Luke 13:10-17

¹⁰Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. ¹¹And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. ¹²When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” ¹³When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. ¹⁴But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day.” ¹⁵But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? ¹⁶And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?” ¹⁷When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.

Here is an example of compassion versus following the rules.  The Sabbath rest is important, especially when we accept it as the gift it is meant to be, not the restriction it became.  Jesus chooses to heal this woman out of compassion, not an act of defiance against Sabbath.  Yet he is criticized by the leader of the Synagogue. 

Sometimes we need to do the right thing, even if it breaks customs (notice, I’m not calling for lawbreaking here).  Sometimes we baptize someone who may not come to worship regularly.  Sometimes we offer the Lord’s Supper to someone who is questionable about their faith.  Mercy goes a long way and who among us doesn’t need mercy from time to time?

Peace,

Pastor Bill