Jesus and the Sabbath

Luke 13:10-17

Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. ¹¹ A woman was there who had been disabled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and couldn’t stand up straight. ¹² When he saw her, Jesus called her to him and said, “Woman, you are set free from your sickness.” ¹³ He placed his hands on her and she straightened up at once and praised God.

¹⁴ The synagogue leader, incensed that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, responded, “There are six days during which work is permitted. Come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath day.”

¹⁵ The Lord replied, “Hypocrites! Don’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from its stall and lead it out to get a drink? ¹⁶ Then isn’t it necessary that this woman, a daughter of Abraham, bound by Satan for eighteen long years, be set free from her bondage on the Sabbath day?” ¹⁷ When he said these things, all his opponents were put to shame, but all those in the crowd rejoiced at all the extraordinary things he was doing.

Key Verse:

“Then isn’t it necessary that this woman, a daughter of Abraham, bound by Satan for eighteen long years, be set free from her bondage on the Sabbath day?” —Luke 13:16

Commentary:

Many centuries after the ancient Israelites received the Ten Commandments, some Jewish leaders, including a group called the Pharisees, had become extreme in their observance of the sabbath. These leaders were strict keepers of the law and prided themselves on following God’s commandments to the letter. But an unwavering devotion to the letter of the law often caused them to miss the true point of the law.

Luke 13:10-17 tells of one such incident when religious leaders accused Jesus of breaking the law. On the sabbath, Jesus encountered a woman at the synagogue who had been “disabled by a spirit” (verse 11) for eighteen years and was unable to stand up straight. Jesus placed his hands on the woman and healed her.

A synagogue leader was shocked that Jesus would violate the sabbath laws by doing the work of healing and said, “There are six days during which work is permitted. Come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath day” (verse 14). Jesus responded by pointing out that even the most devoted followers of the law untie their livestock on the sabbath, so that these animals can move around and get something to drink. He continued by saying that if we free animals from bondage on the sabbath, shouldn’t we also free a human who has been bound by an ailment for many years?

The sabbath isn’t meant to be a day devoted only to avoiding work. It is meant to be a day that we set aside as holy. This means taking a break from our routine, but it doesn’t mean taking a break from showing God’s love and compassion to others.

Questions to Discuss:

Why did Jesus call the religious leaders “hypocrites”?

When have you felt like a hypocrite—like your words and actions didn’t match what was in your heart?

What does Jesus teach us about observing the sabbath?