LORD OF ALL, LOVE TO ALL (LUKE 13:10-17)
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In early 2018 the pain in my hand got to the point where I could not cut or peel an orange, so a neighbor recommended me to see his pain doctor who happened to be a lady. She did not think she had the physical strength to rub the muscle joints, so she had another person, a Chinese chiropractor, to treat me. The treatment was expensive – HK$600 (US$76) for an hour’s work.
Unfortunately, after seven months of treatment I had a minor stroke and my right leg was numb. I could not feel my leg nor figure out I was wearing a slipper or not on my right leg going to bed. Once I even went to work without realizing I was wearing a different shoe on each foot! The chiropractor decided to switch strategy and worked on my feet instead of my hand but advised me to see him twice a week instead of once and for half an hour longer each time for the next crucial three months, so the cost tripled in the week.
The chiropractor, however, spent less time on my feet than on my spine initially because he felt that my body was hunched and I was slouching or slumping badly. Eventually after three months of deep tissue massage I had a better body posture standing and walking straight. The numb leg was still a work in progress three months later but at least blood circulation improved and some feelings returned!
The woman in the story best illustrated the uncaring, unfeeling and unforgiving nature of legalism. In Jesus’ day the observance of the Sabbath was unequivocal, unquestioned, and unsparing. there were no such things as exception, exemption or emergency, be it for the sick and dying. To break the Sabbath makes one a rebel or a reject, a transgressor or a troublemaker. The debate lasted two chapters, to the next chapter (Luke 14:1).
What is the problem when we observe the law without a relationship with the Lawgiver? Why is the law given to us as a testament rather than a test of God’s love? How can we greet people with physical weaknesses respectfully rather than rudely in our conduct and conversation?
We are His Creation - Recognize His Primary Authority
10 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11 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. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” 13 Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.
A poor man had his meager lunch stolen by one of his fellow workers. Hungry after the lunch hour, he sang and praised the Lord, and the workers made fun of him. They said, “My goodness, your very lunch has been stolen from you and you’re praising God. What for? You’re stupid!” “Oh, no,” he said, “I’m not stupid. They may have stolen my lunch, but they couldn’t steal my appetite from me.” (from Illustrations of Bible Truths # 586)
As usual Jesus taught and preached in the synagogues of Galilee. On a busy Sabbath day Jesus had time for an unyielding and unflinching woman after his discourse in the synagogue. The woman who came to the synagogue in faith had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could not lift up herself (v 11, KJV). Eighteen years is forever, but the focus was on the woman “bent over” and “could not straighten up at all.” Bent over (sug-kupto) is a rare word that occurs only this time in the Bible; “kupto” means stoop. it is more like bent together or being stuck. It is translated as bent double (NASU), bowed together (KJV) and disabled (Holman). This is active voice while “could not (be) straighten up” (ana-kupto) is passive voice, translated as lift up (Luke 13:11) or look up (Luke 21:28). It was not that nobody tried, but it was beyond her. The laws of nature and physics worked against her to her disadvantage and disability.
The sabbath was the best day in the week to show the woman’s praise, perseverance and patience. The word "Shabbat" comes from the root Shin-Bet-Tav, meaning to cease, to end, or to rest. The Sabbath is the most important ritual observance in Judaism and is the only ritual observance instituted in the Ten Commandments. It is also the most important special day, even more so than Yom Kippur. https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/what-is-shabbat-jewish-sabbath
The verb “call her forward” (pros-phoneo) was used for or by Jesus only one other time in the Bible when he called the disciples to him and chose twelve apostles (Luke 6:13). It is not the regular word for “call” (kaleo) but “sounded forward” the woman. One version has “called out” (Holman). It was used for children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows (Matt 11:16), and for Pilate (Luke 23:20) and Paul (Acts 21:40, 22:2) addressing the crowd. Jesus was loud, lucid and loving; personal, peaceful and polite.
The designation “woman” (v 12) is a term of endearment. Jesus used it on a woman of Canaanite with great faith (Matt 15:28), a Samaritan woman (John 4:21), the woman caught in adultery (John 8:10, Mary Magdalene (John 20:13) and on his own mother twice (John 2:4, John 19:26), so there was no way he was not respectful.
KJV’s “free” (apoluo) means put away (Matt 1:19), send away (Matt 14:15), release (Matt 27:15), forgive (Luke 6:37), let go (John 19:12), dismiss (Acts 19:41), depart (Acts 23:22) and set at liberty (Acts 26:32). That Jesus next put his hands on the woman was more astonishing, audacious, admirable, awkward and alarming. She was unclean, unappealing and unattractive, probably uninvited and unadmitted.
We are His Children - Remove our Prejudicial Attitude
14 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.”
A church had a man in the choir who couldn't sing. Several people hinted to him that he could serve in other places, but he continued to come to the choir. The choir director became desperate and went to the priest. “You've got to get that man out of the choir,” he said. “If you don't, I'm going to resign. The choir members are going to quit too. Please do something.”
So the priest went to the man and suggested, “Perhaps you should leave the choir.”
“Why should I get out of the choir?” he asked.
“Well, five or six people have told me you can't sing.”
That's nothing,” the m(v 14) an snorted. “Fifty people have told me that you can't preach!”
Do you have a judgmental attitude or a joyous attitude?
Indignant (v 14) is less serious than the original Greek word “agan-akteo,”which includes the word “much” or “agan.” KJV translates it as “moved with indignation” (Matt 20:24), sore displeased” (Matt 21:15) or much displeased (Mark 10:14). It was an outburst, an outpouring and an outrush of anger. The synagogue ruler was hopping mad, blew his top, livid with anger, as aghast as the chief priests and scribes’ reaction when they heard children praising Jesus (Matt 21:15), as furious as those who decried the woman’s waste of ointment worth a year’s wages on Jesus (Mark 14:4), or the ten disciples who were furious at James and John’s ambition to be seated on Jesus’ right and left in His kingdom (Matt 20:24). He was angered more than annoyed, enraged more than exasperated, infuriated rather than irritated.
The synagogue leader was more offensive, obnoxious and outrageous even than the Pharisees in all their pride and pretentiousness, which is the use of the stronger negation “not” or “never” (me) in Greek, and not the normal “ouk” that the Pharisees used to challenge Jesus when the disciples plucked the ears of the corn (Matt 12:2, Mark 2:24, Luke 6:2). Nor did the Jews use the strict negation “never” when they questioned the sick man why he carried the pallet on the Sabbath (John 5:10). The synagogue ruler was impolite, icy and intimidating.
The synagogue ruler had no cheer, compassion or curiosity when the sick was healed, but offered criticism, chastisement and condemnation. The synagogue ruler offered a hostile stance with his imperative “BE HEALED” on another day, which is a sad commentary of how hardened and hostile the ruler was to life. A miracle 18 years late in life was not acknowledged, accredited or appreciated. The ruler represented all opponents (v 17) of Jesus. His priority was on religion not relationship, duty and not deliverance, condemnation rather than compassion.
We are His Channel - Remember One’s Permanent Aim
15 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? 16 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?” 17 When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.
Dwight L. Moody said that one of the happiest men he ever knew was a man in Dundee, Scotland, who had fallen and broken his back when a boy of fifteen. He had lain on his bed for forty years and could not be moved without a good deal of pain. Probably not a day had passed in all those years without acute suffering. But day after day the grace of God had been granted him, and when Mr. Moody was in his room it seemed as if he was as near heaven as he could get on earth.
When Mr. Moody saw him, he thought he must be beyond the reach of the tempter, and he asked him, “Doesn’t Satan ever tempt you to doubt God and to think that He is a hard master?” “Oh, yes,” he said, “he does try to tempt me. I lie here and see my old schoolmates driving along, and Satan says, ‘If God is so good, why has He kept you here all these years? You might have been a rich man, riding in your carriage.’ Then I see a man, who was young when I was, walk by in perfect health, and Satan whispers, ‘If God loved you, couldn’t He have kept you from breaking your back?’ “
“And what do you do when Satan tempts you?” “Ah, I just take him to Calvary, and I show him Christ, and I point out those wounds in His hands and feet and side, and say, ‘Doesn’t He love me?’ The fact is Satan got such a scare there nineteen hundred years ago that he cannot stand it; he leaves me every time.” (from Illustrations of Bible Truths # 681)
Jesus had the choicest of words for the synagogue ruler, the first individual person to be called such in the Bible. A hypocrite (v 15) is a stage player, an actor under an assumed character. You are a hypocrite when you say one thing and do another, when you do something that you claim people shouldn't do. There’s an African proverb that says, “The zebra told the white horse, “I am white,” and told the black horse, ‘I am actually black.’”
The Lord contrasted an owner loosing an ox and a donkey from the stall to loosing a daughter of Abraham – her possessor - from her bond of 18 years, contrasting the worth, value and significance of an animal with a person.
The two “loose” verbs (untie in verse 15 and set free in verse 16) are contrasted. Verse 15’s untie is in the active voice done by owner of the animal, but “set free” (v 16) is in the passive voice done not by any person’s effort. Jesus ingeniously defended the woman because she was a passive recipient of the Lord’s miracle in her. She did nothing but it was the grace and goodness of God.
The clause “praise/glorify God” (v 13) occurs only once in the books of Matthew (Matt 9:8), Mark (Mark 2:12) and John (John 21:19), but eight times in Luke (Luke 2:20, 5:25, 5:26, 7:16, 13:13, 17:15, 18:43, 23:47).
The last contrast was “humiliated/ashamed”(v 17) and “delighted/rejoiced.” This is the only “humiliated/ashamed” (kat-aischuno) incident in the Bible, meaning disgraced, dishonored and discredited. This feeling is more intense with the preposition “kata” than the steward in the parable who was ashamed (aischunomai) to beg (Luke 16:3). The verb “delight/rejoice” (chairo) is more prominent in the book of Luke than any book in the Bible and this is the only instance where “all the people rejoiced” at anything. The noun “wonderful/glorious things” (v 17) are an extension of the verb “praised/glorified” God (v 13).
Conclusion: God’s glory, grace and goodness is present 18 years late or even not at all. It could happen to a man or a woman, the wealthy or the poor, the young or the old. In Christ, God has demonstrated His compassion, care and commitment to His people.
Do you have faith in God whether you are healed or helpless, sick or strong, weak or well? God’s transformation is present, powerful and perfect in Christ. Just hope in Him, hold to Him and hurry to Him through thick and thin, highs and lows and twists and turns.
