Luke 13: 10-17… Go to the doctor on a Sunday!

Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God. But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.

Comment: Doing this sort of thing often got Jesus into trouble with the officials. I suspect that while Jesus’ words were just breath they could be heeded or ignored. When he acted out His spoken principles he had to be judged; His words were meant to lead to action or they were possibly just another philosophical alternative. Note this woman did not ask to be healed, Jesus put His foot deliberately in the mess. He knew what would happen, and it did! You care for your donkey, but bind this precious member of Abraham’s tribe in physical bondage. To hell with the idea! The mass of common people were on His side and rejoiced with the healed lady.

Prayer: Please don’t let me become a self-righteous prig.