Topical Bible: Sickness: Healing of, Lawful on the Sabbath

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Topical Encyclopedia

The topic of healing sickness on the Sabbath is a significant theme in the New Testament, particularly in the Gospels, where Jesus' actions and teachings often challenged prevailing interpretations of the Law. The Sabbath, a day of rest instituted by God, was strictly observed by the Jewish people, and any form of work was traditionally prohibited. However, Jesus' ministry frequently highlighted the spirit of the Law over the letter, emphasizing mercy and compassion.

Biblical Accounts

1. Healing of the Man with the Withered Hand (Matthew 12:9-14; Mark 3:1-6; Luke 6:6-11): In these parallel accounts, Jesus enters a synagogue on the Sabbath and encounters a man with a withered hand. The Pharisees, seeking to accuse Him, ask if it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath. Jesus responds by asking, "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath" (Matthew 12:11-12). He then heals the man, demonstrating that acts of mercy are in harmony with God's intentions for the Sabbath.

2. Healing of the Bent Woman (Luke 13:10-17): While teaching in a synagogue on the Sabbath, Jesus sees a woman who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. He calls her forward and heals her, saying, "Woman, you are set free from your infirmity" (Luke 13:12). The synagogue leader, indignant because Jesus healed on the Sabbath, is rebuked by Jesus, who points out that even on the Sabbath, people untie their oxen or donkeys to give them water. He argues that this woman, a "daughter of Abraham," deserves to be freed from her bondage.

3. Healing of the Man with Dropsy (Luke 14:1-6): On another Sabbath, Jesus is dining at the house of a prominent Pharisee. A man suffering from dropsy is present, and Jesus poses a question to the Pharisees and experts in the law: "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?" (Luke 14:3). Receiving no answer, He heals the man and challenges them by asking if they would not immediately pull their child or ox out of a well on the Sabbath.

Theological Implications

Jesus' healings on the Sabbath underscore the principle that the Sabbath was made for man's benefit, not as a burden. His actions reveal that the Sabbath should be a day of liberation and restoration, reflecting God's compassion and mercy. By healing on the Sabbath, Jesus illustrates that the well-being of individuals takes precedence over rigid legalism. His teachings and actions affirm that doing good and showing mercy align with the true purpose of the Sabbath.

Pharisaic Opposition

The Pharisees' opposition to Jesus' healings on the Sabbath highlights their focus on strict adherence to the Law, often at the expense of compassion. Their interpretation of the Sabbath laws was challenged by Jesus, who emphasized that the Law should serve humanity and reflect God's love and mercy. This conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders illustrates the broader tension between legalism and the transformative power of grace.

Conclusion

The accounts of Jesus healing on the Sabbath serve as a profound reminder of the priority of mercy and compassion in the Christian faith. They challenge believers to consider the heart of God's commandments and to act in ways that reflect His love and care for all people.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Luke 13:14-16
And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said to the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

B. The Second Period. Chs. 5:1 to 6:11
... his sympathy by his presence and by his healing power ... like the Pharisees are least
conscious of their sickness are in ... unto them, I ask you, Is it lawful on the ...
/.../erdman/the gospel of luke an exposition/b the second period chs.htm

And in the Morning of that Day He Went Out Very Early...
... preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all the ... those that are afflicted
with grievous [30, 31] sickness. ... Wherefore it is lawful on the sabbath to do ...
/.../hogg/the diatessaron of tatian/section vii and in the.htm

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath Day and Defends his Act.
... [The man's lack of healing was not ... was cured, It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful
for thee ... been so; for death is the wages of sin, and sickness is partial ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xxxvii jesus heals on the.htm

Miracles of Healing Unsolicited.
... and I think the Lord kept his personal healing for such ... view of the moral influences
of sickness and recovery ... to the deed Joy asking him whether it was lawful. ...
/.../macdonald/miracles of our lord/iv miracles of healing unsolicited.htm

At the Unknown' Feast in Jerusalem, and by the Pool of Bethesda.
... that Jud??an ministry which, if the illustration be lawful, was the ... he did before,
not only before his healing, but even before his felt sickness, so that ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xii at the unknown.htm

On the Theophany, or Birthday of Christ.
... Him tempted and conquering and served by Angels, [3885] and healing every sickness
[3886] and ... if thou be one of those who are pure and lawful food, and ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/oration xxxviii on the theophany.htm

The Preface to the Commandments
... of the Spirit, have we had the healing work ... prodigy of wickedness do some persons
come after great sickness. ... sober and moderate in the use of lawful delight; it ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/the ten commandments/1 3 the preface to the.htm

The Alarum
... you are not upon a bed of sickness; that you ... the Sun of Righteousness arises he brings
healing beneath his ... The retribution which is your lawful due will not ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/the alarum.htm

Sermons on Selected Lessons of the Gospels.
... them to powder, [667]397, [668]401; healing the absent ... soul chaste, [1240]532; He
being the Lawful Husband of ... of toil, [1517]290; one long sickness, [1518]346 ...
/.../sermons on selected lessons of.htm

Of Preparation.
... Supper, God had sent that fearful sickness among them ... own estate, and living
conscionably in my lawful calling; should ... flesh, and to drink his all-healing blood ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bayly/the practice of piety/i of preparation.htm