10 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” 13 Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. 14 Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.” 15 The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? 16 Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?” 17 When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.
Jesus initiates things, taking care of both the cause and symptoms of her illness. Rather than taking Jesus to task for violating the Sabbath, the synagogue leader yelled at the people. Jesus comes to their defense: they are not the ones violating the Sabbath; the synagogue leader and those like him were. They cared more about their animals than fellow Jews in need of healing and hope. There was no better day for healing than on the Sabbath. Not only was it okay for people to come to hear and be healed; it was exactly what should be going on, and the leaders were standing in the way.
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