10 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” 13 Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. 14 Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.” 15 The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? 16 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?” 17 When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing. (Luke 13:10-17)
Here we see Jesus teaching in one synagogue on the Sabbath. A woman, possessed by a demon, had been sick for eighteen years, her back bent and she was unable to straighten up. This shows that some illnesses are caused by demonic possession. Jesus laid his hands on her and healed her. The synagogue leader was unhappy because Jesus healed her on the Sabbath. According to the Old Testament law, work is forbidden on the Sabbath. Jewish tradition has many rules and restrictions that you cannot do many things on the Sabbath. When Jesus healed the sick on the Sabbath, some people felt that he hadn’t observed the Sabbath. Jesus said, “Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? ” This woman had been bound by the devil for eighteen years, and Jesus released her on the Sabbath. God established the Sabbath for people to have rest; the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. The Sabbath is not meant to impose many restrictions; God established it for man’s benefit, not as a burden. Doing good and healing the sick on the Sabbath is permissible.
May God bless you and your family!
