Why were they were the religious leaders angry when Jesus healed on the Sabbath?

Answer 1

It's a study in blinded, deceived, selfish human nature.

They were doing what people used to call in '60's; "power-tripping." And they were more concerned with the "letter-of-the-law"than the "spirit" of it.

"...if you had known the MEANING of this Scripture verse, 'I want you to be MERCIFUL more than I want your offerings,' you would not have condemned those who aren't guilty! For I, the Messiah, AM MASTER even of the Sabbath." (Matt.12:7-8 LVB Living Bible)

God's lawsare intended to elicit "Love, Care and Out-going Concern" for others [don't murder people, don't lie to people, don't steal from people, respectone another, etc.]... but the naturally selfish andrebellious spirit in man that resents and hates laws and authority [unless they're the one in charge and in authority] regards God's law's, instead, as oppressive and burdensome.It's ahated thing ["Don't tell me what to do or how to live my life"].

Thoughtless, self-servinghuman leaders often regard themselves "above the law" -- willing to bend [or break] it as needed where they are concerned; but fail to extend the courtesy to their constituency. Some call it "hypocrisy."

In the case of the Jewish leaders becoming angry with Jesus for "healing a suffering fellow human being on the Sabbath," it reveals their utter lack of Love, Compassion or Concernfor others --and their blind obsession with the personal power they held over the people.

They didn't know or believewho stood before them... the "Messiah"... the "Christ"... the"Anointed One;" the One for whom their peoplehad been waiting-- the WORD of God who CREATED ALL THINGS [John 1:3]; including the Sabbath Day, as Jesus plainly told them, in the above passage.

As John says: "He was in the world, and THE WORLD WAS MADE BY HIM, and the world knew Him not." (John 1:10)

The "power-blinded" leaders of the people only saw "a man" who was not one of their number... andwhom they perceived as an openpublic "threat totheir authority."

But, Jesus never denied their "authority" -- only their "hypocrisy."

"...Jesus said to the crowds and to His disciples, 'The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the Scriptures. So practice and obey whatever they say to you, but DON'T FOLLOW THEIR EXAMPLE. For they don't practice what they teach..." (Matt.23:1-3 NLT New Living Translation).

Jesus looks into the 'INNER MAN" and sees the "spirit" within -- the ATTITUDE of a man, and bases His Righteous Judgments on the intents of a man's heart.

"...cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are. Nothing in all creation can hide from Him. Everything is naked and exposed before His eyes..." (Heb.4:12-13 NLT).

That's what the Word of God does: it "reproves and corrects" a man.

"All Scripture is inspired... to teach us what is True and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives..." (II Tim.3:16 NLT)

And as we all know -- the natural man HATES to be told that he's "wrong."

THIS is why the religious leaders were angry with Jesus. It wasn't because He "healed on the Sabbath." That was justone of their many attemptsto accuse Himinpublic of breaking the law, so they could KILL HIM. They were angry with Him and hated Him because JESUS [and the very laws they were supposed to know and understand] EXPOSED THEM IN PUBLIC FOR THE HYPOCRITES THAT THEY WERE, EVERY TIME THEY TRIED!

"...some of you are trying to kill Me because My Message does not find a place in your hearts." (John 8:37 NLT)

THAT's why the religious leaders were angry with Jesus. Because Jesus told them the TRUTH-- and they didn't like it [and Him] at all:

"For you are the children of your father the Devil, and you love to do the evil things he does... So when I tell you the Truth, you just naturally don't believe Me!" (verses 44-45)

Answer 2

Because their own self-righteousness was based upon their following the letter-of-the-law. Jesus was a threat to their status in the eyes of the common people.