Luke 13:14-19: a reflection

14The ruler of the synagogue, being indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the multitude, “There are six days in which men ought to work. Therefore come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day!” 15Therefore the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each one of you free his ox or his donkey from the stall on the Sabbath and lead him away to water? 16Ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham whom Satan had bound eighteen long years, be freed from this bondage on the Sabbath day?” 17As he said these things, all his adversaries were disappointed; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him. 18He said, “What is God’s Kingdom like? To what shall I compare it? 19It is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and put in his own garden. It grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the sky live in its branches.”

When Jesus heals a woman bent double for eighteen years, the ruler of the synagogue is indignant, because the healing happened on the Sabbath; he insists there are six other days for such things. But Jesus exposes the hollowness of this objection: You hypocrites! Does not each of you untie his ox on the Sabbath and lead it to water? Ought not this woman, bound by Satan eighteen long years, be freed on the Sabbath? To Jesus, freeing a suffering woman mattered more than a rigid keeping of the rule; mercy took precedence over legalistic scruple.

Notice how Jesus set mercy above rigid rule-keeping. The ruler was so concerned with the rule that he was indignant at a woman being freed from eighteen years of suffering, because it happened on the wrong day. But Jesus saw the suffering woman, and her freeing mattered more to him than the scruple; he would not let a rigid keeping of the rule stand in the way of showing mercy. Compassion for the suffering took precedence over legalistic strictness; mercy was more important than the rule rigidly applied.

That is worth taking to heart, for we can, like the ruler, become so concerned with rules that we neglect mercy. We can hold to our rules and scruples so rigidly that we are indignant when they are set aside even for the sake of mercy, valuing the rule above the suffering person before us; but Jesus set mercy above the rigid rule. Do not let a rigid keeping of rules crowd out mercy, becoming so concerned with the letter that you neglect compassion for those who suffer; Jesus valued freeing the bound woman above the Sabbath scruple. When mercy and a rigid rule seem to conflict, remember that Jesus set mercy first, freeing the suffering woman rather than deferring to the rule. Let compassion for those who suffer take precedence over a rigid legalism, as Jesus valued the freeing of the bound woman above the strict keeping of the day, showing that mercy matters more than the rule rigidly applied.

Lord Jesus, when you healed a woman bent double for eighteen years, the ruler of the synagogue was indignant, because the healing happened on the Sabbath; he insisted there were six other days for such things. But you exposed the hollowness of this objection: you hypocrites! does not each of you untie his ox on the Sabbath and lead it to water? Ought not this woman, bound eighteen long years, be freed on the Sabbath? To you, freeing a suffering woman mattered more than a rigid keeping of the rule; mercy took precedence over legalistic scruple. Show me how you set mercy above rigid rule-keeping. The ruler was so concerned with the rule that he was indignant at a woman being freed from eighteen years of suffering. But you saw the suffering woman, and her freeing mattered more to you than the scruple. Compassion for the suffering took precedence over legalistic strictness. Take that to my heart, for I can, like the ruler, become so concerned with rules that I neglect mercy. I can hold to my rules and scruples so rigidly that I am indignant when they are set aside even for mercy; but you set mercy above the rigid rule. Keep me from letting a rigid keeping of rules crowd out mercy, becoming so concerned with the letter that I neglect compassion for those who suffer. When mercy and a rigid rule seem to conflict, help me remember that you set mercy first, Lord. Help me let compassion for those who suffer take precedence over a rigid legalism, as you valued the freeing of the bound woman.