Ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound -- think of it -- for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?

Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.  And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.  But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity."  And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.  But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, "There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day."  The Lord then answered him and said, "Hypocrite!  Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it?  So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound -- think of it -- for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?"  And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.

- Luke 13:10-17

In yesterday's reading, Jesus was told about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that those Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things?  I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.  Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?  I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."  He also gave them a parable:  "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none.  Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, 'Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none.  Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?"  But he answered and said to him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it.  And if it bears fruit, well.  But if not, after that you can cut it down."


Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.  And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.  But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity."  And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.   In today's reading, our first picture is one of a woman very tormented by suffering; she must have been in a lot of pain never to be able to straighten.  Jesus calls this a bondage by implication; He tells her that she is loosed from her infirmity.  We note her response, and it is to glorify God.  So, in effect, do all the healings of Christ; they are actions of God in the world, and they glorify God.  The gospels present us with a picture of a world which is afflicted by a power Christ has come to break in His power, by God's mercy.  But the surface picture of the healing, as so often is the case, leads us to something more complicated below the surface.

But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, "There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day."  The ruler of the synagogue quotes the rule.  I don't think we can just simplistically see him as mean, although the lack of mercy is something to note, of course.  But there are six days to heal, are there not?  That gives us pause, something to think about.  But Jesus' work is the work of the Sabbath, as we have already been told.  Here is an illustration of a certain type of piety, and how it can work against us to come closer to God.  But, again, there is more to this story, something deeper which Jesus will reveal to us.

The Lord then answered him and said, "Hypocrite!  Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it?  So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound -- think of it -- for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?"  And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.  In the word, hypocrite, we have once again Jesus' greatest criticism.  It meant "actor" in its original sense.  Here, what Jesus cleverly points out tells us something more complicated than the constant need for mercy and compassion which He illustrates.  If we look at this image of the ox or donkey, we also get a sense of the material concern for these animals.  They're working animals, property, transportation, a means whereby one can work.  So, what is this woman?  Jesus calls her "a daughter of Abraham" to teach us of her worth to God.  And Luke really explicitly tells us of Jesus' compassion:  He exclaims that they should just think about being bound this way for eighteen years!

My study bible says about this scene:  "Acts of help toward others on the Sabbath were considered work and were forbidden, except in life-threatening situations.  Jesus notes that if animals needing water were cared for on the Sabbath, certainly a woman of Israel could be delivered from Satan's bondage on the Sabbath."  But the story leaves us with a certain taste, a comparison of what was important to the ruler of the synagogue, just as Jesus pointed out.  We get a sense of the need for relating to ourselves where our priorities are, weighing what values we're using.  The ox or donkey would also be cared for under the law; but Jesus cleverly points out their value or worth to someone.  And what of the poor woman?  We can just imagine seeing her as someone who most likely wasn't of much "use" or status in social terms; as infirm, what would she do?  Would she not be an older woman also?  One suspects that had she been the wife or mother of someone prominent or socially important or materially important to the community, perhaps there wouldn't have been such an open objection.  So what is more important?  She is, as Jesus explicitly pointed out, a daughter of Abraham and thus someone of great worth in spiritual terms (and she does glorify God at the end of the story, telling us where her heart was).  Jesus' sympathy, describing her as someone who has suffered already for eighteen years, also tells us vividly that she's waited long enough.  It's not just about the Sabbath, about today, but we must also take in the level of suffering she's already endured, and this goes into His decision.  As we look around the world, let us think about discernment, weighing our values, what's more important?  Can we look upon what needs healing?  Can we perceive the suffering in others?  Do we, too, give the glory to God?  And more -- behind our outspoken piety, are there unseen values at work jostling for priority over real compassion for those who are so easily overlooked?  Jesus tells us powerfully that the Sabbath is for liberation from what afflicts us, for the work of this Kingdom, and the truth that makes us free.