We must be careful as we go about our lives to keep placing value in the right things. In Luke 13 we see Jesus do an awesome healing miracle in the synagogue on a sabbath. To release this woman from 18 years of being bent double was a beautiful and compassionate things for Jesus to do and showed his loving heart towards her.
One Sabbath day as Jesus was teaching in a synagogue, 11 he saw a woman who had been crippled by an evil spirit. She had been bent double for eighteen years and was unable to stand up straight. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Dear woman, you are healed of your sickness!” 13 Then he touched her, and instantly she could stand straight. How she praised God! 14 But the leader in charge of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath day. “There are six days of the week for working,” he said to the crowd. “Come on those days to be healed, not on the Sabbath.” 15 But the Lord replied, “You hypocrites! Each of you works on the Sabbath day! Don’t you untie your ox or your donkey from its stall on the Sabbath and lead it out for water? 16 This dear woman, a daughter of Abraham, has been held in bondage by Satan for eighteen years. Isn’t it right that she be released, even on the Sabbath?” 17 This shamed his enemies, but all the people rejoiced at the wonderful things he did – Luke 13:10-17
Sadly the synagogue leaders had forgotten what truly mattered. They placed value in rules and traditions instead of in the heart of God towards people. Even their animals, who they loosed from the stall on the Sabbath, were of more value to them than a fellow human being who was suffering. In essence they are saying to the crowd (they dared not address their complaint directly to Jesus) ‘don’t come looking for healing on the Sabbath, it’s a Holy day, for observing the law, not for being made well!’. How far they had fallen from God.
May our hearts value God, his love and forgiveness about all else. May we see every minute of every day as an opportunity for humans, including ourselves, to be forgiven, healed and restored to God by faith in Jesus Christ!