Jesus had been warning God’s people of a coming judgment if they didn’t repent (Luke 13:1-9). The Jews, like all people struggled with their sin and stubborn pride. And as a result of their rejection of their Messiah, judgment did come. Within a generation of Jesus’ warning the city of Jerusalem was ransacked by the Romans and their Temple was burned to the ground. God always warns His people before judgment. He warned the Jews. And He is warning His people today. Because of the Jewish religious leader’s rejection of Jesus, this would be the last time He taught in a synagogue. Yet, even now, His compassion continues to shine through as he healed and delivered a God-follower from a long-standing infirmity …    

One Sabbath day as Jesus was teaching in a synagogue, 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. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Dear woman, you are healed of your sickness!” Then he touched her, and instantly she could stand straight. How she praised God! 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.” 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? 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?” This shamed his enemies, but all the people rejoiced at the wonderful things he did. Then Jesus said, “What is the Kingdom of God like? How can I illustrate it? It is like a tiny mustard seed that a man planted in a garden; it grows and becomes a tree, and the birds make nests in its branches.” He also asked, “What else is the Kingdom of God like? It is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”” (Luke 13:10–21, NLT)

May God give us wisdom to understand His word and faith to obey it. 

Pastor Mike