10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the
Sabbath. 11 And behold,
there was a woman who had had a disabling
spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten
herself. 12 When Jesus
saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” 13 And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made
straight, and she glorified
God. 14 But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days in which work ought to be done.
Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” 15 Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or
his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? 16 And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this
bond on the Sabbath day?” 17 As he said
these things, all his
adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things
that were done by him. (Luke 13)
The way the religious establishment (in this case the
lay-leader of a synagogue) responded to this healing illustrates three stark
contrasts between religion and Christ.
Here’s a woman who has, apparently, been conscientious to practice
her religion. But she is still hunched over. She cannot straighten up, she
cannot look you in the eye, she can barely live her life. Religion has left her
in bondage.
With His voice of command and His touch
of compassion, Jesus delivered her. Her condition is a picture of our sin. We cannot free
ourselves. We do not even call out to Him. Jesus calls us and by the power of His word, frees us from the clutches of
Satan, and by the touch of His hands (the hands that will all too soon be nailed
to a cross) straightens us up and gives us a new life.
2. Religion is
controlling, but Christ is compassionate. The priorities of the
synagogue ruler were so twisted that he preferred his own rules to the healing of a broken woman. For
that matter, as Jesus pointed out, the ruler and his ilk cared more for their
own barnyard animals than for another human being.
The rules imposed by a works-religion are all about pride,
about feeling good about ourselves. If we make the rules so we can force other
people to try to keep them, we control things. If we believe that we can do
certain works to “make” God accept us or answer our prayers, then we control
God.
But look at Jesus. What you see is His compassion, His
kindness, and His real, transforming love. By His grace, we are freed,
straightened, and made whole.
3. Religion shames,
but Christ brings joy.
The last verse is so powerful: As he said these things, all
his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the
glorious things that were done by him (v. 17).
In the Bible shame is the ultimate “fail.” Shame is
to be found wanting, to fall short of God’s glory - forever. The gospel
shames the religion of this world, and those who practice it. God chose what is
foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to
shame the strong” (1 Corinthians 1: 27). In the end the pride and self-centeredness
of this world is revealed a failure. It is shamed.
On the other hand, the Lord says Behold, I am laying in Zion
a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame (Romans 9:33,
my bold).
That’s what the crowd got a glimpse of in the synagogue that
day. The religion of the world was shamed. The power and compassion of the true
King frees and straightens that which was once hopelessly bent, and
brings joy!
So He continues to do today. How can we not rejoice?
