21 September | EVERYONE
«Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.» Luke 13: 10,11
It happened on a Sabbath, while Jesus was teaching in a synagogue. It was a wonderful service filled with worship and prayer, accompanied by the study of the Scriptures. People may not have realized it, but this worship was different because among them was the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth. The One who in the beginning was with God. And the presence of God in the flesh lit up the atmosphere with joy and exultation.
But a sad voice speaks up. Among the worshippers was a poor woman who, for eighteen years, had been suffering from an illness that did not allow her to be fully happy. She was hunched over and could not straighten up, Luke says. When Jesus saw her, He was struck with love for her and called her. Anticipation hung in the air.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity” (Luke 13:12). He lovingly placed His hand on the woman’s hunched back and instantly she straightened up and praised God. However, the enemy of souls does not want anyone’s salvation, he detests joy, he does not accept happiness. That is why he manifested himself through the person of the dignitary of the synagogue. The one who should have been happier with what was happening in his own congregation was outraged and criticized Jesus for performing the miracle on the Sabbath.
The Sabbath is the day of salvation par excellence. In it you rest from your anxieties and struggles and allow God to do for you what you cannot do in your own strength. On the Sabbath you trust only in God’s creative and redemptive work. That is why Jesus performed many miracles of salvation on the Sabbath. The religious leaders of those days, however, had lost sight of the true meaning of the Sabbath. They thought that the only thing that mattered was not working, and they neglected people’s salvation.
Take Action
Is it possible today to run the same risk of reducing the Sabbath to a mere day of passive rest? Think about it. And reflect on how much rest it brings to alleviate the misery of suffering souls.