In the middle of Chapter 13 of the Gospel of Luke, he relates an event that took place in a synagogue on the Sabbath. There Jesus encountered a woman who had been disabled for 18 years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. Our Lord got her attention, laid His hands on her and instantly she was restored.
[vss 10-13]
Her reaction was to begin to praise and glorify God.
The reaction of the synagogue leader different. He was outraged because Jesus had healed this woman on the Sabbath. He was more concerned about rules than he was people.
Jesus’ response was to call him a “hypocrite” and remind him that he freed his animals in order to feed and water them on the Sabbath. Should not this woman who had been bound for 18 years also be freed? [vss 15-16]
This confrontation with the religious leaders did two things. First, “When He had said these things, all His adversaries were humiliated” and second, “the whole crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things He was doing”.
Humiliated adversaries fight back and, of course, that is what they did. The Gospel writers are clear that they banded together – even with their enemies – to find any way to make Jesus disappear.
The crowds, however, for a time, rejoiced over all the thing that Jesus was doing. That would change after Jesus’ arrest, but for now, He enjoyed a season of acceptance among the common people.
