A Healing From the Lord

Luke 13:13-17

The Bowed Woman

 

 

On a Sabbath, Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 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. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and 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. 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.”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? 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?” When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing. Luke 13:10-17 NIV

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A woman, who for eighteen years could not lift herself up, was healed by the divine power of the Lord Savior. This event, narrated by the Evangelist Luke, reminds us of the miraculous healing that takes place with every person who encounters Christ in his life’s path. 

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The obvious question is why have sickness at all? After the fall of Adam and Eve, God pronounces His discipline on all of mankind (Gen 3:17-19).  Thus, sickness and death are a part of this life (Romans 5:12).  Whether incurred by an accident, self-harm, or hereditary form, illness exists as a prelate towards death - as ordered by God as a result of the Adamic sin.  However, life is a precious gift of God and although we ultimately die, It is God's will to be healthy and prosper while we live (1 John 3:2): 

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Proverbs 3:2 For the length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.

Psa 91:16  With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

 

Death is an enemy (1 Cor. 15:26) that was brought upon us in Genesis (2:17).

 

So why do we have sickness?

because they had all sinned—: In this verse, Paul explains the basic truth about how sin and death spread to all humans. This explanation agrees with the theme of the book of Romans: God is impartial and holds out the possibility of salvation to all sinful humans having faith in Jesus’ ransom sacrifice. Paul explains that both Jews and non-Jews are sinners and need to exercise faith in Jehovah God and in the ransom of his Son to gain a righteous standing with God. (Ro 1:16, 17) The world mentioned here refers to the world of mankind. (See study note on Joh 3:16.) The dash at the end of the verse indicates a break in Paul’s reasoning that seems to resume in verse 18. So the idea seems to be: In verse 12, Paul begins a comparison with Adam (“Just as through one man” all became sinners) and completes his line of reasoning in verse 18 (“so too through one act of justification the result to men of all sorts is their being declared righteous for life”) and in verse 19. Thus, through Jesus’ entire course of integrity, culminating in his death, it was made possible for many to attain righteousness and salvation by their faith.

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But You Have a Helper!  

Fortunately, God is still in the healing business. It is imperative we believe God can heal us and run towards Him (2 Chronicles 7:14.)   God looks to have compassion for our individual pain and the hurt on our loved ones (Isaiah 57:18).

 

The bowed women believed this.  She was determined that her faith would cure her infirmity through Jesus Christ. Although there were nay-sayers in the midst, Jesus (and the women) was not deterred. Rather, intent in fulfilling the prophecy of physical healing (Isaiah 35:5,6).

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Today is no different as Jesus is the Truth, the light, and the Way (John 14:6). If you desire a healing Jesus is a prayer away. For if you draw near to Him, He will draw near to you (Isaiah 55:6,7).

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                          Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come,                                             buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live;

and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.  Isaiah 55:1-3

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BELIEVE IN GOD

Deuteronomy 7:15 "And the LORD will take away from you all sickness, and will afflict you with none of the terrible diseases of Egypt which you have known, but will lay them on all those who hate you.

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Mark 16:17-18 "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name . . . they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."

 

Isaiah 40:31 "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint

 

Psalm 34:19 "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all."

 

Jeremiah 1:12 ". . . . I am alert and active watching over My Word to perform it."  Jeremiah 23:29 "Is not My word like a fire? says the LORD, And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?"  Jeremiah 30:17 "For I will restore health unto you, and I will heal you of your wounds, saith the Lord."

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GOD'S WORD IS TRUE

2 Timothy 3:16-17 "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."  

John 6:63 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life."  John 8:32 "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 15:7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you."

Isaiah 55:11 "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."  

Joshua 21:45 "Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass."  

 

HEALING IS A GIFT FROM GOD

James 1:17 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." 

1 Corinthians 3:21-22 "Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come--all are yours."  

Romans 11:29 "For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable."  

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MORE SUPPORTING SCRIPTURES

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James 5:13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.  14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.  15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

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Deuteronomy 32:39 See now that I myself am he! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand."  

 

 2 Chronicles 7:14-15 "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place."  

 

Isaiah 38:16-17 -"You restored me to health and let me live. Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back."  

 

Isaiah 57:18-19 -"I have seen their ways, but I will heal them; I will guide them and restore comfort to Israel’s mourners, creating praise on their lips. Peace, peace, to those far and near,” says the LORD. “And I will heal them.”  

 

Jeremiah 33:6 "Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security."  

 

3 John 1:2 -"Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well."  

 

Philippians 4:19 "And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus." ~  

 

Revelations 21:4 -"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."  

 

What a wonderful story of deliverance and belief! Jesus was as the height of His ministry and was working fastidiously within His allotted time. In fact, the next verses denote “And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.”

 

 

 

  Thayer, Joseph Henry, trans. The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament.Peabody: Hendrickson, 1981.