
Luke 13:10-13
“On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all.”
There was a woman who was among the crowd listening to Jesus teaching. She was a bent-over woman. She came to hear Jesus teach. She was a crippled bent-over woman. Crippled by a spirit for 18 years. Bent over and only seeing the dusty dry ground, she came. She came to hear Jesus mind you….she couldn’t see Him. She had motivation to come no matter the pain she must have been in, being bent over for so many years. How long did it take her to get to the synagogue? It didn’t matter to her how long it would take to come….she came anyway. Had she heard about Jesus and the miracles He performed? Was that why she came that day? I suspect that she was only wanting to hear this Jesus she had heard about. She wanted to hear His words that were like a balm to her weary soul. I want to think that she wasn’t even thinking of herself…wanting a miracle. His words were enough.
“When Jesus saw her, he called her forward….
Can you just hear her whisper:
He called me? He wants me to come? Oh my….! I…I am not worthy to go forward!
I would imagine that as she was before Jesus, she couldn’t even look into those loving eyes of Jesus. But she did see His hands as He placed them on her.
and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.”
Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God!
She was set free from this spirit of infirmity! She could now see everything clearly….. not just the ground …she could look Jesus in the face and marvel at His love for her. He took away the burden she had held on to for so long. It felt wonderful! It felt freeing! Do you think she was called a bent-over old woman again?
How often, as Christians, do we take on the posture of that woman who was crippled and bent-over? Not seeing anything but our own feet…..our own problems…our own pain. Not really seeing or even understanding the God that intercedes for us as Jesus did with that woman. Can you picture us as we worship Him….bent over with our hand on our back saying, “Praise God! Praise God!”
“Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him,
because he always lives to intercede for them.” ~Hebrews 7:25
Read the passage above again. He is able to completely, absolutely, altogether, perfectly, totally, ultimately, utterly save us who comes to God through Him!! ……because He always, consistently, everlastingly, infinitely, eternally lives to intercede for us!! How awesome is that?!! How overwhelming is this passage when we really understand what God is saying!! We can be in pain, in debt, in a bad relationship, in depression……..but should we allow this pain or infirmity to keep us bent over, not seeing God’s merciful plan? He has done wonderous things for us….we should straighten up and be joyful!