Luke 13:10-14

10 Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. 12 But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” 13 And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. 14 But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.”

It struck me today, as a diabetic for 28 years, how upset I would have been at the Pharisees, had Jesus just cured my condition. If you think about the worst thing you have had to endure, and might still be enduring, just going away at the touch of Jesus's hand! And then for someone to complain that this is illegal due to a technicality! I would have experienced quite a roller coaster of emotions. It does shows how cold these people were, and how into their rules they were. I also wonder if the stem cell debate might have a parallel? I am not sure how I feel about this issue, but I can sure see Pharisaic (sp?) types coming out and condemning people who are being cured if stem cells ever do produce a cure for diseases such as diabetes.

Another odd thing about this event was that Jesus probably didn't technically do any work. All he did was touch someone. I am guessing that touching someone on the sabbath was not against any laws. It was what the Father did through that touch that the Pharisees had a problem with. So basically, the Pharisees were trying to make God subject to His own laws, that were meant for men, not Himself.