The FaithOfJesus2 Daily Devotional

Focus:

kjv@Revelation:14:12 @ Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

( FaithOfJesus thread begun by rRandyP )

Today's Verse:

kjv@Luke:13:10-17

kjv@Luke:13:10 @ And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.

kjv@Luke:13:11 @ And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.

kjv@Luke:13:12 @ And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.

kjv@Luke:13:13 @ And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

kjv@Luke:13:14 @ And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.

kjv@Luke:13:15 @ The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?

kjv@Luke:13:16 @ And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?

kjv@Luke:13:17 @ And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

Today's notes:

Context:

Before - Luke:13:1-9 Repent or Perish
After - Luke:13:18-21 The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast

Study Resources:

G1135 woman/wife

G769 infirmity/malady

G4794 bowed together G352 lift up

dict:tcr Satan

G752 ruler/director

dict:torrey Sabbath

Notes:

A spirit of infirmity is what this is diagnosed as. Eighteen years of being bound by Satan. It is presented physically as being tightly bent or folded over and unable to straighten or look up. Luke, a physician himself, does not identify skeletal deformity nor muscular constriction, there is no mention of severe injury. Personal/parental sin is not being accused nor forgiven; the cure was to be loosed from the spirit binding her. Not all (read very few) infirmities are described in such a pronounced way.

This perhaps more than any other Sabbath healing is a case clearly defined as a matter of loosening of bounds so that the afflicted can enjoy her day of rest as well. It is an act of compassion in it's truest sense. There should be found no legal prohibition in scripture against this unless by the strict and sole adherence to the oral traditions; which brings us to the dividing line Jesus is seeking purposely to draw. It is as if saying "if you are going to judge me, judge me by the upright Holy Scripture not by the bent over unable to straighten oral traditions of men". Literally, what is the difference between what the physical infirmity of the woman caused by that spirit and the spiritual infirmity of the ruler caused by that interpretation of the law?

The indignation the ruler expresses is that there are six other days that the woman could have come to be healed. Who would have healed her? He and his religious elite have had eighteen years to heal her if they could and they have not. Besides, it doesn't say that the woman came to Jesus, it says that Jesus saw her and called her to Himself. With a few confident words and with one touch of His hand she is delivered. Really now! Is that work on the Sabbath? And for whom was the Sabbath made for?

If the first infirmity is caused by a spirit from Satan, what is the second infirmity caused by? If the result is to tie men and woman down, fold them over so they cannot look up, have them to live their years in pain and shame and fear and bondage, to destroy and devour them, make a spectacle out of them in order to intimidate others and make them fear, to rule over them, to gather as many others as possible against the works of the Lord, where would you say that that spirit comes from? Regardless of the ruler's intention the result is nearly identical and could be said to come from the same source. And this is the spirit that now wants to dictate the Lord's weekly appointment schedule.

All the Lord's adversaries were then ashamed, not ashamed enough apparently to not accuse Him of the same thing again. These Sabbath healings were one of key evidences used against Him at His trial. Makes me to wonder what then they were ashamed of; ashamed that all the people had rejoiced? Ashamed so not to loosen their own beasts of burden to the watering hole on Sabbath days?

Key Messages:

Declaring Certainty

kjv@Deuteronomy:5:15 @ And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

kjv@Proverbs:11:9 @ An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered.

kjv@Ezekiel:22:8 @ Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths.

kjv@Nehemiah:13:18 @ Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath.

kjv@2Corinthians:4:4 @ In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Further Resources:

Comment Board:Luke:13:10-17
index:FAITHOFJESUSDEVOTION - Devotional Index
strkjv@Luke:13:10-17 rwp@Luke:13:10-17 mhcc@Luke:13:10-17
FaithOfJesus2 - Devotion Index