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Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, ‘Woman, you are set free from your ailment.’ When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, ‘There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day.’ But the Lord answered him and said, ‘You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?’ When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing. (Luke 13:10-17)
Having moved from a tiny home town to a huge metropolis of over one million people was enough to make me walk if not bent over, certainly walking with head down. My mother who would watch this 13 year old walk the two city blocks to catch the city bus once asked, "Are you looking for nickels?" I laughed and said no, I'm just trying to avoid people... She asked why and I told her, and she said that I was as good as anybody else, and God had made us all, and I had nothing to hide; to look people in the eye and find my way through this world. And I did.
Imagine living that way most of your life. Eighteen years is a long way to live bent over or with heads bowed. This woman regardless of her appearance found her way to worship every week; she didn't let this physical handicap limit her praising and thanking God; and it was in the synagogue on that Sabbath that she found healing at the hands of Jesus. Jesus, remember, was teaching in the synagogue on this sabbath day and while he was teaching this woman came in. He calls her over and says, "Woman, you are set free from your ailment." He laid hands on her and her healing was immediate. And so was her praising of God. After 18 years of living life limited as she was, now she was completely free to praise and worship God. And yet, the leader of the synagogue became angry that this healing took place on the sabbath. The routine had been broken; Jesus brought change to the worship service, and most certainly now the offering could not be taken up because people's focus was on the healed woman. This leader begins to lecture Jesus about work on the sabbath; "You have six days to do that kind of thing, why now and why here?" Jesus answered them with the reality of how strict this rule of worship was kept, and then calls this woman a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan had kept this way for many eighteen long years, now she is free from her bondage. That shut the leader and his followers up. The crowd went back to "rejoicing at all the wonderful things that He was doing." Indeed.
You and I have been blessed by Jesus and most of us have kept those things pretty secret, but now is the time to speak up and share the wonderful things that Jesus has done for us. The world needs to hear some good news. We need to share with so many the answers we have gotten from the Lord and let others know that all is not lost, there is still a savior that delivers us from our captivity and shame. Otherwise, people will continue to live looking down and not up; thinking that all is lost; when we know it is not.
PRAYER: Speak to my heart, Loving Father, and let me share the Good News with all people. Great and many are the wonderful things You have done for me, now let me share those with others. In Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.
Eradio Valverde
Prayer Update: Mrs. Ally Portwood, underwent surgery and the complications she was having were fixed. She was moved from ICU to a private room and should be released to go home soon. Praise God! And thank you all of your prayers.
