A Portrait of Jesus

Jesus heals a woman with a bent back

Luke 13:10-17, SV

Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. A woman showed up who for eighteen years had been afflicted by a spirit; she was bent over and unable to straighten up even a little.

When Jesus noticed her, he called her over and said, "Woman, you are freed from your affliction." He laid hands on her, and immediately she stood up straight and began to praise God.

The leader of the synagogue was indignant, however, because Jesus had healed on the sabbath. He lectured the crowd: "There are six days which we devote to work; so come on one of those days and be healed, but not on the sabbath."

But the Lord answered him, "You phonies! Every last one of you unties your ox or your donkey from the feeding trough on the sabbath and leads it off to water, don't you? This woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan has kept in bondage for eighteen long years -- should she not be released from these bonds just because it is the sabbath?"

As he said this, all his adversaries were put to shame, but most folks rejoiced at all the wonderful things he was doing.

Luke 13:10-17, NRSV

Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight.

When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, "Woman, you are set free from your ailment." When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God.

But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, "There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, 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 manger, and lead it away to give it water? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?"

When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.

Go backReturn to Jesus as healer

Resources for Further Study

Books and Articles by Marcus Borg

FaithFutures Foundation: integrating faith and scholarship

Living the Questions, a progressive 12-week DVD and web curriculum to help participants discover the relevance of Christianity in the 21st Century and what a meaningful faith can look like in today's world. Features Marcus Borg and 14 other scholars and pastors.

New Testament Gateway, created by Dr. Mark Goodacre, University of Birmingham, UK

The Jesus Seminar, created by Dr. Mahlon Smith, Jesus Seminar Fellow and faculty at Rutgers University

Virtual Religion Index, created by Dr. Mahlon Smith, Rutgers University

Westar Institute, official Jesus Seminar site; includes churches open to the scholarship of the Jesus Seminar

Biblical references are from The Scholars Version translation (SV), published in The Five Gospels, © 1993 by Polebridge Press and New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. The images include portrayals of Jesus from a wide variety of traditions and experiences.

© 1997-2005 "A Portrait of Jesus" web site created by Cam Howard based on the work of Dr. Marcus Borg.

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