In this account, Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues; and it was on a Sabbath day.
A woman was there who, for eighteen years, had had an infirmity caused by a spirit—she was bound by satan that way.
She was bent double and was totally unable to straighten up at all.
But she made her way over to Jesus, upon His invitation and call.
“Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity,” He said, laying His hands upon her—immediately she became erect.
She began to glorify God that Jesus’ ministry had had such a powerful effect!
But due to rigid adherence to the Torah, a synagogue official could only “see” the Law.
Jesus should not have healed on the Sabbath, he indicated. All he could see was this “flaw.”
In the face of such a miracle, he still, obviously, wasn’t persuaded.
His only desire seemed to be that Jesus’ act of love should be degraded.
Jesus then called him a hypocrite, saying that he, and the other synagogue officials, would untie their own oxen or donkeys on the Sabbath to lead them to some waters.
How much more, then, was it right for Him to heal, even though on a Sabbath, this woman, who was one of Abraham’s daughters.
After Jesus had said these things, his opponents were put to shame…
while, for the glorious things He was doing for others, the people were giving Him great acclaim.
As believers, we, too, are heirs of Abraham; and on any night or day…
the Lord, who never slumbers or sleeps, will hear and answer us whenever we pray.
P. A. Oltrogge
“And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.” Galatians 3:29 NASB
“…He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” Psalm 121:3-4 NASB
The Bible shares many different instances where Jesus healed–each one very compelling. In Luke 14, we read of Jesus healing a man with “dropsy,” which is an old term used to describe abnormal swelling.
In coming for dinner to the home of a leader of the Pharisees, Jesus well knew…that healing would be considered “work” to them–which they believed that He, on a Sabbath, shouldn’t do.
So He first put the question to them–whether, on a Sabbath, healing was permitted in the law. After they refused to answer, He touched the man who was afflicted with dropsy; and he received of healing virtue for that bodily flaw.
He sent the man away and asked those remaining a new question–as to which one of them wouldn’t do the same. If on a Sabbath, their son or even their animal fell into a pit, wouldn’t he work to get him, or it, out, despite their “We don’t work on the Sabbath” claim?
In other recorded accounts, too, Jesus healed on a Sabbath day, showing what God, the Father, certainly permitted–which was always extending God’s love and compassion, to which He, the Son of God, was steadfastly committed.
P. A. Oltrogge
“And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” John 1:16-18 NKJV
“Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and forget none of His benefits; Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases.” Psalm 103:3 God’s Word states we are healed by Jesus’ stripes…He still heals today any type of malady or disorder.
“The commandments, ‘Never commit adultery; never murder; never steal; never have wrong desires,’ and every other commandment are summed up in this statement: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ Love never does anything that is harmful to a neighbor. Therefore, love fulfills Moses’ Teachings.
“You know the times in which we are living. It’s time for you to wake up. Our salvation is nearer now than when we first became believers.” Romans 13:9-11 GW
See the Biblical account of the good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37.
“If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.” 1 John 4:20-21
“And He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.’” Matthew 22:37-40
“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.” Matthew 5:17
“And He said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.’” Mark 2:27-28
“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”
Isaiah 53:5 NKJV
…praying for you daily, dear follower or friend of this blog… For further help, refer to any of the ministries previously referenced on this blog. Among those ministries are:
The Porch of the Lord 