The institution of the Sabbath as a day of rest (Gn 2:2) was meant to recognize God’s creative action and to acknowledge his continuing providence over his creation.

The concept of the Sabbath rest has been extended to the Sabbatical Year, when the land is left to lie in fallow in order to recover its nutrients, and to continue to give its blessings to humanity. In a way, the restoration of the hunched woman to wholeness also means the return of her dignity.

Among God’s creatures, man has a special place in his eyes. The psalmist exclaims: “What is man that you are mindful of him, and a son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him little less than a god, crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him rule over the works of your hands, put all things at his feet” (Ps 8:5- 7).

The woman’s “liberation” from the brokenness—often attributed to sin—marks God’s “work of love” and providential care over his children. This is above the provisions of the Sabbath law. The woman is a daughter of Abraham, a member of God’s chosen people.

The Sabbath is then a “day of rest” from her long suffering, a time to thank God for restoring his creation.

Brothers and sisters, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, “Abba, Father!”

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath. And a woman was there who for eighteen years had been crippled by a spirit; she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect.

When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said, “Woman, you are set free of your infirmity.”

He laid his hands on her, and she at once stood up straight and glorified God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant that Jesus had cured on the sabbath, said to the crowd in reply, “There are six days when work should be done. Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day.”

The Lord said to him in reply, “Hypocrites! Does not each one of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger and lead it out for watering?

This daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now, ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day from this bondage?”

When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated; and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him.