Luke__13
Scripture
Luke 13:10-17 NIV
“On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.” The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?” When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.”
Observation-What does it say?
Jesus healed on the Sabbath and made the religious leaders extremely angry (indignant) as He was to only work 6 days and rest on the Sabbath. Jesus rebuked them, called them hypocrites and used the example of them untying the ox to allow it to drink water. What more should we untie a person from their bondage to Satan in order to be free to receive the Living Water on the Sabbath?
Understanding-What does it mean?
Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. (Matthew 12:8, Luke 6:5)
In Scripture, Jesus healed and allowed His disciples to pick grain for food on the Sabbath. Why? Because He was Lord over that day. Basically, they were already with the One who we are to honor on the Sabbath. The One who gave them their true soul and spirit rest was physically with them.
Another example was with fasting. Jesus’ disciples didn’t fast and John’s disciples questioned that. Jesus basically replied that they didn’t need to fast when the bridegroom was with them. The purpose of fasting was not to observe the law, but to draw closer to the Lord and they were already with Him! He did say that the time will come when they will fast though.
“Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.” Matthew 9:14-15 NIV
Life Application
We must observe the Sabbath, just like we must fast; however, legalism has no place in these practices. It is about drawing near to and finding spirit and soul rest with Jesus.
My Sabbath day is on Wednesday. I do my best to protect it, but there have been situations where it has had to be cut short and I’ve had to modify or switch my day. For example, a couple of my Sabbath days, my kids were sick with fevers and have had to stay home from school. I didn’t say, “too bad, I’m not working today so you need to go to school.” I take care of them and help nurse them back to health.
There have also been a couple of times where the plumber has had to come to our home on my Sabbath day due to backed up pipes in our kitchen sink that could have caused sewage water flooding in our home. That’s an emergency and of course I made sure the work got done! I didn’t say, “too bad, it’s Sabbath. I’ll just let my home flood.”
Also, if a family member or church member was hospitalized and possibly on their death bed, I wouldn’t hesitate to head over to the hospital to pray over them. I wouldn’t say, “sorry, it’s my Sabbath. Ask someone else to do it.”
There are many situations that can wait until the next day to attend to, after our Sabbath; however, there are some situations that cannot wait and are exceptions to rule. We MUST protect our Sabbath day, just like we must pray and fast and just like we don’t commit murder or adultery or covet or lie because it’s part of God’s commandments. However, when God came to earth as Jesus, the heart behind all these commands and the standards changed (i.e. looking lustfully is adultery and being angry/unforgiving with a brother or sister is murder), where its no longer about legalism, but Jesus. Remember what Paul said in Philippians 3?
“For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:3-14 NIV
Amen Apostle Paul!
-Michelle Gaddi