God's Mission
Luke 13:10-17
Jesus Heals a Crippled Woman on the Sabbath
[Jesus] 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.
10 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11 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. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” 13 Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.
14 Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”
15 The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? 16 Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”
17 When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.
Pondering Point
It can be difficult to think of ourselves as “fearfully and wonderfully made” when we suffer in life, be it emotionally, physically, or in other ways. We live in a sin-stained world and it affects us in various ways. The woman above suffered for 18 years prior to Jesus’ healing touch. Despite such troubles, we are still overcomers. Who can understand the ways of God? Are they good? Yes. Do we always understand how? No. Yet “take heart,” as Jesus encouraged his initial disciples, “for I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) God’s work in you from day one (in utero) through today is still both trustworthy and praiseworthy.
Prayer
Father God, I pray to see Your hand in my life. Even when I can’t see Your hand, help me trust You nonetheless – even in suffering. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.