Verses 10-13 This story deals with the Sabbath day. This is that one day during the week that we assemble as a Church together. Way back at the beginning of time, God set aside an entire day for rest. We need to jump to Genesis real quick to understand this text.
In the Beginning
In the very beginning, God created the heavens and earth. Then He created light and darkness to determine the days. On the second day, God created the sky. He created land, plants, trees, and seeds on day three. On day four, He created the sun, the moon, and the stars. God created birds and sea creatures on day five. Finally, livestock and all the wild animals on the dry ground came into creation on day six. He also created human beings on this day.
“So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.” Genesis 2:1-3 NLT
A Holy Day of Rest
Because God rested on the seventh day and called this day “holy,” the Church observes the seventh day of a week in the same way. We keep the day holy by not working and instead of meeting together to worship our holy God. We traditionally rest on Sunday, but employees of the church may observe their day of rest on another day that they do not work on.
Bent, But Not Broken
As we flip back to Luke 13, Jesus is teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath when a crippled woman came in. Her disability caused her to be bent over for 18 years and unable to straighten or stand up. Notice that she still came to the synagogue, her church, to worship on the Sabbath, even though for almost two decades she saw nothing but the ground.
Though she had a physical problem, the source of it was something else. A spirit sent out by Satan had crippled her. She was under demonic attack. Jesus could see the root and took care of the spiritual issue.
John Eckhardt (Fasting for Breakthrough and Deliverance) wrote an excellent book on prayer and fasting that links physical ailments to the condition of our souls. He uses scripture to uncover neglected or tangled sins that cripple our core.
Jesus Releases The Enemy’s Grip
So here we have a woman who is face down, physically bent toward hell, because of a demonic disabling spirit inside her. She didn’t go to Jesus with it. He called out to her, and she accepts his invitation to come. He lays his hands on her. And even though she’s been fighting this demon for 18 years now and it’s essentially become a part of who she is, Jesus releases the enemy’s grip.
This should encourage us no matter how long we’ve been struggling with a disease. We should wait on Jesus in full belief of His healing in His timing. During the wait for deliverance, Jesus does a deeper spiritual work in us.
This story is proof of Jesus’ superior power over Satan. After Jesus laid his hands on her, immediately the woman could stand up straight. The demon had left. And the evil spirit wasn’t coming back because this is Jesus doing the healing! Not a temporary pill, therapy, or man-made solution. These short-term remedies help pacify the pain, but only Jesus can heal.
Jesus knows how to get to the core of God’s design. This once crooked woman is now straight. She was once bowed down and now she is standing tall.
‘the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.’ Psalm 146:8 ESV
This is the grace of Jesus in our souls. Jesus set her free. Instantly healed, she glorifies God.
The Bondage of Unholy Living
Those who do not care about keeping their hearts holy, the body sacred, and their lives set apart are under a spirit of bondage to sin that cripples and makes them physically and mentally weak. The soul gets distorted and out of order. It’s inclined to submit to or respect the devil’s doing, like drunkenness, cheating, and gossip. Through rampant grief and fear, the soul cannot rest. Under sin, we are all bent this way.
When we bow down to hell, we cannot see God in heaven. The crooked soul will not seek Jesus.
And just like the woman in this story, Jesus calls us to him, lays his loving hand of grace upon us, and speaks healing words. Our Savior loosens the soul from that broken spirit and makes it straight again.
Jesus reduces the chaos into order and raises heavenly things above worldly regards. Jesus directs every affection and aims them heavenward. God can make that straight which the sin of man has made crooked.
The Controversy in Being Freed From A Crippling Spirit
Verse 14 Unfortunately, the spiritual leader of the synagogue completely missed out on the miracle that had just taken place. Instead of being awed by the work of Jesus, the leader’s attitude was like crossing arms over one’s chest in complete disappointment that Jesus broke a rule. The leader had an order of service, and Jesus deviated from it.
Sabbath days are for worship time alone, not for work. The leader completely cheapened Jesus’ miracle by not even addressing Jesus directly. Perhaps he thought he might stir up an argument and make a scene. The synagogue leader turns to the crowd and tells them to come back on any other day of the week to get healed, but don’t come on the Sabbath expecting it. As if this miracle cure was so common that one could expect access to it any other day.
It’s Not Work With Jesus
It’s interesting that the leader even equated this miracle with work. Jesus simply touched her with his hand and freed her from the spirit. Jesus didn’t labor over the release. God did all the work. But the leader put these two in the same category.
It’s A Cover-Up
Verses 15-17 This leader is hostile to anything Jesus might say or do at moment. The leader is looking for something to call Jesus out on. The leader covered up his true feelings about Jesus by acting like he was really looking out for God and protecting the laws here.
Jesus calls the synagogue leader a hypocrite. The leader and all his companions didn’t practice what they preached. Even on the Sabbath, they would untie their ox or donkey and lead it to water. It’s expected work when you care for an animal. This kind of work is not what God had prohibited when He made the Sabbath day holy.
If an animal is worthy of mercy, shouldn’t a child of God, a daughter of Abraham, a sister in the Jewish faith (one entitled to the Messiah’s blessings), receive the same favor on a Sabbath day? This was an act of faith and mercy.
With Jesus’ criticism, the synagogue leaders were ashamed and humiliated. They had nothing to say. This made them even more annoyed and angry with Jesus.
Spoiler alert, eventually, all the enemies of Jesus’ message and miracles will be ashamed.
The crowd was rejoicing. The shame of Jesus’ enemies is the joy of his followers. What the enemy frets over, we triumph in.
Everything that honors Jesus brings comfort to us.
Prayer
Jesus, you are holy. Your word is holy, your ways are holy, and your touch is holy. My soul delights in who you are, Jesus. I rejoice at the privilege of sitting at your feet, surrendering the meditations of my soul, to seek Your face more and more. I praise you, Jesus, the king of kings who sits on the throne with unfailing love and faithfulness. My Truth, my Judge, my Grace.
I pray for your holy touch in my life, Jesus. Meet me here in the spirit of heaviness, the disabled spirit of sorrow, pain, loneliness, hopelessness, the crooked spirit of habitual sins, the unrestful spirit of fear, worry, and anxiety, and touch my spirit with your healing, Jesus. Help your word go down to my core and heal the hidden places that sit in silent sin. Heal every heartache that lives in the marrow of my bones. Cure the disease of sinful thinking that is crippling my walk with Jesus. Every bent toward hell, cursing, drunkenness, selfishness, materialism, greed, lust, and unbelief that lives in this life I’ve been living, I surrender every morsel to you, Jesus. Have mercy on my soul, Jesus.
I want a holy, sacred, set apart heart. I don’t want to suffer anymore. For every physical and mental weakness that plagues this body, every distortion of the Truth, every spirit of chaos and confusion that has taken up residency, I call out in the name of Jesus. Put your hand of grace upon me, Jesus, and speak Your healing Word into my life. Loosen my life from the bondage of a broken spirit and make my soul straight. Reduce every bit of chaos into perfect order in my life and raise heavenly priorities above worldly desires. In Jesus’ name, Amen.