June 1, 2026 · David Farmer
Mishna Missed It
“Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God. But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?””
Luke 13:10-16 →
## Sabbath Day Fussers
Back in a devotional in Luke 11, Mark pointed out for us how people are always there to criticize the work of Jesus...and us for being involved in it. But as he said there, Jesus brings such a logical argument to the table, only fools would oppose it. Well, here He goes again. The issue we see in these 5 verses from beginning to end is the Sabbath showing up once per verse. Think the Bible is outdated? Well, we still have plenty of Sabbath day fussers today. A Christian acquaintance I met once eventually started in on me about the Sabbath. In one conversation, I turned my Bible to Leviticus 23:3 which reads: “Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the LORD in all your dwelling places.” Him: “You should go to church on the Sabbath, not on Sunday.” Me: “No. You’re not supposed to go anywhere. Leviticus 23:3 says you should do it in your house. Don’t go, stay.” Him: “You should serve the Lord on the Sabbath, not on Sunday.”
Me: “No. You’re not supposed to serve anybody. Leviticus 23:3 says the Sabbath is supposed to be a ‘solemn rest’.” Him: “You should worship the Lord on the Sabbath, not on
## Sunday.”
Me: “No. Leviticus 23:3 doesn’t even say anything about worshipping the Lord. You’re not supposed to do anything.” No matter what he said though, it was obvious he was adding “good intention Church stuff” to the Sabbath. But this conversation really helped me to see what the Sabbath isn’t. Still, why do people do this? Man wants to work towards God and see themselves as holier than other men. “Look how many rules I keep Lord.”
## Mishna Missed It
Sabbath fussers untie ropes from donkeys. Jesus loosens Satan’s bonds from this woman. They hadn’t, because they couldn’t. Hundreds of Mishna rules tell how to lead animals on the Sabbath in a kosher manner. Don’t twist the ropes around your hand a certain way or it could be considered a “burden”. Where are the rules written down for casting out demons? While they fuss about carrying burdens and doing works on the Sabbath, they allow this woman to continue carrying this demonic burden in and out of the synagogue on every Sabbath for eighteen years. They say nothing to her, because it would point out their own impotency.
## Self-Check
The will of God is freedom for the children of God; freedom for yourself and freedom to help others get free from burdens. Have you collected tons of religious rules that bind you from doing God’s will?
## Would Jesus say to you, “Hypocrite!”?
## Burdens