Hypocrisy
Luke finishes this middle section by repeating a healing on the Sabbath.
This healing has similarities to the previous passage, here a woman has been bent double for 18 years and like the man who had a withered hand, there was no reason why healing her couldn’t wait until the next day, except that in Jesus’ eyes there was no reason to wait. The Sabbath has a meaning that should be about release rather than restriction (see ‘What is rest?’).
This was the last time that Luke records Jesus as teaching in the synagogues. He was about to complete his view of the Pharisees and religion.
This did not end his interaction with them, although they were only doing so to set up tests for him.
His conclusion is a condemnation about hypocrisy and hypocrites.
Hypocrisy means a simulation of virtue or goodness, acting of a part, pretence. What is seen does not match with what is within.
People testing him with topics that they themselves were not living as they should were called hypocrites. For example being honest with taxes.
The Pharisees were not condemned by Jesus for making mistakes, for errors, but for pretence.
This was an easy thing to fall into and is something particularly that anyone in a leadership role should beware. To advise someone about something that the adviser themself does not live up to, is hypocrisy. The book of Job states that hypocrites are angry people who are too proud to look for help, and that such a person should not be in any position of authority as they would direct their efforts to the oppression of their subjects.
Paul himself fell out with Peter for a time, as he (Peter) was being hypocritical. It was an issue about freedom from the Law and was so basic that Paul wrote his whole letter to the Galatians on this theme. It was serious as Peter had influenced others such as Barnabas and was in danger of sending the church off the rails. There is no reason for anyone to live by any part of the Old Testament Law. In Jesus we are all free and Paul then advises us instead to walk by the Spirit.
If Peter can be accused of hypocrisy there is a risk for anyone to fall into the same trap. What needs to be expressed needs to come from the heart.
Background
Luke chapter 13 verses 10 to 17 - And he (Jesus) was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, "Woman, you are freed from your sickness." And he laid his hands on her; and immediately she was made erect again and began glorifying God. But the synagogue official, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in response, "There are six days in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day." But the Lord answered him and said, "You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water him? And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?" 17 As he said this, all his opponents were being humiliated; and the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by him.
Luke finishes his section by repeating a healing on the Sabbath (Luke chapter 13 verses 10 to 17, compare 6 verses 1 to 11).
This did not end his interaction with them (e.g. Luke chapter 14 verses 1 to 5), although they were only doing so to set up tests for him.
People testing him with topics that they themselves were not living as they should were called hypocrites. For example being honest with taxes (Matthew chapter 22 verses 15 to 22).
This was an easy thing to fall into and is something particularly that anyone in a leadership role should beware. To advise someone about something that the adviser themself does not live up to, is hypocrisy. The book of Job states that hypocrites are angry people who are too proud to look for help (Job chapter 36 verse 13), and that such a person should not be in any position of authority as they would direct their efforts to the oppression of their subjects (chapter 34 verse 30).
Paul himself fell out with Peter for a time, as he (Peter) was being hypocritical (Galatians chapter 2 verses 11 to 14). It was an issue about freedom from the Law and was so basic that Paul wrote his whole letter to the Galatians on this theme. It was serious as Peter had influenced others such as Barnabas (verse 13) and was in danger of sending the church off the rails. There is no reason for anyone to live by any part of the Old Testament Law (chapter 5 verse 1). In Jesus we are all free and Paul then advises us instead to walk by the Spirit (chapter 5 verses 16 to 18).