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As we continue our studies in Luke’s gospel, this week our attention is focused on verses 10-21. Please read them every day this week and, if possible, use a different translation each day, asking God to open your eyes to fresh revelation from His Word.
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Luke 13:14-17 (NIV)
‘Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue ruler said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.” The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?” When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.’
Just a few weeks ago, I was on my way to work when I saw something that ‘wound me up’ quite significantly. Generally, I drive to my local train station and then catch a train to Cardiff. After changing trains, I arrive at Cardiff Bay station and then have to walk the last ½ mile or so to my office.
When the sun is shining, the walk to the office is quite refreshing and invigorating. In the rai however, this short walk is awful. There is always a strong wind in the Bay and means that umbrellas become useless and very often break under the pressure of the wind. It’s quite funny at times to see so many people battling with their umbrellas as they desperately try to keep them from turning inside out!
This one particular morning, the rain was pouring down and as I was crossing one road, I noticed that there was a bus stopped at a traffic light. Actually, I noticed the lady who was standing by the door of the bus. She was soaked to the skin and was knocking on the door of the bus, pleading with the driver to open the door. He sat there completely ignoring her ‘cries for help’. He wouldn’t even glance in her direction but continued to gaze forward waiting for the light to change. This went on for a couple of minutes until eventually the light turned to green and the bus moved on, leaving the woman standing there with a look of abject rejection and disappointment. I don’t know why the driver was so adamant in his refusal to open the door but I’m guessing it’s because there is ‘rule’ about opening the door when stationary. The legislation is more important than the purpose of the bus! This woman needed to use public transport and the rules seemingly had a higher priority than the actual reason for the bus being on the road.
Our verses today see a similar kind of attitude where rules and regulations become the only thing that matters. The ruler of the Synagogue was responsible for maintaining order at the service and would probably select those participating at the various stages such as reading, prayers and preaching. In the first verse, the word used to describe his feeling is ‘Indignant’. He wasn’t just a little unhappy, the word means to be ‘greatly displeased’. Why was his reaction so strong? We don’t really know for sure, but his words tell us a great deal. “Come and be healed on another day” is showing us that his priority for the Sabbath wasn’t meeting the needs of the people. I’m guessing that he wanted the service to be conducted normally, to say the prayers, to sing the songs, to hear the preacher and go home. All of this other ‘stuff’ should be done at another time. The ‘law’ was more important than ‘life’. The Scripture teaches us that ‘the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life’.
Today, may we continue to respond to what God is doing and not be ‘trapped’ by any legislation that would seek to restrict the moving of God’s Spirit. Romans 8:6 says ‘…the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace’.
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