Read John 5:16-18 NIV
So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
Jesus Healing on the Sabbath Reading
“Should not this woman… whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day?” — Luke 13:16
“God will not abandon anyone.” — Isaac the Syrian
Jesus sees the suffering others overlook. On the Sabbath He freed a woman who had been bent and bound for nearly two decades. Freedom is not only permitted on the Sabbath — it is part of its purpose. What chains do you long for Jesus to break in your life?
Reflection Questions:
How can I extend the same grace of freedom to others who feel stuck?
What has kept me bound for too long that I’ve learned to live with?
Do I truly believe Jesus wants to set me free — even now?
