John Calvin Commentary Luke 13:15

"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?" — Luke 13:15 (ASV)

Does not every one of you? etc. Such a combination of malice and stupidity might easily have been exposed in many ways, but Christ satisfied himself with this single argument. If it is lawful on the Sabbath, to perform acts of kindness to cattle, it is ridiculous to imagine that its proper observance will prevent assistance from being granted to the children of God. The words of Christ present a twofold comparison: that of the cattle with the daughter of Abraham, and that of the halter by which the ass or the ox is tied to its stall with the chains of Satan, by which he holds men bound to their destruction. “You,” says he, “who are so scrupulous about observing the Sabbath, venture to loose oxen and asses, and lead them away to watering. And why may I not be permitted to perform a similar act of kindness to the elect people of God; especially when the necessity is more urgent, when someone is to be delivered from the snares of Satan?”

Now, though the wicked reprover was struck dumb with shame, yet we perceive that Christ never performed any work, however illustrious, which wicked men did not seize as an occasion for slander. Nor need we wonder that Satan labored, with incessant zeal and exertions, to subvert the glory of Christ; for he is constantly employed in spreading his clouds, in order to darken the holy actions of believers.