Just so you know: this is “the second” of three healings on the Sabbath day – that are only recorded by Luke.
These stories may have caught Luke’s attention and imagination (and not Mark, Matthew or John’s) because Luke himself was a physician.
The first healing is a man with a withered hand.
Then, “this bent over woman.” And lastly, a man with dropsy or with swollen legs… (dropsy caused the swelling!)
Also make sure that you catch the sequence of “man-woman-man.” Jesus is not sexist! For every male healing…there is a female healing that follows…
No misogynist he!
It is also interesting to note that the word “Sabbath” occurs “five times” in seven verses. We are being “hit over the head” that this infraction (if you will) is occuring on the Holy day! ON THE SABBATH DAY, as it did! GASP!!!!
Behind the story – as in the way of background … “if” this woman has been afflicted for almost two decades – “what’s difference is another day going really going to matter?” It was not an “urgent” Sabbath day healing…if there was ever such a thing!
It was more like “on a whim” – She was “there” – Jesus was “there” – “why not?” Why make this “poor old soul” suffer any further?
So Luke tells us a story about how one day Jesus was teaching in the Synagogue ( good boy, Jesus) on the Sabbath Day – when a woman crippled for over 18 years hobbles in with what we are told it “is a spirit” that is holding her back.
Jesus invites the woman over – bear in mind that she cannot see who is calling her over. She goes anyway…her feet follow the voice – that she heard.
She is quite unable to look up!
Probably assuming – that she is about to be thrown out of the synagogue at any second!
She probably shakes as she walks in the direction of “the voice.” No one really wants to be yelled at or discredited before others…
Once she is healed, and stands up straight and looks Jesus in the eyes – all pandemonium breaks loose.
She has just been set free! She stands tall!
The woman immediately begins to sing God’s praise, as the people of the synagogue are all simultaneously amazed!
And, at the same time, the leaders of the synagogue become immediately irate about people being able to perform or do inappropriate things on the Sabbath Day.
The woman is all but forgotten…it becomes “an issue” all about criticism and legalism.
People cannot do whatever they wish on the Sabbath Day. There are laws, there is the Torah, there was Moses, and there is the Pentateuch! There are rules – for God’s sake!
Do these “Sacred writings” mean nothing?
The woman is no longer a “part of the equation!”
According to Deuteronomy 5, “Not only are people not to work on the Sabbath day, but neither is anyone or anything else!
There were however, (clear voice) exceptions and Jesus is merely noting what “obviously” or “apparently” has become a “commonly accepted practice.”
People were giving water to a cow or to a donkey (to drink) even on the Sabbath Day.
Later, after this, rabbis would allow for watering animals on the Sabbath – provided that their halter could be removed with one hand, and the water had to be on the owner’s side of the fence. Now to Jesus’ point: Ok guys, we know this is a patriarchal society, men rule, women are dirt. The cow and the donkey were worth more to you than the “old lady.”
C’mon now, Jesus was arguing, women are in actuality far more important than animals…loosen up…yet for whatever reason – animals are granted or given more freedom on the Sabbath day, than is this woman. Really?
This woman is a “daughter of Abraham’s” she is heir to the self same promises. Without her there is no great and mighty nation.
And she has been captive by Satan for 18 long years. What better time is there for a “daughter of Abraham” to be released from the grip of Satan than on the Sabbath Day!
The assembled cheered and the leaders of the Synagogue obviously would have had no response.