37 lines
		
	
	
	
		
			1.8 KiB
		
	
	
	
		
			Markdown
		
	
	
	
	
	
		
		
			
		
	
	
			37 lines
		
	
	
	
		
			1.8 KiB
		
	
	
	
		
			Markdown
		
	
	
	
	
	
|  | +++ | |||
|  | title = "Luke 13:10–21" | |||
|  | date = "2022-12-23" | |||
|  | +++ | |||
|  | 
 | |||
|  | ### [Read the passage.](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Lk13.10-21)
 | |||
|  | 
 | |||
|  | Once again, Jesus does a miracle on the Sabbath and offends the ruler of the | |||
|  | synagogue. This time the person He heals is a woman who has a crooked back for | |||
|  | eighteen years. I haven't taken the time to double-check, but it seems that | |||
|  | whenever Jesus heals someone while He is teaching in a synagogue, it's on His | |||
|  | own initiative; they didn't ask Him to do it. The ruler of the synagogue is mad | |||
|  | at Jesus for "doing work" on the Sabbath, but the way he addresses the people | |||
|  | makes it sound like he blames the woman: "Come on those days and be healed, and | |||
|  | not on the Sabbath day." (_v. 14_) | |||
|  | 
 | |||
|  | Jesus calls him out, calling him a hypocrite. Most people were farmers, and | |||
|  | even those that weren't probably had livestock of some kind to care for. Even | |||
|  | on the Sabbath, you made sure to provide food and water to them, even if the | |||
|  | rules and traditions said those actions were considered some kind of work. | |||
|  | 
 | |||
|  | When I started writing this post today, I wasn't sure what to do about the | |||
|  | "therefore" in verse 18. The analogies of the mustard seed and the leavened | |||
|  | dough to the kingdom of God looked reasonable, but I couldn't connect the ideas | |||
|  | back to healing on the Sabbath. I think it clicked when I started thinking | |||
|  | about how our love for God, and the desire to do His will slowly fills up our | |||
|  | lives. It starts small, and as we are sanctified over time, we become more and | |||
|  | more like Christ and fit for His kingdom. While the Sabbath was to be kept | |||
|  | holy, set apart as a day of worshipping God, we aren't to be any less holy | |||
|  | during the rest of the week. As we practice righteousness, our good works | |||
|  | benefit our environment, from our families and friends to wildlife and | |||
|  | ecosystems. | |||
|  | 
 | |||
|  | * * * | |||
|  | 
 | |||
|  | Make us holy as You are holy. |