Lectionary Year C
August 26, 2001
Luke 13:10-17

Distillation

Step V - Distillation

A. Summary of Salient Features

(JFC) Schweizer calls the "shamed opponents and a rejoicing crowd", "the focus of the text". It seems more that the story as a whole might rest on the questions of When, Where and Why Jesus does what he does then and there and for what reason. "The theological 'center of gravity' of this text" is in the freeing the crippled woman from the ailment that has had her stooped over. Other major concerns include the crowd and their reactions at the end of the narrative, the Leader of the synagogue and his position, re: the regulations/Commandments/Law, and the woman's standing upright and praising God. Minor concerns might include the ruler's indignation and the regulations he recites, the opponents' shame and Jesus' illustration of watering the livestock.

B. Smoother Translation

(JFC) 10 Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And, (you) see, there was a woman with an infirmity for eighteen years. She was bent over and unable to straighten up at all. 12 Having seen her, Jesus called out and said to her, "Woman, you have been released from your infirmity." 13 And he laid his hands on her; and immediately she became erect again and she began praising God. 14 But the chief officer spoke out, expressing displeasure that on the Sabbath when worship of the Lord was ordered, he was saying to the crowd that six days they are to work; in these then you come (and) you heal but not on the day of the Sabbath. 15 But Jesus answered him and said, "Hypocrite(s), each of you on the Sabbath does surely loose your ox or the donkey from the stable and lead them away and give them water to drink; 16 but this one, being a daughter of Abraham, Satan did bind up, see, ten and eight years; so, was it not proper to loose her from the crippling condition on even this day of the Sabbath?" 17 And these sayings of his disgraced all his adversaries, but all the crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.

C. Hermeneutical Bridge

(JFC) The Anchor Bible Commentary says, "the welfare of a human being takes precedence over even such religious obligations as the observance of the Sabbath." Yet, that position is merely theoretical. In order to work for the welfare of people in need, we need to be sensitive to and to perceive them for what they need and then discover ways we can provide it. Jesus obviously discerned what the infirmed woman needed and he provided it. If he hadn't seen the need as it was, he might not have met it. Yogi Berra said, "You can observe a lot just by looking." Evidently, Jesus was looking at the woman needing healing that day as he taught in the synagogue. He observed her needs and met them.

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