The People Rejoiced about the Good Works of Jesus

Luke 13:15-17

In vv. 15-16 Jesus answered the angry ruler of the synagogue, who was probably a Pharisee. He showed a lack of spiritual understanding about the good works of the Lord. Can you imagine the sting this woman, who was just healed, and the rest of the congregation must have felt when the ruler of the synagogue demanded there be no healing on the Sabbath day? How selfish and heartless he was! 

Jesus called him out. “You 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 (v.15)?” This was not the first time Jesus dealt with the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. His question about the fact that they loose their ox or their donkey from its stall and lead it away to water it on the Sabbath revealed the synagogue ruler’s hypocritical, or pretentious, attitude. They thought that healing the woman on the Sabbath was not as important as watering their thirsty animals on the Sabbath. Both were God’s creation and deserved mercy. Perhaps they forgot that the Sabbath was made for man… (Mark 2:27a) or chose to ignore it. 

Jesus continued, “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 (v.16)?” After saying these things, all His enemies were ashamed, but all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that Jesus had done (v.17).

Hallelujah! To God be the glory.