10 And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath, 11 and lo, there was a woman having a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and she was bowed together, and not able to bend back at all, 12 and Jesus having seen her, did call 'her' near, and said to her, 'Woman, thou hast been loosed from thy infirmity;' 13 and he laid on her 'his' hands, and presently she was set upright, and was glorifying God. 14 And the chief of the synagogue answering—much displeased that on the sabbath Jesus healed—said to the multitude, 'Six days there are in which it behoveth 'us' to be working; in these, then, coming, be healed, and not on the sabbath-day.' 15 Then the Lord answered him and said, 'Hypocrite, doth not each of you on the sabbath loose his ox or ass from the stall, and having led away, doth water 'it'? 16 and this one, being a daughter of Abraham, whom the Adversary bound, lo, eighteen years, did it not behove to be loosed from this bond on the sabbath-day?' 17 And he saying these things, all who were opposed to him were being ashamed, and all the multitude were rejoicing over all the glorious things that are being done by him.
18 And he said, 'To what is the reign of God like? and to what shall I liken it? 19 It is like to a grain of mustard, which a man having taken, did cast into his garden, and it increased, and came to a great tree, and the fowls of the heavens did rest in its branches.'
20 And again he said, 'To what shall I liken the reign of God? 21 It is like leaven, which a woman, having taken, did hide in three measures of meal, till that all was leavened.'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Luke 13:10-21
Commentary on Luke 13:10-17
(Read Luke 13:10-17)
Our Lord Jesus attended upon public worship on the sabbaths. Even bodily infirmities, unless very grievous, should not keep us from public worship on sabbath days. This woman came to Christ to be taught, and to get good to her soul, and then he relieved her bodily infirmity. This cure represents the work of Christ's grace upon the soul. And when crooked souls are made straight, they will show it by glorifying God. Christ knew that this ruler had a real enmity to him and to his gospel, and that he did but cloak it with a pretended zeal for the sabbath day; he really would not have them be healed any day; but if Jesus speaks the word, and puts forth his healing power, sinners are set free. This deliverance is often wrought on the Lord's day; and whatever labour tends to put men in the way of receiving the blessing, agrees with the design of that day.
Commentary on Luke 13:18-22
(Read Luke 13:18-22)
Here is the progress of the gospel foretold in two parables, as in Matthew 13. The kingdom of the Messiah is the kingdom of God. May grace grow in our hearts; may our faith and love grow exceedingly, so as to give undoubted evidence of their reality. May the example of God's saints be blessed to those among whom they live; and may his grace flow from heart to heart, until the little one becomes a thousand.