Morning Cup of J(esus) Fueling the Day!
Jesus Heals the Women Who Had Been Crippled for 18 Years
Luke 13:10-17
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.”
15 The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? 16 So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” 17 And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.
Notes:
Jesus was ministering in Judea by preaching and teaching to large crowds about the Kingdom of God. On this particular Sabbath, Jesus was teaching in the synagogue.
This is one of the last times Jesus teaches in the synagogues because He is not welcomed much after this point.
Another observation is that this miracle is only recorded by Luke the Physician. The woman’s condition seems to be severe curvature of the spine. “Bent over” and “could in no way raise herself up” are the descriptions, which seem one hundred percent physical, yet the Lord says that she was bound by Satan. So, for whatever reason that is not revealed, her illness has a spiritual component. Yet, Christ does not cast out any demons. He simply says that she is “loosed from her infirmity.”
Angry Rulers
One last observation from this passage is the anger of the ruler of the synagogue and how he tried to convince the crowd of Jesus’ unrighteousness because He healed on the Sabbath. The ruler had no concern, compassion, or joy for this woman who was wonderfully healed!
Christ rebukes them and puts them to shame, and the crowd rejoices because of Christ’s great power and glory.