“The Kingdom of God is like...”

Read Luke 13:10-21

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This isn’t the first time that the matter of Jesus healing on the Sabbath has caused contention with the Jewish authorities (10-14; Lk.6:1-11). In those earlier incidents Jesus declared that he is Lord of the Sabbath (6:5) and that the Sabbath is a day for doing good (6:9). In fact it’s the intended purpose of the Sabbath which Jesus is fulfilling here (Mk.2:27).

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So it’s absurd to object to that because of religious rules, and hypocritical too as there’d be no objection to looking after animals on the Sabbath day (15). How much more then must “a daughter of Abraham” be set free from Satan’s evil affliction (16). This miracle is yet another example of God’s kingdom breaking into Satan’s kingdom (Lk.11:20). Such action – not the narrowness of rule-keeping – is what the kingdom of God is like.

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Next Luke intentionally includes two short parables about the inevitability of the growth and triumph of God's kingdom (18-21; Mt.13:31-33; Mk.4:30-32). They are illustrations of what has just happened, showing what the kingdom of God is like. It may not seem like a big deal (except to the woman!) but by one action at a time, however small, God’s kingdom is built (1 Cor.15:58).