A wonderful miracle had taken place in this man’s presence. The glory of God had been revealed before his eyes! Why wasn’t he praising God? Why wasn’t he delighting in Jesus? Here’s why. In his mind the Sabbath had been violated. The Law had been broken. Conformity had been breached! Disobedience was running amok in the church! Jesus rebukes his ignorance and condemns his pride because he did not understand that…
Right religion embraces God’s purpose for the Law.
God’s purpose for the Law was to prosper His people (see Deut. 5:33). That’s why, when Jesus healed a bent woman on the Sabbath “whom Satan has kept bound for 18 long years,” He didn’t violate God’s Law. Exactly the opposite! He fulfilled God’s purpose for the Law. Of course the synagogue ruler didn’t see it that way. For him, the Law was never about prospering people. It was about controlling them according to the standards of his false view of obedience. Jesus rebukes him because…
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Right religion comprehends the essence of true obedience.
Jesus says, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? Then should not this woman…be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?” In other words, “Don’t you know that the essence of obedience isn’t about your outward adherence to God’s rules? The essence of obedience is about sharing God’s heart! And God’s heart is a heart of compassion.”
“When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated…” They were humiliated because their religion wasn’t right religion. Is yours? (Dean Shriver)
