Read Luke 13 here (text coming …) or at Bible Gateway.
Luke 13:1-35 Chiastic Structure:
The synagogue ruler censured Jesus for healing on the Sabbath day. The central axis says, “There are six days in which men ought to work.” And it is true; there are six days in which men ought to work (Exo 20:9). But Jesus in turn censured him.
The synagogue ruler equated healing with work. Over time, the Pharisees, chief priests, and other religious leaders added burdens to the Sabbath commandment, so that doing just about anything on the Sabbath came to be prohibited. But God did not prohibit every activity, just the work one does to provide for needs, whether of income, maintaining the household or property or business, or other “daily toil” as the result of Adam’s sin (Gen 3:17-19). The Sabbath is a gift of grace, a respite from the daily toil of life, a lifting of the consequence of our sin. Now we have a day, instead of being consumed with pursuing responsibilities, we may be consumed with pursuing Him. And that is what everyone in the town was doing, by being in the synagogue on the Sabbath.
Jesus “loosed” the Sabbath commandment from the “bonds” in which the religious leaders had entangled it.
If there are questions, these are good resources:
Sabbath, the first teacher of the Gospel – Christine Miller
From Sunday to Sabbath: A Christian’s Journey toward the Biblical Day of Rest – Christine Miller
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