Luke 13:10-17
10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. 11 And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” 13 When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. 14 But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day.”
15 But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? 16 And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?” 17 When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.
Rejoice at the great things the Lord makes today!
What can we learn from this miracle that Jesus performs at the Synagogue on a Sabbath day?
St. Luke invites us to reflect on the reaction merging between the strict legal systems and the monopoly of traditional authorities.
Thanks to Jesus’ love, compassion and power, the woman is healed. The fact of healing cannot be denied and the recovered woman, together with the crowd, rejoice and praise God.
The literal reading of Moses’ law not to work on the Sabbath and its interpretation, far from the spirit of that law, pushes the indignant leader of the Synagogue to protest against Jesus’ healing. The guardians of the law are teaching how the law must be implemented but they don't practice it themselves. They insist on their own authority to be respected even if it conflicts with God's mercy and common good!
This is what Jesus rejects and describes as hypocrisy. He condemns this manner that shows the one human person with two faces.
How do we react to this attitude? Are we going to condemn the Synagogue leaders, or concentrate on our own behavior and examine ourselves? How do we read Biblical laws? Do we insist on the literal content or do we try to perceive the deep spiritual trend?
St. Paul, who was an eminent member of the Pharisees will write, “He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” 2 Corinthians 3:6.
Do we rejoice with others when they obtain grace from the Lord, good health, healing, success in their career, blessed pastoral care, elderly services.... and praise the Lord as the event takes place and because of God's guidance through the Holy Spirit?
All Sunday readings are intended to help us reconsider how faithful we are to the Lord's teaching - so that, in the light of a real meditation, we dare redress what needs to be rectified. May our Sunday worship be a time of renewal and a provision for the week to come!