Luk 13:16 | KingComments | STEP | An arrogant man, full of legal own righteousness, moderates to prescribe the law to God! God should not work on His own Sabbath day! What folly it is to suppose that God would keep the Sabbath day in a world full of misery by sin and in a land of Israel that has so turned its back on Him ( ). In His answer, the Lord points to what people think is normal, and what every natural conscience will approve, despite all legal reasoning. It would be cruel and not God’s thought to withhold necessary food or drink from a poor animal because it is the Sabbath day. If one is not so cruel, how can one dare to challenge the grace of God to give freedom to a victim of satan? Because the synagogue official and his colleagues take care of their cattle, but criticize God’s care for a man, the Lord calls them “hypocrites”. They are kind to their animals and blame God for being kind to a human being. As an extra teaching to these legal hypocrites, the Lord gives two reasons for the healing of the woman. First, she is a real daughter of Abraham. He saw the faith in her that Abraham also had. The hypocrites may claim to be Abraham’s offspring, but in reality they spiritually have the devil as father ( ). Secondly, the woman was bound by satan for eighteen years. The woman was a believer ( ), but in her state of weakness satan had found an opportunity to bind her even further and prevent her from finding healing. The religion of religious leaders also made sure she wouldn’t be healed. The law does not set free, but leads to greater slavery. Only Christ in grace can change this situation. It is therefore clear that the official does act as if he has great respect for God’s teachings, but that in reality he is an accomplice of satan. If he really had respect for the law, he would have rejoiced that the Lord had delivered the woman from that spirit of sickness that had bound her for such a long time. Surely he would also have asked if the Lord would also release him from his bondage to the law which he too could not keep and by which he was condemned. Genuine respect for the law is reflected in its acceptance. Whoever takes the law seriously and is honest, will admit that he is not able to keep to the law and therefore cannot come to terms with God in that way. He becomes aware of the judgment that must strike him because he cannot keep the law. Then he is ready to appeal to the grace of God that appeared in Christ. The teaching of Divine grace humiliates the opponents and fills many with great joy. Those who rejoice acknowledge the clear and good hand of God and feel the difference between Christ and the inanimate theology of the synagogue official, however little they see Who the Lord Jesus really is.

‏ Luke 13:16

Opponents Rebuked

An arrogant man, full of legal own righteousness, moderates to prescribe the law to God! God should not work on His own Sabbath day! What folly it is to suppose that God would keep the Sabbath day in a world full of misery by sin and in a land of Israel that has so turned its back on Him (Jn 5:17).

In His answer, the Lord points to what people think is normal, and what every natural conscience will approve, despite all legal reasoning. It would be cruel and not God’s thought to withhold necessary food or drink from a poor animal because it is the Sabbath day. If one is not so cruel, how can one dare to challenge the grace of God to give freedom to a victim of satan?

Because the synagogue official and his colleagues take care of their cattle, but criticize God’s care for a man, the Lord calls them “hypocrites”. They are kind to their animals and blame God for being kind to a human being. As an extra teaching to these legal hypocrites, the Lord gives two reasons for the healing of the woman. First, she is a real daughter of Abraham. He saw the faith in her that Abraham also had. The hypocrites may claim to be Abraham’s offspring, but in reality they spiritually have the devil as father (Jn 8:37 ; 44).

Secondly, the woman was bound by satan for eighteen years. The woman was a believer (Gal 3:7), but in her state of weakness satan had found an opportunity to bind her even further and prevent her from finding healing. The religion of religious leaders also made sure she wouldn’t be healed. The law does not set free, but leads to greater slavery. Only Christ in grace can change this situation.

It is therefore clear that the official does act as if he has great respect for God’s teachings, but that in reality he is an accomplice of satan. If he really had respect for the law, he would have rejoiced that the Lord had delivered the woman from that spirit of sickness that had bound her for such a long time. Surely he would also have asked if the Lord would also release him from his bondage to the law which he too could not keep and by which he was condemned.

Genuine respect for the law is reflected in its acceptance. Whoever takes the law seriously and is honest, will admit that he is not able to keep to the law and therefore cannot come to terms with God in that way. He becomes aware of the judgment that must strike him because he cannot keep the law. Then he is ready to appeal to the grace of God that appeared in Christ.

The teaching of Divine grace humiliates the opponents and fills many with great joy. Those who rejoice acknowledge the clear and good hand of God and feel the difference between Christ and the inanimate theology of the synagogue official, however little they see Who the Lord Jesus really is.