10 Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath day. 11 Behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and she was bent over, and could in no way straighten herself up. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her, and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your infirmity.” 13 He laid his hands on her, and immediately she stood up straight, and glorified God.

14 The ruler of the synagogue, being indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the multitude, “There are six days in which men ought to work. Therefore come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day!”

15 Therefore the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each one of you free his ox or his donkey from the stall on the Sabbath, and lead him away to water? 16 Ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan had bound eighteen long years, be freed from this bondage on the Sabbath day?”

17 As he said these things, all his adversaries were disappointed, and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

Luke 13:10-17 - World English Bible

Jesus shifted from the need to repent towards an act of mercy on the Sabbath. He healed a woman who suffered from a debilitating malady, but came to the synagogue to learn. He saw her, called her and freed her. The synagogue leader objected over the spirit of the Law; there was no specific edict that prohibits healing on the Sabbath in the Torah. Still, Jesus defended his actions with well known and assumed exceptions to the general prohibition on Sabbath work. He also raised the woman up as a “daughter of Abraham,” not only for her status as a Jew but for presence in the synagogue. His actions on the Sabbath split the leaders from the crowd, those who sought to destroy him vs. those who saw his ministry and praised God for it.

He saw, he called, he freed. As Jesus did for the woman, he does for us. Like the woman, he raises us up, not to be sons and daughters of Abraham, but children of his Father in heaven.

How has Jesus seen you, called you and freed you?