Jesus, the Lord of Sabbath-Rest

Jesus, the Lord of Sabbath-rest

Luke 13:10-17*

Key Verse 16

Introduction: There was a woman who had been crippled for 18 years by a demonic, or unclean, spirit. She was hunched over and could not straighten up, also suffering great discomfort and pain. One Sabbath, Jesus saw her and healed her in the synagogue, but the synagogue leader was upset that he had performed a miracle of healing on a Sabbath day. However, this lady was so happy and praised God, along with many others in the crowd, while the leader of synagogue and his fellows were humiliated. As we study this event, I would like you to think about three things: 1) what are some things that cripple us and make us useless and powerless? 2) who is Jesus, particularly in regards to his healing of this lady on the Sabbath and 3) why did the synagogue leader and his company fail to rejoice with this lady?

A.      Jesus set a crippled woman free from the spirit that was afflicting her (Luke 13:10-11).

Jesus was in the synagogue, teaching the crowds on a Sabbath. While he was teaching, he saw a woman who was afflicted by an oppressive spirit, causing her to have been crippled and hunched over for 18 years. It is important for us to have a good understanding of her life.

She was crippled for 18 years. This woman was born normally and had lived a normal life, like any other women of those days; however, about 18 years before this event took place, she became crippled and hunched over. This was not a terminal sickness or disease, but nevertheless, she lived in discomfort and pain. Have you ever stayed stooped down for even ten minutes? You can imagine how much pain and discomfort you would be in afterwards. Even if you used a staff to support yourself, that position is not bearable even for an hour; how much more so for 18 years of one’s life? She could not get relief even for a moment and this caused her constant stress, discomfort, and even pain. She could not do anything she used to do. She had a hard time doing dishes and laundry. Even ten minutes of work on the farm caused her so much pain and stress. More often than not, she could only be idle around people and felt useless. In addition, she could not marry or bear children. She could not do any of the ordinary things a woman could do, such as bearing a child, doing ordinary housework or being loved by a man and having a family together. Her pain and discomfort was annoying and even debilitating to her mind and spirit. Simply, her body was crippled and non-functional; her life was useless and futile. She was trapped for good and she felt like she would never escape!

She was crippled by a spirit. Her physical infirmity was not simply caused by a weakness in her body. It was caused by a spirit that was unclean or ungodly. Though she had tried to overcome this disabling condition, she could not. The force of such a spirit was far stronger than her mental or intellectual abilities. So, she felt utterly powerless and could never overcome its force on her own. She was trapped by this infirmity, and could do nothing about it. Such helplessness is the cause of hopelessness, futility, and meaninglessness. Have you ever felt that your life was trapped under such unbearable conditions that your life seems meaningless and fruitless? Life without meaning is difficult to bear. Life without fruit subjects us to futility. Likewise, Satan had rendered this woman’s life fruitless, hopeless, and meaningless.

In such situation, she attended a local synagogue on a Sabbath day. There, Jesus noticed her pitiful condition and called her to come forward. Jesus set the woman free (Luke 13:12-13).

When Jesus saw her, he said to her;

“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” (Luke 13:12-13).

She was living in her life in a trap. Her condition was like being confined in a prison where she could not do much. She did not see or expect a day when she would be freed from this crippled state. But then, Jesus touched her and said: you are freed from your infirmity, as God worked in His mighty power to heal her and she straightened up. Jesus freed her from that trap; she was now freed from that evil spirit and her hunched back was straightened. She could once again do all that she was meant to do with her life.

Have you ever tasted such a sense of freedom? This woman’s heart was filled with all the possibilities of life; I can do..., I can do…, I can work and be productive, I can love others and be loved. The spirit of “I can” and the “spirit of joy in hope and vision” overflowed. Her heart was filled with exuberant joy in God’s power, so out of her mouth came praise to the Lord God.

B.      Hypocrisy, the worst enemy to God’s truth (Luke 13:14-15).

At this time, a leader of the synagogue and his associates were there and watched what Jesus did. As the leader of the synagogue, this man opened his mouth and commanded people:

“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" (Luke 13:14).

The synagogue leader was indignant because he felt that the Sabbath and the sanctity of the synagogue had been violated by what Jesus had done for this lady. According to his perspective, the Law of Moses spoke against all works done on a Sabbath, as shown in Exodus 20.

“Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns” (Exodus 20:9-10).

On the Sabbath, Jesus freed this lady from this infirmity by driving out the unclean spirit. The religious leader thought that Jesus had violated the Sabbath law and thereby demeaned the sanctity of the Synagogue. Indignation here expresses his strong sense of ‘righteousness’ against something wrong. So he told the crowd with a clear and angry voice:

“There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath" (Luke 13:14).

He agreed that it was good the woman was freed from her infirmity and that Jesus could heal this lady, but neither of them should either seek healing or perform healing on the Sabbath. This was a clear demonstration that this man was keenly observant of the Law and was very devout to the Lord. Undoubtedly, he was very proud of his legalistic stance; to him, no one should dare to work on a Sabbath day, as Jesus had.

But Jesus did not see it this way:

“The Lord answered him, "You hypocrites!” (Luke 13:15).

With these stern words, Jesus rebuked the synagogue leader. In order to emphasize Jesus’ authority and power as the Lord, Luke 13:15 says that the Lord answered. In His commanding voice of power and authority as the Lord, Jesus rebuked him - you are a hypocrite!

What is a hypocrite? Jesus rebuked other people concerning their hypocrisy:

“How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye (Luke 6:42 NIV).

Jesus also warned the Pharisees directly about their hypocrisy:

“Then the Lord said to him, "Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness”” (Luke 11:39 NIV).

Even if he had no true fear of the Lord, this religious leader wanted to show people that he was a very devout man, observing the Law of God. However, as Jesus mentioned, this man failed to see the plank in his own eye and still tried to pluck a speck out of someone else’s eye. Inside of him was greediness, selfishness, and no fear of God, but, outside, he made every effort to show that he was a good and righteous man. In having made such efforts, he felt so righteous and just, that he did not see himself as a sinner. In this way, this man lived a life of hypocrisy.

All human beings have a tendency to be hypocritical and almost all men have elements of hypocrisy as long as we continue to live in our sins. Whenever someone tailors the Law of God in order to justify himself, he destroys God’s truth and lives in hypocrisy, just as this synagogue leader lived in hypocrisy. Though Jesus had already addressed the problem of hypocrisy in the people, the Pharisees, and the teachers of the Law more than once, they persisted in feeding themselves with hypocritical self-righteousness. Likewise, in this man, hypocrisy had become a way of life. Hypocrisy is the worst enemy for anyone who seek God’s truth.

On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus taught about hypocrisy more than any other topic. It appears five times in Luke, including his direct warnings to the Pharisee. In declaring seven woes against the Pharisees and teachers of the Law (Matthew 23:1-29), Jesus mentioned their hypocrisy in each of those warnings, pointing out that this was the culprit of their sin. The apostle John touched this issue in his letter:

“If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:10).

Even though we have received God’s grace, we are not immune to this problem. We are as much vulnerable to hypocrisy and self-righteousness as this religious leader. How can we avoid such falsehood in our spirit? We may find the answer in Jesus’ approach to this leader’s problem.

Jesus explored this through his question to him:

“Doesn't each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water?” (Luke 13:15b).

On the Sabbath, they kept their oxen and donkeys in their stalls, unless they led them out to get water, preventing them from getting dehydrated. All day long, these animals suffered thirst and dehydration; on hot days, the temperature reached well over 110 degrees, and going all day without a single drop of water could threaten their lives. So in order to keep their animals strong and healthy, they needed to take them out and water them, even on the Sabbath. Because this was their normal routine, they did not think it was a violation of the Sabbath law. If what Jesus did for this lady was work, then what they did must be considered work as well and constitute a violation of the Sabbath Law. This synagogue leader was very lenient with himself, but he applied such strict rules to others. Why? The reason is clear: he wanted to exalt himself high above others as a good and righteous man before the eyes of God.

Hypocrisy itself is an ever-existing tendency for all sinners. It is an expression of our sinfulness. But when one lives in hypocrisy, no truth can be entertained in his heart and he will be cut off from God’s truth. Hypocrisy is the worst enemy against God’s truth of salvation. Our peace and rest are not in making or fabricating our own righteousness; true rest can never be found in us or in our efforts, but only in God and His provision for our life. It comes through Jesus, the Son of God.

C.      Jesus, the provider of the Sabbath (Luke 13:16-17)

Jesus explained what he had done for this lady:

“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?" (Luke 13:16).

Jesus was compelled to free her for two reasons: first, she was a daughter of Abraham, and second, it was the Sabbath. (Here the word “Sabbath” appears three times, Luke 13:14, 15, and 16. Among these three occurrences, two are simply dative, i.e. on a/the Sabbath. Only the last one is used in an emphatic way - “the day of the Sabbath”, in a more genitive form).

She was a daughter of Abraham: To the leader of the Synagogue, this woman and her problems were the least of his concerns, but to Jesus she was far more precious than oxen or donkeys. She was not only a human being, but also held the promise of God’s blessing given through Abraham. She was called to be a child of God, yet she had been suffering under Satan’s oppression for 18 years. If the religious leaders had no problem relieving the thirst of their animals, then they should be all the more eager to free her from her bondage! However, this man had no compassion or love for this woman.

Though she had not come to see Jesus specifically, did not ask him to heal her, and did not reveal the extent of her suffering, Jesus still knew that she had suffered for 18 long and hard years. He knew the depth of the suffering and pain she felt every day, with every movement. He knew how terrible her life under Satan’s trap was. In love and compassion for her, Jesus was compelled to free her from Satan’s grip. So even while she stood far back behind the crowd, Jesus called her to come forward and, in power, he freed the woman!

Jesus was compelled to free her because it was the Sabbath. Why was he more compelled to free her on the Sabbath? It is good to know the connection between Jesus and the Sabbath.

[[It is interesting to note that the leader of the synagogue believed that, because it was the Sabbath, Jesus should not do any work, such as healing a cripple. Why was there such stark contrast between what Jesus thought and what this man thought, even though both were of God?]]

Before we find this reason, it is important to have a good understanding of the Sabbath. The commandment concerning the Sabbath was instituted when Israel came out of Egypt and was roaming in the desert. In the second month, they ran out of the food they had brought from Egypt (Exodus 16:1). So, about two million people were about to starve to death in the desert, unless food was provided. In this situation, God told them that He would give them manna every day for six days, but on the sixth day, He would give them a double portion so that they would not have to go out to look for manna on the seventh day. The purpose of giving them double on the sixth day was to set apart the seventh day as the Sabbath (rest) to the Lord. So by providing food in advance (on the sixth day), God showed them His clear intention to provide them with what was necessary for life. So, the Sabbath was proof of God’s willingness to provide His people with whatever was necessary for a peaceful and restful life. Also, this was a test for them, to see if they would believe that God would provide them with all the necessities of life (Exodus 14:4b). If they believed in God as the provider of life, then they would not go out to gather manna on the Sabbath day. So the Sabbath is the day that men partake in God’s rest, honoring the fact that He has provided all that is necessary for the life of His children and showing one’s belief that He is the source of life. From men’s perspective, it is a day to show their trust in the Lord in their entire being by trusting in His provision and promises. But according to God’s perspective, it is the day when He would provide His people with all that was necessary for life so that His people may find true rest in God by partaking in His holiness. God showed this intention at the time of the Sabbath’s institution when Israel’s life in the desert first started. The Sabbath was the emblem or shadow of God’s peace and rest that would be perfected in coming days. God sent Jesus to His people so that he may provide that rest. Because of this, the fact that this woman, a daughter of Abraham, was still in suffering under the trap that Satan bound on her was unbearable condition for Jesus, the Son of God. Jesus had to heal her and had to free her from the infirmity caused by Satan on the Sabbath.

This Jesus has chosen you to be God’s children. Like this woman, you have God’s promise in Christ Jesus. When we trust his lordship over our lives, he is willing to free us from everything to which Satan has bound us. This lady suffered from a crippled back for 18 long years. It was a constant source of discomfort, disability, and pain. It made her life fruitless, meaningless, depressing, and hopeless. We all have similar things that cripple us, like fear, desire for money, success, desire for love,  fear that we’re not smart enough, fear of being perceived as weak, fear of public speaking, shyness…”. We all have some of these fears, but some people are so bound by them that they become crippled and are unable to do what God has called them to do!

Come to Jesus, the Lord of Sabbath! In keeping with his promises, he will surely heal anyone from their crippled condition, whatever it may be! Believe him; kneel down and ask him! He will surely free you from any trap that Satan has set up against you! Believe, come, and ask!

Why did the leader of synagogue fail to recognize this amazing truth and power of God?

In his hypocrisy he failed to see himself as a man in need of God’s power, and failed to see God’s grace and mercy as made available to this lady through Christ! In addition to being blinded by his own self-righteousness, he also failed to see God in Jesus, the provider of the rest that He had purposed to give to all sinners on the Sabbath! When one sees Jesus as only a man, they only view his actions from man’s perspective. What was the outcome of such hypocritical pride? Luke 13:17 describes how the synagogue leader and his associates were greatly humiliated. Pride in blindness will surely end in humiliation. None of us want to end up humiliated because of our pride and hypocrisy; instead, we should be delighted in what Jesus is doing.

Jesus is the Son of God, who came down to provide the rest and peace that God wanted to impart to all sinners. When we come to him, we will surely find the kind of rest that frees us from all that cripples us. This is the of rest that we had at the beginning of God’s creation, and which God is eager to give to all those who are suffering under the power of sin and death. The Son of God, Jesus, came down to us to provide that rest and gave this amazing invitation:

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 NIV).

Is there anything that cripples you? If so, then welcome Jesus into your life and he will surely impart to you his power to free you from anything that hinders you. You will surely find new freedom in him!