Desperate For a Change

“And ought not this woman being a daughter of Abraham whom Satan hath bound lo, these eighteen years be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?”  St. Luke 13:8, 16

There are three characters in this story: Jesus, the Rule of the Synagogue and the woman. This is unusual that the woman was only called the “woman”. She had no name, no identity, there was no mention of whose daughter she was, whose mother she was or whose wife she was. Did she have friends, social or spiritual support; we cannot tell since there is no documentation to support this argument. She was just the woman that was bent over. “And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and will in no wise lift up herself.” St. Luke 13:11.

From the description that the scripture gave, one could argue that her physical condition could have isolated her yet make her very significant. Maybe she has lovely children, a lovely husband but there was no mention of family members anywhere. . She was “bowed together” so she could not look you straight in the eye as others do; maybe she could only hear Jesus but could not see him. This was a significant moment for her; a moment of change and deliverance when Jesus saw her. Jesus saw her because there was a connection between him and her. He’s the seed of Abraham and she was the daughter of Abraham and   entitled to be delivered. She being trapped by this infirmity forgot who she was, forgot her inheritance, forgot her entitlement, forgot who was her father, Abraham. When Isaiah wrote about Jesus he said “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me (Jesus), because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings into the meek, he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, the opening of the prison to them that are bound.” Isaiah 61:1.

Jesus knew that this woman was not bound by a physical illness but a spiritual illness. It was not an infirmity but a ‘spirit’ of infirmity. Physical doctors could not help her because it was a spirit, psychiatrists could not help her because it was a spirit. Today there is advanced surgical procedures that straighten the spine with pins, plates and screws. But this certainly would not bring her a cure because it was a spirit.

The Ruler of the synagogue must have seen her daily for the 18 years she was bent over that is calculated at 6,600 times. He knew about her condition, she was obvious and noticeable to him but because of the lack of compassion and love he refused to rejoice with her after she was delivered. He murmured “There are six days in which men ought to work; in them therefore come and be healed and not on the Sabbath day.” St. Luke 13:14. He was also concerned about the Law and breaking the law that he proceeded to address the people instead of addressing Jesus but Jesus answered “Thou hypocrite, doth each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering.” St. Luke 13:15.

He was selfish, self-righteous, ready to condemn and ready to accuse, but can we blame him for his actions? No; he did not know who this woman was, he did not know that to be delivered was her rightful inheritance, and he just could not discern this great truth. “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of god: for they are foolishness unto them: neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned.” 1st Cor. 2:14.           

 Unfortunately she had two adversaries that plagued her Satan that bound her for 18years and the ruler of the Synagogue who did not care about her enough to see her healed. He did not know that this woman had an inheritance that could not change or denied. We only can imagine   her state of mind each day she walked in the Synagogue.           

She must have sent shockwaves throughout Jerusalem. Many people maybe congregate in the street just to have a glimpse of her, all the people who rejected her would like to talk to her. The children, if she did have children, running to see their own mother, her husband could not recognize her because she was transformed into a new person. If I must use a phrase that I heard sometime ago it would be: “It was her time to receive her thing from her God.”

 To all the women who are bent down and don’t believe that you can be raised up, here is the truth: Jesus is ready to strengthen you up. He wants to straighten you up from depression, fear, loneliness, confusion, physical illness and financial lack, just to name a few. There’s no difference between this woman and us women today, we have an inheritance in Christ Jesus. There is always that side of us to be discouraged but if we continue like this woman then one day the faith that brought her to the synagogue. But now in the final end, Ephesians 1:13-14 “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after all that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise (13). Which is the earnest of our inheritance until redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory”

By faith rise up and claim your inheritance. Jesus   Christ purchased our salvation on Calvary and we are entitled to all spiritual blessings including divine healing.

Submitted by Elder Dotty Iona Nicholas.