Luke 13:17Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He teaches indeed not separately, but in the synagogues; calmly, neither wavering in any thing, nor determining aught against the law of Moses; on the Sabbath also, because the Jews were then engaged in the hearing of the law.

Consequently, not just him, but all who resisted Jesus felt embarrassed by his remarks. It was clearly foolish to prevent the healing of an individual on the Sabbath, a day intended for rest. While those who opposed Jesus were filled with shame at his words, the masses celebrated his miracles. In contrast, those who did not share in the joy of his miracles and instead succumbed to jealousy over Christ's wonders saw the crowds rejoice whenever they experienced healing and were blessed by his signs.

Now that the Incarnation of the Word was manifested to destroy corruption and death, and the hatred of the devil against us, is plain from the actual events; for it follows, And behold there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity, &c. He says spirit of infirmity, because the woman suffered from the cruelty of the devil, forsaken by God because of her own crimes or for the transgression of Adam, on account of which the bodies of men incur infirmity and death. But God gives this power to the Devil, to the end that men when pressed down by the weight of their adversity might betake them to better things. He points out the nature of her infirmity, saying, And was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.

That which the three years signified in the tree, the eighteen did in the woman, for three times six is eighteen. But she was crooked and could not look up, for in vain she heard the words, lift up your hearts.

Because the head of the brutes is bent down towards the ground and looks upon the earth, but the head of man was made erect towards the heaven, his eyes tending upward. For it becomes us to seek what is above, and with our sight to pierce beyond earthly things.

Lastly, God rested from the works of the world not from holy works, for His working is constant and everlasting; as the Son says, My Father worketh until now, and I work; (John 5:17.) that after the likeness of God our worldly, not our religious, works should cease. Accordingly our Lord pointedly answered him, as it follows, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath-day loose his ox or his ass? &c.

When He spoke these words, everyone who stood against Him felt a deep sense of shame due to His clear condemnation. The crowds celebrated His magnificent works, liberated from false accusations and elevated by Him.

Mystically the unfruitful fig tree signifies the woman that was bowed down. For human nature of its own will rushes into sin, and as it would not bring forth the fruit of obedience, has lost the state of uprightness. The same fig tree preserved signifies the woman made upright.

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 the same mystery then in the ox or ass being loosed and led to water, as in the daughter of Abraham being released from the bondage of our affections.

As Jesus Christ delivered these words, those who were fueled by jealousy, along with those who opposed Him out of that very envy, were overwhelmed with disgrace. Unable to contradict His sacred teachings, they were consumed by rage and left speechless. In contrast, the crowd, untouched by envy, did not fully embrace the misguided ideas of the synagogue leader. Instead, they rejoiced in the splendid and extraordinary miracles performed through the power of Jesus Christ.

After this extended discussion, whether it was with the Pharisees and legal experts, the disciples, or the crowd, we find the Lord in the synagogue. The same community surrounded Him there. The people followed Him everywhere and actively engaged with Him, not straying from their previous leaders. Even though it was the Sabbath, the Lord performed a healing for a woman who had suffered for eighteen long years, right before the ruler of the synagogue. The ruler, hesitant to challenge Jesus’ healing, instead admonished the crowd for seeking healing on the Sabbath, which he deemed against the law, while the people rejoiced in this wondrous act by Jesus.

During the same period as Christ's reaction to the report of Pilate's massacre of the Galileans, Luke recounts another significant occurrence. On the Sabbath, while teaching in one of the synagogues, Jesus encountered a woman who had been afflicted for eighteen years due to the adversary's influence, leaving her unable to stand upright. Jesus healed her, which sparked the anger of the synagogue leader. He and his associates instructed the people that no work should be performed on the Sabbath, including healing the sick. In contrast, Jesus, demonstrating His authority and compassion through action, performed miraculous healings on the Sabbath, thereby challenging the perceived authority of the legal experts and Pharisees as the interpreters of the law.

After Jesus completed his dialogue, those who opposed him in disgrace were left speechless, while the crowd celebrated the magnificent works they had witnessed.

In accordance with His teachings, Christ carried on His ministry in Galilee for a time, during which He performed notable miracles, including healing a woman who had been bent over for eighteen years and restoring a man afflicted by dropsy. Both healings occurred on the Sabbath, inciting discontent among the Pharisees, yet simultaneously providing the Savior with an opportunity to elucidate the genuine significance of the Sabbath. The essence of the Sabbath does not oppose acts of kindness towards others. If the legal experts do not hesitate to rescue even animals on the Sabbath, for instance, when they lift a donkey or an ox from a pit, it is even more appropriate to extend compassion to our fellow beings. This reasoning left those in attendance embarrassed, leading them to remain silent.

Those who were against Him, specifically the synagogue leader and his like-minded followers, felt embarrassed because they realized the righteousness of His statements, yet in their typical arrogance, they refrained from admitting it publicly. Meanwhile, the crowd celebrated, indicating that ordinary people can often be more open to the truth and attentive to its call.