Luke records that Jesus' Sabbath customs (4:16) often led him into conflict (4:28-30; 31-37; 6:1-5; 6-9; 13:10-16). This time he went to Sabbath dinner at a Pharisee's house, where they watched him fall into their trap: a man suffering abnormal swelling was in the Pharisee's dining room. Jesus didn't skip a beat: "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?" In spite of their silence, Jesus healed the man.

Jesus appeals to them on the basis of their own compassion for one of their children or animals. In such a case, they would immediately pull their child or ox out of the well. Instinctively they understood that God values life. But when applying this to others, their compassion dried up. They saw the Sabbath only as a legalistic requirement to hold others accountable to. This man's suffering throughout his body didn't move them to act, but Jesus' healing offended them. What offends us on the Sabbath? These Sabbath encounters should lead us to examine our own attitude toward others. Are we making space for the healing of the wounded, the rescuing of the lost, or being offended by those who come to worship with us?


Application: Father, thank you for giving us the gift of the Sabbath. Help me today to see others around me and meet their need on the Sabbath.
One Word: It is lawful to heal on the Sabbath