Church Fathers Commentary Luke 13:10-17

"And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath day. And behold, a woman that had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years; and she was bowed together, and could in no wise lift herself up. And when Jesus saw her, he called her, and said to her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands upon her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. And the ruler of the synagogue, being moved with indignation because Jesus had healed on the sabbath, answered and said to the multitude, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the day of the sabbath. But the Lord answered him, and said, Ye hypocrites, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan had bound, lo, [these] eighteen years, to have been loosed from this bond on the day of the sabbath? And as he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame: and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him." — Luke 13:10-17 (ASV)

St. Ambrose of Milan: He soon explained that He had been speaking of the synagogue, showing that He truly came to it, since He preached in it, as it is said, And he was teaching in one of the synagogues.

St. John Chrysostom: He teaches not in private, but in the synagogues; He does so calmly, neither wavering in anything nor deciding anything against the Law of Moses. He also teaches on the Sabbath, because the Jews were then occupied with hearing the Law.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: It is clear from the events themselves that the Incarnation of the Word was manifested to destroy corruption, death, and the devil's hatred toward us. For the text continues, And behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity, and so on.

He says it was a spirit of infirmity because the woman suffered from the devil's cruelty. She was forsaken by God either because of her own sins or because of Adam's transgression, on account of which human bodies are subject to infirmity and death.

But God gives this power to the devil so that people, when pressed down by the weight of their adversity, might turn to better things. He points out the nature of her infirmity, saying, And was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.

St. Basil the Great: The head of a beast is bent down toward the ground and looks upon the earth, but the head of a human was made to be erect, facing heaven, with eyes tending upward. For it is fitting for us to seek what is above and, with our sight, to pierce beyond earthly things.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: But our Lord, to show that His coming into this world was for the loosening of human infirmities, healed this woman. Thus, the text continues, And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said to her, Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity. This is a word most suitable for God, full of heavenly majesty, for by His royal assent He dispels the disease. He also laid His hands on her, as it follows, He laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

We should understand from this that the divine power had put on the sacred flesh. For it was the flesh of God Himself and of no other—not as if the Son of Man existed apart from the Son of God, as some have falsely thought. But the ungrateful ruler of the synagogue, seeing the woman who before was bent to the ground now made upright by Christ’s single touch and proclaiming the mighty works of God, tainted his zeal for the Lord’s glory with envy. He condemned the miracle so that he might appear to be zealous for the Sabbath.

As the text continues, And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said to the people, There are six days in which men ought to work... and not on the sabbath-day. He wanted those who were scattered and busy with their own work on other days to not come on the Sabbath to see and admire our Lord's miracles, for fear that they might believe.

But the Law has not forbidden all manual work on the Sabbath. Has it forbidden what is done by a word or the mouth? If so, then cease to eat, drink, speak, and sing. And if you do not read the Law, how is it a Sabbath to you? But even supposing the Law has forbidden manual works, how is it a manual work to raise a woman upright with a word?

St. Ambrose of Milan: Lastly, God rested from the works of the world, not from holy works, for His work is constant and everlasting. As the Son says, My Father works until now, and I work. This shows that, in the likeness of God, our worldly works should cease, but not our religious ones. Accordingly, our Lord pointedly answered him, as it follows, You hypocrite, does not each one of you on the sabbath day loose his ox or his ass? and so on.

St. Basil the Great: A hypocrite is one who on the stage assumes a character different from his own. So also in this life, some people carry one thing in their heart and show another on the surface to the world.

St. John Chrysostom: He rightly calls the ruler of the synagogue a hypocrite, for he had the appearance of an observer of the Law, but in his heart was a crafty and envious man. It did not trouble him that the Sabbath was broken, but that Christ was glorified.

Now observe that whenever Christ orders a work to be done (as when He ordered the man sick of the palsy to take up his bed), He elevates His words to something higher, convincing people by the majesty of the Father, as He says, My Father works until now, and I work. But in this case, since He did everything by a word, He adds nothing further, refuting their slander by the very things they themselves did.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: The ruler of the synagogue is convicted of being a hypocrite, in that he leads his cattle to water on the Sabbath, yet he thought this woman—a daughter of Abraham no less by faith than by birth—unworthy to be loosed from the chain of her infirmity. Therefore, Christ adds, And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?

The ruler preferred that this woman, like a beast, should look upon the earth rather than regain her natural upright posture, so long as Christ was not glorified. But they had nothing to answer; they condemned themselves without any possible reply. Thus, the text continues, And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed. But the people, reaping great benefit from His miracles, rejoiced at the signs they saw, as it follows, And all the people rejoiced. For the glory of His works vanquished every objection in those who did not seek Him with corrupt hearts.

St. Gregory the Great: Mystically, the unfruitful fig tree signifies the woman who was bowed down. For human nature, by its own will, rushes into sin, and because it would not bring forth the fruit of obedience, it has lost its upright state. The same fig tree, when preserved, signifies the woman being made upright.

St. Ambrose of Milan: Alternatively, the fig tree represents the synagogue. Afterward, in the infirm woman, there follows a figure of the Church, which, having fulfilled the measure of the Law and the Resurrection, and now raised up on high in that eternal resting place, can no longer experience the frailty of our weak inclinations. Nor could this woman be healed unless she had fulfilled the Law and grace. For in ten commandments is contained the perfection of the Law, and in the number eight, the fullness of the Resurrection.

St. Gregory the Great: Or else, man was made on the sixth day, and on that same day all the works of the Lord were finished. The number six multiplied by three makes eighteen. Therefore, because man, who was made on the sixth day, was unwilling to do perfect works—and was weak before the Law, under the Law, and at the beginning of grace—the woman was bowed down for eighteen years.

St. Augustine of Hippo: What the three years signified in the tree, the eighteen years signified in the woman, for three times six is eighteen. But she was bent over and could not look up, for she heard the words, "Lift up your hearts," in vain.

St. Gregory the Great: For every sinner who thinks of earthly things, not seeking those that are in heaven, is unable to look up. While pursuing his baser desires, he turns away from his upright state; his heart is bent crooked, and he always looks upon that which he unceasingly thinks about.

The Lord called her and made her upright, for He enlightened and helped her. He sometimes calls but does not make a person upright; for when we are enlightened by grace, we often see what should be done but, because of sin, do not practice it. Habitual sin binds the mind so that it cannot rise to righteousness. It makes attempts and fails, because after it has long stood by its own will, it falls when that will is gone.

St. Ambrose of Milan: Now this miracle is a sign of the coming Sabbath, when everyone who has fulfilled the Law and grace will, by the mercy of God, put off the toils of this weak body. But why did He not mention any more animals, except to show that the time would come when the Jewish and Gentile nations would quench their bodily thirst and this world’s heat in the fullness of the Lord's fountain? And so, through the calling of two nations, the Church would be saved.

The Venerable Bede: But the daughter of Abraham is every faithful soul, or the Church gathered out of both nations into the unity of the faith. There is, then, the same mystery in the ox or ass being loosed and led to water as there is in the daughter of Abraham being released from the bondage of our sinful desires.