Sabbath Confusion

Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath? Luke 14:3

Many of the conflicts between Jesus and the Jewish leadership were over the Sabbath. The presence of Jesus challenged their concept of the law. It appears Jesus was grieved by their emphasis on law keeping. Especially since many of the leaders were willing to break the law to get to Him. They wanted to kill Him. Premeditated murder is a violation of the commandments of God.

Luke records in chapter 14 the time Jesus “went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath” Luke 14, verse 1. His attendance would have been at the invitation of the Pharisee. It is doubtful Jesus just showed up. Verse 2 shows the invitation was a set-up: and behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy. They wanted to test Him. Would His compassion for the man compel Him to heal on the Sabbath in the home of a Pharisee?

Jesus turns the table, so to speak when He asks: Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath? Verse 3. But they kept silent, verse 4. Perhaps silence is the voice of consent? Jesus took him and healed him, and let him go, verse 4. The man was free. He was free of his illness. He was free of the trap set for another—Jesus. Jesus sets people free. According to Isaiah this was why Jesus came: to preach the gospel to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, Luke 4:18. Jesus came to set free not only those trapped by illness, but those enslaved by sin.

Since the Pharisees would not answer. Jesus answered them Himself, saying, Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day? Verse 5. Again, Jesus is met with silence, verse 6. Apparently, the answer was obvious to everyone in the room that Sabbath. 

Jesus was pointing out that they had taken the law of the Sabbath too far. God said, Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work. They surrounded God’s single command with a long list of unlawful acts for the Sabbath. Jesus simply pointed out their hypocrisy. In that they would willingly violate one of their laws to save an animal. Jesus was willing to honor the Sabbath to save a person. So should we. We should allow our rest in Jesus–our victory because of Jesus to shine light like a light in this dark world