath day”.
When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we see how Jesus compared the “releasing of an ox or donkey” on the “Sabbath day” to the “releasing” of this woman from the “spirit of infirmity” and “disability”. This made the statement of the “ruler” sound foolish and unreasonable. Anyone who thought it was justified to allow an ox or donkey to be “set free” to be watered on the “Sabbath day” would certainly believe it was valid for a woman to be “released” from her spiritual and physical afflictions. We shall discover the religious leaders' reaction to Jesus' statement in the next verse, but suffice it for now to understand that God loves people, and He made the “Sabbath day” of rest to help man, not just give Him a rule. God wants to have a personal relationship with everyone through His Son Jesus, and when they yield their lives to Him as their “Savior and Lord”, He is willing to help them every day of the week including the “Sabbath day”.
Next time Luke shares when Jesus, “said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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