Jesus Protects the Crippled Woman from the Synagogue Ruler
One of the clearest pictures of Jesus protection is in Luke 13:10-17. Jesus is preaching in a synagogue. A woman is there who has been crippled for 18 years. She is so bent over than she can’t even stand up straight. After teaching the Word of God He then demonstrates the power of God. Jesus lays hands on the woman and heals her. Instantly she starts praising God! Strangely, the opposite happens with the synagogue leader.
The text says he was “indignant” because Jesus healed on the Sabbath and he considered that “work” and therefore broke the Sabbath rule to “rest.” The ruler is furious! Jesus goes toe to toe with him and points out his hypocrisy. “Don’t you take your animals to get them food and water? How come that is not ‘work’ but healing this crippled woman is ‘work?’ “ Some people may ask, “How can you be sure Jesus is meeting the ruler’s attack with intensity? Maybe Jesus is real calm?” Look at the text in verse 15 and notice the exclamation mark in the NIV. Also, how protected would you feel if the ruler was finding fault with Jesus healing you and Jesus only replied meekly? Notice also that Jesus calls them (more than just one leader is involved) “hypocrites!” He does this in public because they attacked him in public. That’s pretty intense.
And you can bet that this one little lamb (the crippled woman) feels protected!
It is interesting that one side of the coin is Jesus’ intensity and fierceness. But the other side of the same coin is Jesus’ protection. It is good to know the “whole” Jesus and not some distorted partial picture of the God-man! He is not only the Lamb, He is also the Lion and everything in between!
Take Away
God Is Just Like Jesus:
2 Corinthians 4:4 says “… the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” Jesus is God! We know that. But Jesus is the “exact” picture on God on the earth. He fully reveals God, who is invisible. Jesus’ protection of the cripple woman from the Synagogue ruler’s hypocrisy reveals God’s protection for this cripple woman. Jesus shows us clearly the things that God does!
1st Commandment Prayer:
Jesus, I really enjoy seeing your Goodness! You are worthy of worship and praise! Your goodness warms my heart and gives me hope in God verses what I see in the Newspapers! I love seeing your protection of the cripple woman! I It is exactly as the Angels declare in Revelation 5:12 “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” Your Kingdom will come to the earth. You will destroy wicked political leaders and nations. You will take over the earth! And you will do it all with righteousness and humility! (Psalms 45:4) You are the beautiful God!
This week’s Text: Luke 13:10-17
On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 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. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. 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.” 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? 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.