Healing a Woman with an 18 Year Infirmity

Bible Passage:  Luke 13:10-17

This is one miracle that we seldom speak of or hear about in sermons.  Perhaps it is because we always focus on the ‘bigger’ or more ‘exciting’ miracles.  But nevertheless, there are some insights we can gain today.

It starts off on a Sabbath day when Jesus saw this woman who had been crippled by an evil spirit for 18 years.  She had been bent double and was not able to stand up straight.  It is certainly hard to imagine what life was like for her.  Then Jesus came, saw her, called her over, spoke, touched her and instantly she could stand straight!

Wow!  After 18 long years… now she was freed!

The evil one has a habit of making people bent over in sin (Ps 38:6), sorrow (Ps 42:5) and suffering (Ps 44:25).  But we have a Saviour – our Lord Jesus – who is the only one who can set the prisoner free.  And the people in the synagogue saw something that day that they will never forget.

The woman rejoiced.  And if you were there too, I am sure you would be rejoicing and praising God too.

But the reaction of the leader of the synagogue was totally unexpected.  Instead of rejoicing and giving thanks and glory to God, he became very angry.  He did not have the courage to express his anger at Jesus, so instead, he scolded the congregation!

The more you ponder over his tirade, the more ironic it becomes.

The bondage of the leader of the synagogue leader was worse than that of the woman.  Her bondage only affected her body but his bondage shackled his mind and heart.  He was so bound and blinded by tradition and wrong beliefs that he ended up opposing the Son of God!

This is certainly something for us to think about today.  Are we so blinded by words an ways of men that we can no longer see the workings of God in our lives.  Instead of rejoicing and marveling at His works, we reject and malign Him.

May God give us the wisdom and love to know and practice  His truth.