The Miracles of Jesus Part 30: Jesus Heals a Woman Crippled for 18 Years
Luke 13:10-17 - Jesus teaches a valuable lesson on compassion to the heartless religious leaders who care more about little rules than freeing a suffering woman.
“And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your sickness.” And He laid His hands on her; and immediately she was made erect again and began glorifying God. But the synagogue official, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in response, “There are six days in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, 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 stall and lead him away to water him? And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?” As He said this, all His opponents were being humiliated; and the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him.”
Luke 13:10-17 NASB1995
The next miracle is documented only in Luke (the 13th chapter) and is another Sabbath healing. Jesus is invited to teach in a synagogue (location unknown), although these opportunities were becoming less and less likely because of the growing friction between Him and the religious leaders. He sees in the crowd a woman who is bent over double, unable to straighten up. She has been in this condition, a sickness caused by a spirit for eighteen years. Commentary from David Guzik, in Enduring Word, talks about this ailment that Jesus focused on with His endless compassion:
A spirit of infirmity: Apparently, this woman’s physical condition (bent over and could in no way raise herself up) was due to some spiritual cause. We are foolish to think that spiritual issues cause all physical problems, but we are also foolish to think spiritual issues can never cause physical problems.
Bent over and could in no way raise herself up: “A situation equally painful and humiliating; the violence of which she could not support, and the shame of which she could not conceal.” (Adam Clarke)
“The physical cause of her inability to straighten up has been examined by J. Wilkinson, who identified the paralysis as the result of spondylitis ankylopoetica, which produces the fusion of the spinal bones.” (C. Marvin Pate)
She was in this condition for eighteen years. “For eighteen years she had not gazed upon the sun; for eighteen years no star of night had gladdened her eye; her face was drawn downward towards the dust, and all the light of her life was dim: she walked about as if she were searching for a grave, and I do not doubt she often felt that it would have been gladness to have found one.” (Charles Spurgeon)
This woman is sometimes used as an example of a believer who can be demon possessed. Yet as godly as she may have been, she was not born again by the Spirit of God, because the work of Jesus had not yet been accomplished on the cross. We believe that Christians cannot be demon possessed; not because they are good, church-going people, but because they are new creatures in Jesus Christ, and off limits to demonic possession and control.
The commentary from Charles Spurgeon made me feel great compassion for this woman and what she has gone through, living a life staring mostly at the ground. It’s also interesting to note that although she likely attended services at the synagogue on a regular basis (probably struggling to get there), she could have been possessed by a demon or evil spirit. Guzik assures us that this happened because she was not born again by the Spirit of God, but Christians are new creatures in Jesus Christ and are off-limits to demonic possession and control, although the enemy tries many other ways to discourage us and drive us into fear and doubt. Many or most ailments, of course, have nothing to do with spirits, but we are fooling ourselves if we think that evil spirits have no effect on people today, especially in light of the rapidly escalating gender dysphoria mania that has affected so many young people.
I also love the art work I found (see above) for this miracle, which was done by a contemporary artist named J. S. Humfleet (I have another one by the same artist later in this devotional). The gentle compassion of Jesus and the expectancy of the crippled woman trying to look up at Him contrast with the neutral to negative expressions on the faces of others during this healing. The synagogue leader is obvious in this painting - he is looking on with his arms crossed and a frown on his face.
Jesus speaks to the woman: “Woman, you are freed from your sickness.” And He lays hands on her and immediately she can stand straight again and she begins glorifying God. But that legalistic religious leader can only see the negative that has happened. Jesus has healed her on the Sabbath, which was wrong! In doing these devotionals on the miracles of Jesus, I found out that Jesus performed no less than seven healings on the Sabbath, challenging the convoluted and inhumane laws that have been put in place by centuries of legalists running the show and distorting the value of the Sabbath as God desired it for men. Obviously, these conditions He healed could have waited a day, but He saw these times as powerful teaching moments.
Jesus does not respond in a gentle way to this leader, who addresses the crowd rather than confront Him directly. His response is repeated here from the passage above:
“You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water him? And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?”
Jesus shames them into realizing that they created exceptions for animals in their care on the Sabbath, but would refuse healing to a daughter of Abraham. More from David Guzik from the commentary on this chapter of Luke:
So ought not this woman: Jesus gave several compelling reasons why it was appropriate to show her mercy, and more appropriate than helping a distressed animal.
She was a woman – made in the image of God, and because a woman and not a man, worthy of more care and concern.
She was a daughter of Abraham, a Jewish woman, with a covenant connection to Abraham. This may also indicate that she was a woman of faith, as well as her attendance at synagogue.
She was one whom Satan had bound, and every day is a good day to oppose the work of Satan and to set free his captives.
She was afflicted for eighteen years, long enough to suffer greatly and to draw forth the compassion of Jesus and others.
So ought not this woman… be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath? Jesus used a strong word in the ancient Greek language; the idea was more that she must be loosed than she ought to be loosed.
“Nobody had told him that she had been eighteen years bound, but he knew all about it, – how she came to be bound, what she had suffered during the time, how she had prayed for healing, and how the infirmity still pressed upon her. In one minute he had read her history and understood her case.” (Charles Spurgeon)
The crowd rejoices in her healing and His opponents were humiliated. Here’s another painting of that same miracle by J.S. Humfleet. The woman is standing up straight and embracing the Son of God, who just delivered her from this disability. Others are praising God, but the leader is pointing at Jesus and trying to get a last word in (no chance there, at least this time).
So what did we learn from this miracle?
Jesus heals a woman crippled for 18 years: Jesus sees this woman at a synagogue service on the Sabbath, has compassion on her, and instantly heals her of an affliction that came from an evil spirit. The woman was bent over, unable to look up at other people and only seeing the ground, suffering immensely. He uses her healing as a lesson to the legalistic religious leaders, who value their convoluted laws about the Sabbath (that had exceptions to care for animals) more than they cared about the pain and suffering of a daughter of Abraham. The people rejoice in the healing.
My next devotional examines another Sabbath healing recorded in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 14. There are seven more miracles to explore in this devotional series (including the next one). At the end, I will summarize what I discovered about our Lord and His compassion, power and mastery over His creation.
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - Your compassion is endless and your powers are infinite. You freed this woman from her terrible bondage and pointed out the inhumane hypocrisy of legalistic religious leaders, who are more focused on petty rules than on helping those who suffer. I thank you, again and again, for your ministry and your path to the cross for our salvation. Amen.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Commentary from David Guzik from Enduring Word is used with written permission.
The Miracle List:
Water to wine: Jesus can overcome time, He creates beauty and abundance, and He shares in our joy.
Healing of the official’s son: Jesus can overcome space (distance), He does not need to see the person He heals, He has infinite power, but He also wants us to believe without signs and wonders.
Casting out of the evil spirit in the synagogue: The authority of Jesus is recognized by the demons and He triumphs over evil and silences it.
Healing of Peter’s Mother-in-Law: Jesus does not need crowds to demonstrate His power and He has compassion about the needs of one person, even if those needs seem smaller and only worthy of a couple of verses of scripture.
Healing and casting out demons of many in Capernaum (at Peter’s house): Jesus has compassion on all who come to Him and has no conditions that He places on giving them His mercy. He can heal instantly with a light touch and again demonstrates authority over demons and silences them.
Miraculous catch of fish on the Sea of Galilee: Jesus demonstrates His powers over His creation, He once again brings abundance, and He teaches humble fishermen that their task of bringing souls to Him is the most important thing they can do. They must follow Him.
Cleansing of the Leper: Jesus is willing to heal us, is compassionate towards those who suffer and can instantly cure a dreadful and feared disease. We must have faith when circumstances seem hopeless.
Healing of the Centurion’s Servant: Jesus came so that anyone who believes on His name is saved, Jew or Gentile. One of the most humble and devout persons that He encounters during His ministry is a Roman Centurion who cares and loves a servant who is sick or paralyzed. Jesus has instant authority over this illness, again eliminating space (distance) as a barrier to healing; He also marvels at this man’s faith.
Healing of the paralytic passed through the roof: Jesus demonstrates His ultimate authority as the Son of God to forgive sins and to heal a condition that seems irreversible. He can sense and read the hearts and thoughts of others. He turns a major disruption into a lesson on forgiveness. The friends of the paralytic show tremendous faith in how they solve this problem.
Healing of the withered hand on the Sabbath: Jesus can instantaneously heal a chronic condition, restoring a hand to full function. The man he heals exhibits great faith in His ability to heal and obeys Him. Jesus also challenges the assumptions and rules that have taken the place of faith and wisdom in the hearts of the Pharisees and Scribes. His anger is righteous; their rage is murderous.
Raising of the widow’s son from death: Jesus is filled with compassion for the suffering and grief of others. He has power over death and can restore us to joy and hope in the face of a hopeless situation. His endless grace and the power of His word are sufficient. We are to spring into action, serving Him and bringing His hope to the hopeless.
Taming the storm on the Sea: Jesus has the unlimited power to tame nature and He calms a storm on the Sea of Galilee instantly. His disciples, after seeing one miracle after another before this, are struck with memory loss when this crisis hits and forget that He is the Creator of the Universe and creation will obey Him. Jesus is there in the storms of life for those who believe on His name.
Casting demons into a herd of pigs: Jesus has the ultimate authority over evil and demons must have His permission to even enter into animals that immediately die. Demon possession is a real thing, but is likely rare and would not occur in a believer who is under the power of the Holy Spirit. We should not get so comfortable with evil surrounding us that we are fearful of holiness and good. Jesus wants us to tell others about His power and healing and to be without superstitions.
Healing of a woman with a bleeding disorder: Jesus knows when His healing powers are used and, with great love and compassion, tells this daughter of the Kingdom that her faith has made her well. Casual contact with Jesus doesn’t save us. We are saved by coming to Him with everything (sins, sufferings, distractions, hopes, and belief). Jesus cleanses and revives us!
Jesus raises the daughter of Jairus from the dead: Jesus, the Son of God, has power over life and death. His power is infinite - healing can come from a touch of His garment or a touch from His hands. His compassion is infinite. His words can bring a person back to life and He knows for those who believe that death is just sleep. Just as in His time, our age is filled with mockers and scorners and we must pray for those lost souls.
Jesus heals two blind men: Faith and persistence leads to miracles. Jesus extends mercy and compassion to those who are suffering and recognize Him as the Messiah, by healing two blind men who follow Him.
A mute demoniac is healed and speaks: Jesus has ultimate authority over evil and easily casts out a demon, allowing a man to finally speak. The Pharisees are not impressed and accuse Him of being a demon. As He continues His ministry and healings, He laments the lack of harvesters.
A man is healed by Jesus by the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath: Jesus homes in on a man among the many who has hopelessly waited for healing in the pool for 38 years. He asks him if he wants healing, then tells him to stand, take up his pallet, and walk. We are all waiting for something, but we should stop waiting and be actively seeking Him in our everyday lives through our worship and prayers. Human-made rules and rituals can separate us from our Creator, who is working to sustain us and His creation.
The feeding of the 5000+: Jesus is compassionate and involves his believers in provided abundance. Nothing is too meager or small for the Lord to use in a big way. The disciples continue to look for worldly answers to solve problems and He points them, once again, to His supernatural abilities. People are physically hungry and God’s resources should not be wasted. The Word is also needed to feed the masses spiritually.
Jesus walks on water: Jesus again demonstrates mastery over creation by walking on deep waters. His disciples don’t initially recognize Him, but when they do, Peter wants to join Him (Matthew account). Peter walks in faith a short distance, then is distracted by a worldly fear (the wind). Jesus grabs him to help home and asks him why he has so little faith and is full of doubts. The disciples declare Him the son of God.
Healing the many in Genneserat: Jesus has absolute power over Nature and over sickness. He heals many, often just from their touch of His garments. The crowds recognize Him but do not know Him.
Jesus heals the demon-possessed daughter of a Gentile: Jesus travels to a Gentile region and the only recorded act there is His response to the deep faith of a Gentile woman, who even turns aside His gentle remonstrations. She is the only person who is told directly that her faith is strong. The healing is once again a remote and instant casting out of the demon in the woman’s daughter.
Jesus heals a deaf and (mostly) dumb man: Jesus uses His supernatural healing powers in many different ways. He has compassion on this man and sighs heavenward when seeing the suffering in front of Him and uses unique healing techniques. He instantly heals this man’s hearing and speech, leaving many astounded.
The feeding of the 4,000+: Jesus can provide sustenance to those who are hungry for His word. He again miraculously creates adequate real food for thousands who are listening to Him, while also having to deal with the blindness and deafness of His disciples, who cannot put the big picture together and think outside their narrow worldly boxes of “reality”.
Jesus restores the sight of a blind man near Bethsaida: Jesus uses natural and supernatural methods to restore the sight of a blind man, giving His disciples a lesson in overcoming spiritual blindness.
Jesus heals a man blind from birth: Once again, Jesus demonstrates His mastery over His creation and can cure a congenital defect, a blindness that has been there since this man’s birth. The man’s story enrages the Pharisees, but he grows in faith and courage from not knowing Jesus to worshipping Him (and probably becoming a member of the larger entourage).
Jesus heals a boy with an unclean spirit: Jesus returns with Peter, James and John from the Transfiguration and is greeted almost immediately with a worldly issue: A boy has a vicious unclean spirit that throws him into regular convulsions and keeps him from speaking and his father is asking for help. The disciples have been unable to cast out the unclean spirit. Jesus sighs at their unbelief. The father believes but also asks for help for his unbelief. The powerful demon is cast out and the boy is now spared. This type of demon requires effective prayer and the faith of a mustard seed, which the disciples still lack.
Miracle of the temple tax in the mouth of a fish: Jesus uses His creation to provide a temple tax for Himself and for Peter, hoping to avoid controversy for this minor issue with the religious leaders. Using secular sources like Wikipedia for stories of the miracles of Jesus should be avoided or used with caution, because of their tendency to cast doubt on the Word of God.
Jesus heals a blind, mute demoniac: In a miracle used as a segue into a serious teaching from Jesus, He once again demonstrates His power over demons and physical ailments. The scoffing Pharisees are warned about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (settled rejection of Jesus and His revelation by the Spirit in an unbeliever’s life). Our words will be counted, for justification or condemnation.
Jesus heals a woman crippled for 18 years: Jesus sees this woman at a synagogue service on the Sabbath, has compassion on her, and instantly heals her of an affliction that came from an evil spirit. The woman was bent over, unable to look up at other people and only seeing the ground, suffering immensely. He uses her healing as a lesson to the legalistic religious leaders, who value their convoluted laws about the Sabbath (that had exceptions to care for animals) more than they cared about the pain and suffering of a daughter of Abraham. The people rejoice in the healing.