There are seven fascinating moments in the Gospels where Jesus was like a revolutionary, healing on the Sabbath. This is my best attempt at understanding why He liked doing it.
In my last post, I discussed how healing and casting out demons are used side-by-side by the New Testament authors. In this post, I want to explore the question, “Why was Jesus a revolutionary for healing on the Sabbath.
Jesus was healing on the Sabbath throughout His ministry. I will take a closer look at each of these instances and try to understand why the Pharisees were so against healing on the Sabbath and why Jesus did it.
It’s possible Jesus healed on the Sabbath more than the seven times recorded in the Gospels. John says it is impossible to write all that Jesus did because it would fill volumes (John 21:25). There’s enough of an occurrence in the Gospels intrigue me and make me wonder why He did it. I have some theories, but let me present the evidence first.
Why Was Healing on the Sabbath Illegal?
Several times in these seven instances, Jesus asks a couple of times, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” Why would Jesus knowingly break the law? Or was it really the law? This is where I began with my research to find out answers to these questions.
First, what law was Jesus breaking? What Was Clear Is That fourfourth Commandment forbade doing work on the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11). However, nowhere does it define what work is. The Pharisees were a religious sect that was debating what work was so that they would not violate this Commandment.
Within the Pharisees, some teachers were very strict in interpretation of the Torah. Shammaites followed the teachings of Shammai who had a very strict interpretation. The Hillelites followed the teachings of Hillel who held a much more relaxed view of Jewish law. These debates were happening between the Pharisees in Jesus’s day.
Most rabbis only permitted physicians to heal on the Sabbath when it was a life-threatening illness or disability. Jesus healed people no matter how severe the illness. This put him in the crosshairs of the Pharisees and stricter laws about work on the Sabbath.
These were man-made interpretations of the Torah. That is what Jesus took on. He wanted to challenge the religious rulers’ strict interpretations of the Torah. He was not challenging the Torah itself.
Revolutionary Jesus Healing on the Sabbath 7 Times
The first time the Gospels record Jesus healing on the Sabbath was in the synagogue (Matthew 12: 9-14; Mark 3:1-6; Luke 6:6-11). A man had a withered hand and was not allowed to worship at the temple in Jerusalem. But he was allowed to come into the synagogue.
Jesus, the Revolutionary rebel He is, brings up the question, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” Why does He ask this? The Shammaites would have restricted people from being healed on the Sabbath.
They might have been the ones Jesus was targeting with His question. He also argues that if an Israelite would rescue his animals that have fallen into a pit or been hurt, why would God not do even greater for people He loves. Then He healed the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath. He only has him stretch out his hand.
Another place Jesus was healing on the Sabbath was in His own hometown of Nazareth (Matthew 13:53-58; Mark 6:1-6). I include this one because Jesus goes into the synagogue and teaches. But the people think they know everything about Him because He grew up there.
The Gospels record that Jesus could not do many miracles there because of their unbelief. However, Mark says that Jesus laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. It’s might still have been the Sabbath when Jesus healed these few sick people.
Note that Jesus laid His hands on them. This may have constituted work for the strictest of Pharisees and their views on work on the Sabbath.
A third time Jesus was healing on the Sabbath was when He healed a woman bent over with a disabling spirit (Luke13:10-17). This was another time He was teaching in the synagogue. He does not ask permission.
Shockingly, the synagogue ruler indignantly tells people to come six days a week to be healed but not on the Sabbath. It seems like a logical argument. After all, the Commandments forbade work on the Sabbath.
All Jesus does is lay hands on the woman and the curvature of her spine is healed and she set free from the spirit.
Jesus was also healing on the Sabbath in Luke 14:1-6 where He healed a man with dropsy. He brought up the question in this Pharisee ruler’s house again, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” Perhaps He wanted to challenge them to make a decision and stick to it.
No one wants to answer the question because they are still debating among themselves. Jesus points out there religious hypocrisy, caring more about the letter of the law than healing people and releasing them from the bondage of sickness and evil spirits that cause them.
John records Jesus healing on the Sabbath three times. First, He heals the paralytic (John 5:9-18). Jesus gives the blind man now healed the command, “Take up your bed and walk.” The bed was a mat comfortable for laying on.
Many of the Pharisees considered picking up a not to be work. The man tries to pass it off on Jesus because He told him to pick up his mat. He was just obeying his Healer.The Pharisees want to persecute the law to the fullest, and anyone who does not follow their strict interpretations of it.
Another time John records Jesus healing on the Sabbath is during His discussion with the crowd during a feast (John 7:21-24). John does not show Him healing someone but discussing that He healed a man on the Sabbath. He challenges their interpretation of the Law of Moses.
The seventh and last time Jesus was healing on the Sabbath in John was when He healed the man born blind (John 9:1-16, see especially v. 14). This time, Jesus makes mud with His spit and dirt on the ground.
Of any place Jesus has healed on the Sabbath, this is the most egregious one because it shows the most amount of “work” being done to heal someone. It might have been the closest to violating the rules on not doing work on the Sabbath.
Why Did Jesus Like Healing on the Sabbath?
Could Jesus have healed on a different day? Of course. He did it for several reasons. First, Jesus healed people when He encountered them. As part of His inauguration of God’s Kingdom on earth, there was no reason to let people suffer.
Jesus’s deep care for people then and now with illnesses and disabilities made Him heal them no matter what day of the week it was. Second, Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8) to heal on the Sabbath was to declare His power over sickness and death, demons, and any other evil force on earth. It is His nature to heal.
Another possible reason Jesus healed on the Sabbath was to challenge the religious spirit of religious leaders. They cared more about debating the finer points of the Torah them worshiping and praising God for amazing and impossible works He does. They missed the whole point! Sadly, we still have people like that today.
But do you know why I think Jesus healed on the Sabbath? The reasons above are all good. I think Jesus does it because He likes to work miracles on His day. Jesus likes to do the things He came to do and still does today.
He is thrilled to heal you! He is even more thrilled to do it on His day. Everyday belongs to Jesus, but I think He gets a special kick out of healing people on the Sabbath and Sunday. It proves all the more His power over sickness.
Praying for Your Healing
Let me have the privilege of praying for you.
Lord Jesus, thank You for my brother and sister. I lift them up to You and ask You to do the work You love to do no matter what day it is. You want to set them and be free of our sicknesses, ailments, afflictions, and disabilities. None of this was part of Your plan. I ask You to show Your mighty power and heal us mpltoday. In the mighty name of Jesus we ask, amen.
Up Next
Now that we have seen why Jesus liked to heal on the Sabbath, I will next turn to why it was unusual for Jesus to heal progressively in the Gospels.
Image by DanaTentis from Pixabay
