Scripture to Read: Luke 13:15–17
As Jesus rebuked the synagogue official, He asked, “Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water him?” Jesus’ question was not complex or deep, but it was definitely to the point. Jesus wanted to know why someone could help an animal on the Sabbath, but they couldn’t help a person who was suffering on the Sabbath. Every human is made in the image of God, but animals are not. Jesus rebuked the synagogue official for showing more compassion to an animal than to a fellow human being. Jesus also pointed out that the woman was a “daughter of Abraham.” This was a fellow Jew who undoubtedly had faith in God as evidenced by her being in the synagogue. Jesus also pointed out that Satan had bound her for eighteen years, all the more reason that she must be set free from the bonds of Satan. Jesus’s rebuke was needed in the synagogue official’s life. Then, God had Luke record in Luke 13:17, “As He said this, all His opponents were being humiliated; and the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him.” The humiliation Jesus’ opponents felt was well deserved. They had allowed their hearts to be blinded to the need right in front of them. But the crowd rejoiced over what God the Father had done through Christ our Lord. We must live each day looking for the handiwork of God the Father in our own lives and in the lives of those around us.
Challenge & Application
What were some of the things that Jesus pointed out about the woman that the synagogue official totally overlooked?
How do we guard ourselves from overlooking true needs in the people God places in our paths?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!