Luke 13:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.

NIV: On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues,

NASB: Now Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.

CSB: As he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath,

NLT: One Sabbath day as Jesus was teaching in a synagogue,

KJV: And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.

NKJV: Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.

Despite the Pharisees' growing disapproval of Jesus, He is still popular with the people. A synagogue leader asks Him to teach. Synagogues are local places of worship where Jews and curious Gentiles learn from biblical scholars on the Sabbath as well as other times. The synagogue leader oversees the service, including choosing who should speak. The speaker would read a passage and elaborate on what he thinks it means. Often, speakers were travelers or lived in different areas and provided a different point of view.

Jesus teaches differently than other guest speakers. The scribes—lawyers who are experts in the Mosaic law and its application—validate their interpretations by quoting rabbis and other scribes. Jesus teaches without citation. He merely explains what the passage means and how it applies to His audience. The first time He spoke, "they [the people] were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes" (Mark 1:22).

The religious leaders are confused and insulted by Jesus' ministry. He has incredible insight into the Jewish Scriptures, but He condemns the pious Pharisees and their academic scribes (Luke 11:37–54). His miracles are astounding, even to the point of healing a man born blind—something never before recorded (John 9:1–7, 24–25). But sometimes, as here, they catch Him performing a miracle on the Sabbath, breaking their sacred extra-scriptural rules (Luke 13:11–13). Surely, they think, someone who does that can't speak for God.

This extended unit began with a section on the kingdom of God (Luke 12:1—13:9). In both this section (Luke 13:13–35) and the next (Luke 14:1—15:32), the leading story is Jesus healing on the Sabbath and how the religious leaders react. Next is another section on the kingdom of God (Luke 16:1—17:10). Then two sections in which the leading story is about unseemly, denigrated people begging Jesus for healing, followed by more truth about salvation and the kingdom of God (Luke 17:11–19; 18:35–43).

Luke 13:10–17 begins the next section (Luke 13:10–35) with a Sabbath miracle. The section continues with teaching about salvation and the kingdom of God—a pattern mirrored in Luke 14:1—15:32. While teaching in the synagogue, Jesus sees and heals a woman oppressed by a crippling demon. The synagogue leader turns on the people seeking healing. Jesus points out that anyone there would help their animal on the Sabbath; why can't He help a daughter of Abraham? The Gospels contain many accounts of Jesus healing on the Sabbath, but this one is unique to Luke.

Jesus uses real-world examples to show that tragedy and death can come to anyone, even the righteous. No one should delay in reconciling to God; time is running out. Jesus heals a woman in the synagogue, on the Sabbath, triggering an angry response. Jesus scolds the synagogue leader, then preaches about the inevitable spread of the gospel around the entire world. However, He also notes that most people will reject this message, including the people of Israel.

Luke 9:51—19:27 is sometimes called "Jesus' Travelogue to Jerusalem." The segment describes how Jesus prepared the disciples for their future as He approached His own death and resurrection. Interspersed are a few altercations with religious leaders. There are calls for the crowd to repent of their sins and reconcile with God before it's too late. In Luke 13, two stories in particular reveal Jesus' heart. In one, He heals a long-suffering woman on the Sabbath; healing is a type of rest. In the last, He mourns the fact that, for now, the Jews as a nation will reject their Messiah.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.