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: Is this Jesus ‘setting up’ the Jewish leaders? Note that the woman doesn’t ask Jesus to be healed, He sees her and goes to her. Note that there were many sick whom Jesus healed but He didn’t heal everyone. In the beginning of Mark’s gospel He stopped His healing Ministry on one occasion to travel and preach! (Mk 1: 34-39). He was teaching in a synagogue – is this a teacher demonstrating a point? If so it made clear to the hearers and gave an excellent result for the object of the lesson! God according to a number of the OT prophets stirred up and used evil leaders to discipline His own people. Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem to die as the ultimate sacrifice for sin. Is He giving the Jewish leaders a prod to encourage them to bring Him before Pilate, the Roman power in Jerusalem? The Ruler of the Synagogue. seems to me. to be trying to go over Jesus’ head, contradicting Jesus, and tell the people directly what they ought to believe! Jesus makes several points 1. The Jewish Leaders in their practice of the Mosaic Law were hypocrites! 2. Money rather than caring and sympathy was their choice! Donkeys before suffering humanity! Not that Jesus said that they shouldn’t rescue the donkey! 3. This poor woman was as much a child of Abraham as they were! 4. Satan uses suffering and is involved in causing it as seen when we first meet Him in the Garden of Eden!
Job 8: 11-13 – “Can papyrus grow where there is no marsh? Can reeds flourish where there is no water? While yet in flower and not cut down, they wither before any other plant. Such are the paths of all who forget God; the hope of the godless shall perish. – We are all like the papyrus above needing the ‘water’ of ‘rightfully understanding’ God’s ordered laws of living aright! Without that we wither!
Prayer: Deliver me, please, from every taint of Hypocrisy!
As I read it! 